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It looks to me like its open to anyone and they're trying to get  Queen Mary's pupils in Walsall to book tickets. The vamooz twitter says nothing about it only being open to certain people.
If it was only open to Queen Mary's pupils then surely the pickup point would be Queen Marys and not Birmingham, Wylde Green, Erdington and Sutton Coldfield.

This is what it says on the Green Bus Twitter:

Our first VAMOOZ trip to @altontowers on Friday 30 March 2018 picks up in Birmingham, Erdington, Wylde Green, and Sutton Coldfield and is available to pupils at @qmgs1554 and @QMHSOFFICIAL. Download the @goVAMOOZ app for more info!

My interpretation of that is that this is exclusively for QM pupils.

The Vamooz Twitter doesn't say anything specific.  It seems to be necessary to download the app to find out more.  So I've lost interest.  ;D

First Vamooz is to Alton Towers on Friday 30th March, with pickups from Birmingham, Erdington, Wylde Green and Sutton Coldfield.
https://twitter.com/The_Green_Bus/status/973971022591471619

https://twitter.com/goVAMOOZ/status/976538673855557632

The first of those twitter links states that the trip is available to Queen Mary's pupils (and presumably nobody else).  So what's the difference between this Vamooz to Fawlty Towers and Queen Mary's Schools hiring a coach from any Walsall coach operator for a day trip to Fawlty Towers?

A VAMOOZ Plaxton President was sighted on the school 848 yesterday afternoon.

Have any of the VAMOOZes actually Vamoozed or do they just do school services?  The only one I've seen was running empty round about school chucking-out time and the destination was a phone number.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/69947186@N08/39136128930/in/dateposted/

I somehow recall the 966 Wolverhampton - Airport journey time being 85 minutes at first.  I think the service was Limited Stop throughout, except between Walsall and Mere Green, and it bypassed Castle Bromwich and Smiths Wood by using the Collector Road between M6 junction 5 and Chelmsley Wood.   I rode the service in this form a couple of times - great rides although not alot of passengers.

Interestingly, a summer hourly all-night service was registered, but the service started on 26 October 1986 (Deregulation Day) and by summer 1987 there had been a change of mind and the night service did not start.

The early Timesaver services were more Limited Stop than today's X services - Timesavers seemed more targeted at fast point-to-point links, whereas today's X routes are more focussed on stopping where people live or work.  To give an example, the X51 makes more stops than the original 951 did and loads better (at least off peak) as a result.

The thread's moved on and it's taken me over a week to find this 966 photo and clean it up.  But I'm still going to put it on this thread! ;D

https://www.flickr.com/photos/69947186@N08/32804019862/in/photolist-RYMaLC-RYMbem

Wasn't the 159 which the 900 replaced, originally a Midland Red route, until Midland Red sold there routes to WMPTE, i read that Midland Red ordered a batch of Atlanteans for there West Midlands routes, the Atlanteans were then diverted to Merseyside PTE after Midland Red sold there routes, they were numbered 1236 to 1295 & became the last Atlanteans built on the PDR chassis, as the next Atlanteans were on the AN68 chassis.

I thought the the last PDRs were for CIE; they all had 73 chassis numbers; some were bodied at Inchicore and some by Van Hool McArdle.
CIE's last PDR was D602 (602ZO); D603 (603ZO) was an AN68.

Yes, the 159 was a former Midland Red route, along with many, many others in the Birmingham, Solihull and Black Country areas that were sold to WMPTE in 1973.

Midland Red ordered 118 Atlanteans as part of the 1972 NBC order.  I don't think it was announced where they would be allocated to, but it was academic because they never reached Midland Red.   The 50 that were ordered with MCW bodies were diverted to London Country (30) and Maidstone & District (20), and 60 of the 68 with Alexander bodies were indeed diverted to Merseyside PTE.

Anyone know what happened to the other eight?

Whilst it was common for buses to be re-allocated, or diverted, within NBC, I'm not sure that "diverted" is the correct term for those that went outside NBC.  Perhaps they were cancelled and their entry in the order book (for 50 of them) simply changed to Merseyside.  The others, if they were ever identified in Alexander's production list, would have been subsumed into the large batches they were building for Glasgow and Edinburgh.
If anybody knows it'll be someone on the Midland Red forum.

I've just read it again and unless i'm missing something it reads as though nothing's been decided. I've also read minutes of council meetings which suggest it might be a possibility but is unlikely. Incidentally, i'm writing this while sat on the bus because my train to work, run by WMR, is 22 mins late due to "awaiting train crew". Like i said before, they can't even run the existing franchise. It will take more than ambiguous articles full of vagueries to fool me.

It quite plainly says nothing has been decided.  It states that the Secretary of State will "carefully study" the proposal.  Whilst the careful studying is taking place, this is the time for the pressure to be applied.  Positive pressure for re-opening at entry level is much preferable to whingeing about it not being the full works.
The issue about West Midlands / London Northwestern / Abellio / East Japan Railway / Tom Cobley is hardly relevant here.  To compare March 2018 with the date when Camp Hill might come to fulfilment is pointless.  Who knows who'll be the franchisee by then? 
It does seem to me, and this is only a "seem", that most new franchises struggle at first with the number of employees; the previous franchisee often seems to cut back on training and recruitment towards the end of their tenure.

I presume you haven't read any of the article

They are doing the curves into Moor Street

The New Street solution is the temporary one to speed up the start of services suggested by Andy Street

I've read the article in the Post that was linked at the start of the thread.  It states that the Secretary of State for Transport has agreed to "carefully study" the proposal.  Is the proposal available for the public to carefully study?

Whilst the careful studying is taking place, it would be better for those who want an improved transport system in south Birmingham to support this scheme.  The proposers readily acknowledge it's a short-term fix. 

Weymouth : Marks?

https://www.flickr.com/gp/92409298@N06/uEksG4

Must be a load of schoolkids around!

I'm not entirely sure why it can't just state "Weymouth".  I'm pretty sure all NX Weymouth services terminate outside Marks & Spencers.

26223 on 56

https://www.flickr.com/gp/92409298@N06/164LJM

I always hesitate to get involved in "unusual" workings topics especially with Stagecoach.  But where will Nuneaton's spare golds "usually" turn up?  I'd guess the Matrix routes would be particularly likely, especially on Sundays.  Time may tell.
But at the moment, with the reallocations still in progress, there are likely to be more than the usual number of unusual workings.
For example, on Friday afternoon (March 9th) in Coventry I noted 36748 (on 55) and 36752 (on 48), two of a batch I've rarely seen in Coventry (especially branded examples).  Leamington had an ex Nuneaton E200 on the X68 (what's unusual on this? - a Versa?  ;D) and 34772 on the X17.

36752:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69947186@N08/25876755797/in/dateposted/

No photo of 34772; none of those I took had the destination display showing; a trait all too common with Stagecoach Darts.  :(

When I've asked TfWM what the current bus hub will be used for is a car pick up point. The 600 space car park will bring more cars to an already congested area.

The congested area is called "Coventry".
I visited Coventry this afternoon. I caught the 12X from the station, it was painfully slow, especially along Earl Street.  I caught an 8A back so that I could see the chaos in Corporation Street caused by some, presumably essential but seemingly un-manned road works.
Until there's a political will to actively restrict car use in town centres, it'll get steadily worse. 
I shall walk next time; one less fare for the blameless bus operator.

The bus interchange is the width of Warwick Road away from the station and fully undercover walkway, that's far better the the current arrangement where you get wet in the rain

Considerably better, especially when you consider that the new station building will be adjacent to Warwick Road and that the platforms will be extended west, with the new bay platform west of Warwick Road.

Some really nice photo's of it that you've taken there DeanM66A !!!!!!

Thanks for that.  It was a pretty poor afternoon light-wise, but it meant the Ironmonger Row / Flying Standard shot was possible.
It wasn't a bad afternoon Coventry's Heritage Fleet.  As well as 6021, 4190 was in action, 4144 went off to Keresley and the hundred-year old bus, 4453, was on the 6A, the Farmyard Shuttle.    ;D

I'd agree. The recent delivery to Porth had three at least unbranded.

The first plan I saw had the last three unbranded but the fleet numbers quoted then were those that were allocated to the South Wales golds.  The last numbered of the Nuneaton batch, 26226, has full 48 branding; I haven't seen 26224 or 26225.
I don't see what sense there is in having three unbranded.  The spares will inevitably turn up on other routes.  They're the only vehicles in this livery in Nuneaton so if you're waiting in Gun Hill for your bus to town and a Gold turns up with 17 displayed at the front, you're not going to be any more confused when you find out that it says 48 on the side.

I couldn't get down to see it today JoNi, as i had too many jobs to do, but thanks for the heads up on it being out on the road today, as it's good to hear it's still going strong and your message is much appreciated mate ! (Will definitely try and see it again one day this week if i can, hopefully still in service ?).

Still going Friday March 9th.
Mingling with Gold
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69947186@N08/25841897007/in/photolist-FnytEp-GTW7ZW-24XVwiU-FV329i-FV2Z3p-ZRA7Qr-ZRA6sM-XDaQPh-Qu6LCZ