Thursday 2 April 2015

A Jolly Day with 6, 6A! (4)

Okehampton for Lunch

Okehampton was founded by the Saxons. The earliest written record of the settlement is from 980 AD as "Ocmundtune", meaning settlement by the Ockment, a river which runs through the centre (so really should be Ockmenttown) . It was recorded as a place for slaves to be freed at cross roads.

Like many towns in the West Country, Okehampton grew on the medieval wool trade. Notable buildings in the town include
Okehampton Castle ...
... which was established by the Norman Sheriff of Devon, Baldwin FitzGilbert (d.1090) .and the Chapel of St James.
St James' Chapel is a Chapel of Ease, situated in the heart of Okehampton town. It is an ecumenical chapel and belongs to the town of Okehampton. It was restored in 1862 by Ashworth and is built of Medieval granite.There is Tudor and 18th century woodwork with a reader's desk and pulpit, the latter dated 1662.

Buses in the town include, in addition to the 6 and 6A, Stagecoach 5A (part of the take5 rebranding of services via Crediton) ...
... runs every two hours and and Plymouth Citybus 11... 
... running hourly.
This will be renumbered 46 in April to increase confusion (?). Plymouth seems to be struggling to get its network stable and (possible?) profitable throughout. Additionally there is a significnt number of local routes, too complex to cover in this blog.
Information at the main stops is excellent with (at the West Street time point) an up-to-date Devon "flag" ...
... augmented by a 6/6A stuck up version.
What was superbly helpful was a bus stop map of the town ...
... complete with up-to-date index. It would have been perfect had the cartographer remembered that Somerfield became the Co-op from 2008 onwards. But some good house points for Devon County. But not quite so good for leaving a Western Greyhound frame and timetable for their withdrawn 510; withdrawn from mid-February.
What was sadly missing from the centre of Oakhampton was anywhere to sit down in some semblance of comfort; bus stop perches are totally inadequate for either rest or for fbb's ample rear end.

Arrival from Bude was 1425, departure for Launceston was 1510.

So a late lunch was in order. Fortunately, right outside the 6 arrival stop was the splendid Turners Bakehouse ...
... which supplied pasty, cake and quavers to replenish energy resources for sitting on yet another Stagecoach bus for a potential two hours and ten minutes. Had fbb found Marion's cafe in St James Street (under previous ownerhip on Google Streetview) ...
... sitting down and lunch could have been combined. Will do the next time. Instead a lovely cheering potta was all that fbb purchased therein.
It's tough work, but it has to be tackled (the lunch and tea, not the bus!).

But the 1510 to Launceston was fast approaching (actually it wasn't; the 6A, too, was about 8 minutes late).
The bus was older (less new?) than the vehicle on the 6 but comfy and warm nonetheless. Here it is on arrival in Launceston with zero layover but just time enough to change staff and allow fbb a PNB.

More about the 6A tomorrow.
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3,200 Years and Counting
In about 1200BC, Moses was inspired by God to lead his people out of slavery and on to Canaan, The Promised Land. But the Egyptian King (aka Pharoah) was not too keen to lose his labour force. The Bible records 9 "natural disasters" brought on by God via Moses: River turned to blood, frogs everywhere, gnats, flies, death of cattle, boils, hail,locusts and 24 hour darkness.  Each time the King said yes, then changed his mind.

The tenth plague was to be the death of the oldest child and animal (i.e. the firstborn). Moses gang were to protect themselves from the tenth plague by painting blood on their door posts.
Then "the angel of death" would pass over their houses. Devout Jews celebrated The Passover every year.

Jesus and his gang met to do just that on Thursday evening. He told them that he would be "The New Passover", that his blood would be used to save the people all over again.

Today's communion (or eucharist) service commemorates what Jesus did and said at his last supper.

He knew what was coming - and why.
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 Final 6/6A bus blog : Friday 3rd April 

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