If ever you are feeling a little low, a little dissatisfied with life, I recommend a trip on the 101 bus from Rye to Hastings via Winchelsea Beach and Fairlight. For a start, the views from the bus, especially from the upper deck, are stunning. Even in winter, Winchelsea town looks magnificent when seen across the fields and there are more panoramic vistas as the bus climbs from Pett Level.
For those of you who like a little excitement, you can enjoy a raised heart rate as the bus, only a little narrower than the road itself, careers around corners only to come face to face with an on-coming bin lorry. Then there is the necessary reversing and squeezing of two large vehicles in a small space, to such an extent that you can almost see the sweat on the bin lorry driver’s face as he passes.
However, I often choose the lower deck. I find a seat towards the middle, put in my headphones and open a book on my lap, but I neither read nor listen to music. These are merely my props, my protection from unwanted conversation. Yes, I do listen, but it is the conversations of my fellow travellers that I find fascinating, for here is all of everyday life, distilled and decanted into this metal box on wheels.
High on the list of subjects is the behaviour of grown-up children who, it seems, have either a tendency to move back home and contribute nothing other than higher utility bills, or to fail to make contact at all. “I never hear from him,” is a common refrain.
And then there are the health issues. Anyone wanting to compile a medical dictionary from scratch would only have to take notes, as well as gaining a good idea of the general satisfaction (or not) with the health service.
More surprising, if less interesting, is the fact that this part of the world appears to be home to the grandparents of the most clever, talented and attractive grandchildren that ever drew breath. Some of them may be seen as a little naughty, but apparently they are largely misunderstood by their teachers.
The list goes on. Of course, there is always the risk that the conversations may not live up to expectations. You may have the misfortune to sit close to someone who has the ability to recount, word for word, the long argument regarding the washing up that took place with their partner that morning. But don’t let that put you off. By the time you leave the bus you will either feel uplifted by the scenery, or you will be reminded that everyone’s life is beset by all kinds of problems and that many of those are actually worse than your own.
Image Credits: Julie McLaren .
Excellent!
The sight of the 101 bus grumbling up Battery Hill on its way to Hastings, no more than a few minutes late, sets my heart at rest. Ditto the 101 careening round the bend towards Peter James Lane on its way to Rye. Depending on the time, you may enjoy an almost passenger-less ride. Indeed, the countryside route from Rye to Ore is stunningly beautiful. Just the windows could do with a bit of a clean to enhance the experience.
Though not in the Rye area, my daughter commutes by bus from Portsmouth to Chichester on a daily basis. Her journey home is especially far from theraputic, with delays, no bus turning up and cancelled services!
Enjoy the bus ride…