DSCF3986 Spirit Buses MX14 FUG - 16 Jun 2016

Thursday 16 June 2016 (1046) - Spirit Buses, is based in Rothbury, Northumberland. The Rothbury area and the Cocquet Valley are popular destinations for walkers and tourists and Spirit Buses works closely with Northumberland County Council and the National Park Authority to encourage ridership. In addition to the regular service 15 which runs from Thropton via Rothbury to Alnwick four times a day, six days a week there is also a summer only Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays service 16 running two circular clockwise trips beyond Thropton round the villages of the Coquet Valley. Not only does this extension provide a valuable facility for the local residents and walkers but it is also advertised as a ‘Valley Tour’ enabling visitors to make a one hour circuit out from and back to Rothbury. An unusual feature of this ‘tour’ for a stage carriage service is a pre-recorded commentary activated by the driver pointing out places and points of interest supported by NCC. The two speakers to relay the commentary can be seen at the top of the vertical grab rails in this photograph. There is quite a lot of tourist information displayed on the driver’s cab bulkhead panel and the first offside window. In this view the bus, Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200 MX14 FUG, was standing outside Rothbury Newsagents about to depart on the morning circuit of service 16. Despite the bus looking empty, this was not quite the case. All the higher rearward seats were occupied and, as the service progressed the lower area became occupied with local travellers.