Another scorching hot weekend - what's happened to the great British summer? The BBQ's been used more so far this year than in the whole of last year.
An encouraging moment at the market yesterday when one stall holder whom we've been trying to encourage to stock Fairtrade bananas complained that now we've really started something and as soon as he gets a box they sell! I'm instructed to get there first thing on a morning if I want to confirm that he's selling them because he can only get one or two boxes at a time. I regard that as something of a success story. I suggested that he keeps his eyes open for other fruits and expands his choice over the year. We shall see. He's a great character and very much part of Stockton Market. Long may he thrive.
The English strawberries he had on sale were small, juicy and bursting with flavour. Absolutely superb and a lot cheaper than the water-fattened ones in a supermarket not too far away. I love the soft fruit season. I'm watching the raspberries and cherries swelling nicely in the garden - not too long now before we can eat them.
Meanwhile residents continue to contact us about the issues that concern them - the uncertainties over the bus services, the perceived unfairness of having a service every 10 minutes during the working day on one part of the ward but only every hour on the other part, and so on. The next meeting of the Public Transport Users’ Forum for this Borough meets on 11^th July from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in ARC, Dovecot Street, Stockton, with John in the chair. This is the opportunity to get the latest information and make your voice heard.

Allen's West Crossing

We have been trying for the last week or two to get clarification of this weekend's arrangements for the closure to vehicles & pedestrians. The latest news is:
Owing to the length of the diversion undertaken between Hartburn Interchange and Yarm (via the A66 and Yarm Road), the Saturday daytimeArriva Service 20 will be unable to serve Orchard Estate - the nearest alternative stops will be at Eaglescliffe Tesco. Early Saturday morning ('551'), Saturday evening ('7A') and all day Sunday services ('7A'), will continue to serve Orchard Estate as per their normal timetables.
The shuttle bus will not connect Eaglescliffe with Hartburn, as originally advised.
The arrangements so far as we can find out are as follows. PLEASE ADVISE
YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS WHO MAY NOT SEE THIS.
A. NO-ONE (VEHICLE OR PEDESTRIAN) WILL BE ABLE TO CROSS THE RAILWAY AT
ALLEN'S WEST FROM 2200 ON FRI. 17TH TO 0500 ON MON. 20TH.
B. Bus services 551 & 7A during this period will U-turn at Greenfield Drive & not serve the Kingsmead stop, to & from which passengers will be unable to walk.
C. On Sat. 18th Service 20 will not serve any stops on Durham Lane.
Between Hartburn Interchange & Yarm it will run via the A66 & Yarm Road (& vice versa). It will continue to serve the Millfield Close & Tesco stops on Urlay Nook Road, calling there shortly after 54 min. past the hour on the Tesco side of the Road on the way to Yarm, Stockton & Middlesbrough, returning from Yarm at 31 min. past the hr.
D. The free shuttle bus will run between Stockton, all stops in Durham Lane N of the railway and Yarm (Ketton Ox) & Town Hall (timetable below).
E. On Saturday when Services &A & 551 are not running, there will be no bus service to The Eagle or Greenfield Drive.

SERVICE NO: 920 FRIDAY (17 April 2009)

Stockton High St (st 3) 2155 2312
Eaglescliffe, Kingsmead 2206 2323
Yarm Town Hall 2223 2340

Yarm Town Hall 2225 2342
Eaglescliffe, Kingsmead 2242 2359
Stockton High St (st 3) 2254 0011

SERVICE NO: 920 SATURDAY (18 April 2009)

Stockton High St (st
3) 0535 0635 0735 0835 0935 then 1735 1855 then 2155 2312
Eaglescliffe, Kingsmead
0546 0646 0746 0846 0946 hourly 1746 1906 hourly 2206 2323
Yarm Town Hall 0559 0659 0759 0859 1003 until 1803 1923 until 2223 2340

Yarm Town Hall 0605 0705 0805 0905 1005 then 1805 1925 then 2225 2342
Eaglescliffe,
Kingsmead 0619 0719 0819 0919 1022 hourly 1822 1942 hourly 2242 2359
Stockton High St (st
3) 0630 0730 0830 0930 1034 until 1834 1954 until 2254 0011

SERVICE NO: 920 SUNDAY (19 April 2009)

Stockton High St (st 3) 0845 0945 1055 then 2155 2312
Eaglescliffe, Kingsmead 0856 0956 1106 hourly 2206 2323
Yarm Town Hall 0913 1013 1123 until 2223 2340

Yarm Town Hall 0915 1015 1125 then 2225 2342
Eaglescliffe, Kingsmead 0932 1032 1142 hourly 2242 2359
Stockton High St (st 3) 0944 1044 1154 until 2254 0011

Needless to say, we are not happy about how this information has been sent out to the public and have made our views known to Stockton Council officers.