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So most respondents, operators, unions and organisations all support the scheme. Except Rotala, Travel Express, Bus Users UK and the Irish.
 A lot of Neutrals too.

I thought there was another 74 plate coming to YW? (E289)

Coventry I think

You need to look into BCT history to see why routes are numbered. When a route started, it was just given the next available number. The same when trams and trolley buses were converted to buses. For example 55 and 56 started in 1950, replacing trams. The next routes for conversion were trolley buses. Receiving 57, 58, 59, 60. Then Bristol Road services receiving 61, 62, 63. Erdington Trams went next. Buses became 64, 65, 66. Over the years some have kept their original BCT numbers. If it's not broke, don't fix it. Others have been reneumbered to provide 'networks' and 'corridors'.

there are several next stop announcements on the 9 between Stourbridge and Birmingham that are now completely different names to that on the the bus stop flag

There's a couple on the BC14 where the announcement doesnt match the flag name. And neither are accurate for the actual location!

More top quality "reporting" from Birmingham Live. New electric buses "to take to the streets" when around 160 of them are already out there.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/fleet-new-electric-buses-take-31444235.amp

As with all online news sites, a lot of the time the reports are old. They may have a little update on them, so it looks like a new story because of the publication date. Easier to ignore them.

I think when the buses were first given these special name plates, it was said they would last the lifetime of the bus, but there has been a couple of occasions where the life of a bus has been shorter than expected, so they've had the names transferred to other vehicles.

While 6867 looks really good, the mismatch of legacy platinum, red diamond style, plain platinum, red sticker platinum, crimson, red and white national express, two tone grey and one tone grey liveries/branding is jarring and frustratingly inconsistent

I'm sure once the older buses are scrapped, repaints are done and new buses are ordered, we'll see more consistency, but it is a bug bear at the moment

I'm not sure of your age or if you remember but the WM Buses era in around 1994/5 was wild for the amount of liveries!

The Mercedes  O405N I've noted were

Green branded for 404
Orange branded for 74
Yellow branded for 451 ?? - have photo on 1627 on route 451 with yellow band applied but no lettering
Orange branded for Network Harborne
no colour band for 66 66A
Yellow branded for X96
Dark Blue branded for 94

and the two versions of Coventry based Merc's for PrimeLine.
 
               
               

94 was brown. Arguably the worst of the coloured branding.

This had 23/24 Harborne branding when it went away for accident damage repairs months ago and way before BC debranded all its platinums. Strange why during its time off the road, it was debranded, had the newer style 'extra legroom' etc branding applied, only for it to then receive a full repaint.

I'm guessing that the original plan was just a lower/partial repaint and that changed as work was maybe more extensive. 

Seen a photo on discord of 6861 in the new livery, looks just as good on this bus as it does on 6717

Of course it would look the same. It's the same livery on the same bus type.

How much notice was given?

Would a shuttle bus from Brum to Warwick Parkway have worked?

It was announced quite a while  ago. Shuttle buses are pointless. They could have just run the trains from Birmingham.

Next Sunday Birmingham City are playing at Wembley.

It looks like Chiltern have decided not to carry any passengers all day between Birmingham and Warwick Parkway. It seems all trains are running empty stock between Moor Street and Warwick Parkway.

This seems a very odd decision especially at times when football fans won't even be travelling

Yes, it's a pain in the backside. I'm traveling to London on Thursday and back on Sunday. Chiltern is always my first choice of train travel to London so I'll now have to decide whether to buy a single each way on separate operators or travel both to and from Euston. At also an added cost if I choose Avanti.

What are the Best rotas in all garages at the moment.

Best in what way?
I'm sure all have their pluses and minuses. Or is this just an excuse for area bashing again?

That's because Traffic Wardens got replaced by Civil Enforcement Officers

You know, I know and everyone else knows what I meant when I put the word traffic warden in inverted commas. Don't be that type of person.

There used to be at least three regular services going down that section of Alum Rock Road, the 14, 26 and 55. At some point the 55 got rerouted via Washwood Heath Road (then became the 95), and the 26 got merged into the 72 (now x12). It's a terrible road to try and get down at the best of times!

It has always been a very busy road. But the parking times were strictly and regularly enforced. Now it's park when you want where you want and a 'traffic warden' are a very rare sight.