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Stagecoach is going to start running a football special service for villa home games "AV82" between new street and VP starting the next game against wolves.
 
https://x.com/AVFCSupport/status/1773326673611735498?s=20

Very nice choice of service number I must say. I like it. 

The predecessor to the current 76, the 69 was a very long route, particularly at the point it ran Weoley Castle to Heartlands Hospital via most of south Birmingham and the moon. 

Certainly not the longest distance but must be the route that takes the longest and most convoluted way to go not very far - Kev's 55 takes 1 hour 49 to get from Quinton to Longbridge.

The current Stagecoach livery is awful in my opinion, although I guess at least it looks like some thought has gone into it. I think Go Ahead have some of the better liveries out there - often quite basic 2 colour liveries and often diagonal - but make good use of vinyls to give an end result that looks effective. Salisbury Reds and the latest Morebus m1/m2 liveried E400MMCs are examples. Practical and stylish at the same time is possible.

What has happened with 6875? just seen a picture that had been taken recently of it parked up at BC garage in immaculate condition and it hasn't tracked on bustimes for nearly 2 years now does anyone know why it has been out of service for so long?

Tony posted this update several months ago:

Longest VoR at the moment is BC 6875 which has been off over a year, but on Bustimes just looks like a couple of months. The RTC damage has been repaired, but no-one, including a Voith engineer cannot work out why it won't select gears at the moment!

Does it still have its Harborne branding following RTC repairs?

Just some of my observations/opinions:

The bus is wrapped in the corporate identity - granted, there are no fleetnames, but instantly recognisable to a passenger as an NX bus.

It's just such a shame that an all-over single primer grey colour is now the new recognisable NXWM corporate identity when you look at the attractive crimson and previous Platinum designs that preceded it.

I'm not a fan of the two-tone grey diagonal livery but to then change it to just a single dark shade on repaints because it's cheaper, and even remove the small detail of the stripes in the diagonal red sash, is really to the detriment of the corporate image of the company IMO. 

I appreciate this point has already been debated, but I don't think there's a worse UK livery out there at the moment.

Where else do you expect them to go?

Unnecessarily confrontational response once again. He hasn't said that they shouldn't use that route, just an observation that the Carrs Lane route, which can be a bottle neck, will see a lot of traffic. 

Ain't that exactly what I posted ?????

Apologies Mr Moderator, keep your hair on. I'd started typing before your message was posted but was interrupted so didn't send until some minutes later. I obviously didn't heed the warning someone else had posted in the meantime. 

9, X8 and X10 on diversion this evening via Wolverhampton Rd South, Ridgacre Road to Quinton Church island due to closure of Hagley Road West outbound near the Holly Bush (Toby Carvery).

So why did you post it in the BC thread then

It's a BC bus, having its MOT at WB.

What are trying to achieve with this ?
There have been other comments (most of them irrelevant about this subject and unsubstantiated) about electric buses on this forum, please think again and do some research before you post things like this.

He's posting a link to press article about electric buses in a thread about electric buses on a forum to discuss buses. I doubt he's trying to achieve anything and don't see why he needs to do any research before posting? The purpose of a forum is for informative and hopefully lively debate, so regardless of what I think of the article and the quality of the source of it, I find it interesting to read and discuss. It's getting to the point where people are criticised for posting just about anything. 

You're absolutely right @karl724223 - much is made of the Outer Circle, though the 9 has changed little since it started - it's evolved to bring the Black Country and Birmingham together, with many other operators having a crack on it too.

The extension from Quinton to Stourbridge came in 1983, replacing ex-Midland Red service 130 but with the 9 running along Spies Lane and Manor Lane instead of Mucklow Hill. 

Harborne services yet again on diversion from High Street via Vivian Road and Harborne Park Road to normal line of route outbound. The 23 I was on this evening (I won't post the fleet number) failed to observe the diversion and had to await police assistance at the Ravenhurst Road junction to get through the one-way section of the High Street.

I noticed another 23 a while back did this but took a chance on running along Ravenhurst Road, Wentworth Road (not the easiest roads to navigate for full-sized buses) and Lordswood Road back to Harborne baths.

Well I can only assume that the reintroduction of the Harborne High Street diversion hasn't been properly communicated to BC drivers because again, 6871 which I was on tonight, failed to follow it (despite the fact that 6878 which was visible in front turned up Vivian Road). Driver only realised the error when the driver of a 48 passing in the other direction stopped to tell him. This one did take the magical mystery tour along Ravenhurst Road, Wentworth Road and Crosbie Road to Lordswood Road, much to the bemusement of passengers and passers-by.

Just seen 5516 in West Bromwich.

Presumably there for MOT

Harborne services yet again on diversion from High Street via Vivian Road and Harborne Park Road to normal line of route outbound. The 23 I was on this evening (I won't post the fleet number) failed to observe the diversion and had to await police assistance at the Ravenhurst Road junction to get through the one-way section of the High Street. 

I noticed another 23 a while back did this but took a chance on running along Ravenhurst Road, Wentworth Road (not the easiest roads to navigate for full-sized buses) and Lordswood Road back to Harborne baths.