THE TRAVELLER NEWSLETTER OF FELIXSTOWE TRAVEL WATCH
No. 137 www.ftw.onesuffolk.net April 2020
Chairman’s Editorial
Graham Newman have their money refunded from Peter Leitch, our ([email protected]) Treasurer. Thankfully, save for administration costs, writes... neither FTW or its members have incurred significant Welcome to this special edition of loss because of these cancellations. The Traveller - published in We are however taking this opportunity to publish our circumstances which - a mere six customary Annual Report and financial statement, both weeks ago - I dont think any of us to keep you in touch, remind you we are still here and could have believed would ever come to pass, and the to wish every one of our members good health during effects of which are likely to be at least as serious as the pandemic. any major disaster which has afflicted our country over One thing the pandemic has highlighted is our the last two centuries. dependency on our delivery volunteers and the Royal It was just four weeks ago (as I write this) that the Mail to circulate paper copies of The Traveller and other current lock-down came into effect, overnight communications. Hand distribution is very difficult effectively prohibiting public transport use by other than now, as many of our delivery team are either of an age key workers and those unable to work from home. As or have health conditions which mean their outings you would expect, our public transport operators were should be for essential purposes only - if at all. obliged to reduce their services - particularly severely Unfortunately we only have e-mail addresses for just on our buses - as patronage dropped by as much as over half of our membership. This seems the ideal 90% pretty well overnight. Bryan Frost outlines a opportunity to ask you to let us have your e-mail summary of the revised services in his article. address (if you have one), so that we can communicate The pandemic and its associated restrictions on with you with greater immediacy and at much less personal mobility have also played havoc with expense in the future - none more so when we can Felixstowe Travel Watchs meetings and tour get going again later in the year. programme. As I write, our AGM and evening meeting So please, notify us of your e-mail address by sending on 12th May have had to be cancelled; our Tours an e-mail to our Membership Secretary, Jean Leitch Programme has been suspended until at least July, (at [email protected]) and copying me in at although we have yet to formally postpone Tour 6 to [email protected]. Wrest House. Probus 2 have also cancelled their Summer Theatre Trip to Southwold (Tour 5). We very In the meantime all of FTWs officer team join me in much hope to be able to rearrange our Great Stink, my sincere wish that you keep safe and in good health Hertford Canal and Mystery Tours to similar times in in these coming weeks. We look forward to meeting 2021. Everyone who booked on these tours will soon up again just as soon as we can... WANTED! An e-mail address for every one of FTWs 373 members Please send an e-mail from your address to [email protected] and [email protected]
FELIXSTOWE Life Presidents Ken Tricker & John Woollan 01394 278770 /210271 Chairman & Editor ‘The Traveller’ Graham Newman, 1 Mellis Court, Felixstowe IP11 2YQ 07802 397905 TRAVEL Vice Chairman Richard Holland, 14 Princes Gardens, Felixstowe IP11 7RH 01394 278061 WATCH Hon Secretary VACANCY OFFICERS Hon Treasurer Peter Leitch, 104 St Andrews Road, Felixstowe IP11 7ED 01394 285320 Public Transport Notes
Bryan Frost trains, and to reduced congestion as a result of both the (E-mail: [email protected]) reduction in services across their entire area and a Chair of FTWs Public Transport dramatic drop in passenger numbers. Committee, updates you on latest National Express withdraws Felixstowe coach service developments At the end of March, National Express withdrew their once Bus and rail timetable changes daily return journey on service 481 linking Felixstowe with due to the Coronavirus pandemic the capital, bringing to an end a facility which was originally introduced by Grey-Green Coaches in 1928. This As far fewer people are using public withdrawal was rapidly followed by the temporary transport during the current withdrawal of ALL National Express coach services across Coronavirus emergency, bus and rail operators have the country from midnight on Sunday 5th April, including reduced their services in order to meet more closely the the remaining part of service 481 from Ipswich. needs of those making essential journeys. The following brief summary describes the situation at the date of One improvement which was introduced is a change of writing (Thursday 9 April) but it must be stressed that terminal on service 481 in Ipswich from Cardinal Park to the operators are keeping their levels of service provision the layby adjacent to the Cricketers opposite Tower under constant review, so it may be that the situation Ramparts, which will improve connections with bus services, will have changed by the time of publication. although with the current suspension of National Express coaches, this is purely academic at present. Buses from Ipswich to Felixstowe First are operating an hourly service on 75 and a two hourly daytime service In the current situation, before intending to travel, it is on 77. The evening service on 75 is similar to the Sunday strongly advisable to check updated service information, service with the last bus from Ipswich at 22:15 and from which can be found on the following websites: Great Eastern Square to Ipswich at 21:25. The last bus www.suffolkonboard.com for buses and from Great Eastern Square to Landguard Fort leaves at www.greateranglia.co.uk for trains. Another very useful 17:16 daily and returns from Landguard at 17:33. facility to check whether trains are running to timetable can be found at journeycheck.com/greateranglia/ Service 76 to and from Old Felixstowe and all journeys on express service X7 have been suspended for the time being. Buses from Felixstowe to Woodbridge (173/174) This Bill Gee route is operating a Saturday timetable, which means that As this issue went to press, we heard of the sad passing the last bus from Woodbridge is at 15:55 the 17:10 of our long-time member, Bill Gee. Bill regularly attended was a Monday to Friday journey only. The last bus from our member meetings, and for many years served as an Felixstowe remains at 17:10 from Great Eastern Square. officer on our Executive Committee. We send our sincere Rail services Greater Anglia are operating an hourly condolences to his son Andrew (also a member), Andrews service on the Felixstowe line, (including Sundays) but wife Fiona and all the family at this sad time. have withdrawn the 07:47 and 09:28 from Felixstowe (together with the 07:14 and 08:57 from Ipswich) on Membership News Mondays to Fridays for the duration. There has been a We hope that despite the current emergency, you wont noticeable improvement in reliability and punctuality let your membership lapse! If yours is due for renewal, since the emergency timetable was introduced, which we can still accept renewals by post. Please send a may be attributable to better performance of the new cheque (payable to Felixstowe Travel Watch) to our Membership Secretary, Jean Leitch at 104 St. Andrews Road, Felixstowe, IP11 7ED. The subscription remains at £3 single and £4 for family membership, plus £2 postage for those living outside the IP11 postcode area. Diary Dates for the rest of 2020 Saturday 6th June 2020, 9am-12noon - Information Stall at East of England Co-operative Store, Hamilton Rd. At the time of writing we have not cancelled or postponed our Information Stall. We will make a judgement on the timing of this event in due course, dependent on Government guidance as to isolation, social distancing, A 3-coach Class 755 unit leaves Trimley with the late etc - and the availability of materials to display! running 17.31 for Ipswich on Saturday 18th April. The Tuesday 13th October 2020, 2.30pm - Autumn train had been delayed by 33 mins at Felixstowe due to Members Meeting at Salvation Army Hall. More details an on-board fault [Photo: Graham Newman to follow in due course.
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