Subject: The wheels on the tourist bus go round and round!

A warm and sunny morning today as a group of our members met just after 9am for a day on the New Forest tour buses (one price for all three). 

Climbing aboard just outside LIDL and claiming the top open deck front seats we were soon off with our hair streaming behind us on the Green route on our way to Brockenhurst rail station where we changed to Blue with enough waiting time to allow us to use the essential loos on Platform 2.

This time we travelled in an anti-clockwise direction around the south-west corner of The Forest through the open heath towards Burley via Holmesley.    The on-board commentary warned us it was a magic place of witches and witchcraft and there certainly sounded to be a lot of screaming and other horrible noises as we reached the designated bus stop in the village - or, maybe, it was just a loud speaker from a nearby spooky shop advertising its wares.

Losing some passengers, but gaining others, (as we did at most stops) we were soon moving again by way of Holmesly campsite toward Bashley, through New Milton, to Barton-on-Sea and the vista of The Needles over on the IOWight.    Continuing then along the coastline to Milford-on-Sea before turning inland via Everton to Lymington which included a diversion into Shorefield Holiday Park.  It’s amazing how different the views and your perspectives are when seen from the top deck of a bus.

Alighting in the High st we had just enough time to dash to the St Barbe museum cafe for takeaway drinks (and the loos again) before clambering aboard another Green route bus, this time via the National Motor Museum before a halt in Beaulieu itself close by the palace.    Then it was up the hill to The Royal Oak and a turn right for another diversion to Exbury Gardens and back and onwards to Dibden Purlieu and Hythe.    Continuing our journey we travelled by Applemore  and Ipley passing Denny Wood to the right and Ferney Croft on the left before reaching Lyndhurst for a further change to the Red route.  The loos were working overtime again here!

This time we rattled back through Burley (still screams and ghostly sounds) and on to Burley Street and Ringwood with a few minutes stop there.  Wending its way out of the town and across the roundabout the bus trundled toward Fordingbridge passing Blashford lakes that we had visited several times over the years for bird-watching when we had a member who ran that group. 

We soon reached the town where we deposited and collected other passengers and then it was over the beautiful Avon river and onward and upward to cross the cattle grid by The Fighting Cocks pub at Godshill and onto The Forest proper.    Back across heathland, with a quick stop at Sandy Balls holiday complex, we reached the highest point of the Forest at Gravel Pit Hill and then followed Roger Penny Way to Brook and Cadnam in the direction of Totton.  Reaching Bartley we turned right down Bourne road past “the tin church” eventually turning left at the railway station and into Ashurst.  Here we alighted and changed to the No 6 bus route for Totton.  Funnily enough, due to the breezes experienced on the top deck of these open buses, most of us came home with different hairstyles from when we started!

Although there was little time to explore the towns and villages on our way our object was to complete all three forest routes which we accomplished.    It was more than made up with the varied panoramas afforded us throughout the day and a great experience for 8 members.  One more thing off our bucket lists.

Thanks to Christine for her idea and for co-ordinating the timetables to enable us to do it.

Ken