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Reports are that First have acquired York Pullman and plan to run it as they do Ensign as a standalone operation with in the First group family.

I know that acquiring a business is different to investing in a current asset but one would have thought that maybe loving a hub you already own and looking at how you could expand that rather than acquire a new business. But never mind Worcestershire has a county council who'd rather support the car than better public transport.

Exactly my point, just poor P.R.

Or is it more to the fact that on the buses it should have something to say that they are part of the Centrebus group?
Like First (f), National Express, Rotala, Transdev & Go Ahead do on their buses. Which then means that it doesn't matter if Rotala wished its customers a merry Christmas because that blind update would be able to be used at any of the Diamonds, Preston Bus and Hotel Hoppa. Same with First where they have local brands and identities, same with NX with TWM and Cov. There are links with in the branding of the areas and on the buses to make a connection.

So, no not poor P.R. just poor base brand identity. It's completely irrelevant of PR.
If you looked closely at an ASDA store you knew it was part of the Wal-Mart family as bits of equipment had it plastered over it (recycling bags for top stocking and POS trolleys)

It maybe out lined well online, how ever since they have not long sent out route maps to homes in the area it seems like a backwards step to then cut the services you have just promoted.

https://www.diamondbuses.com/news/diamond-midlands-review/

Looks like Redditch is having major cuts to its bus network 
Shame as if the fares and the services had been reliable enough people would have used them.
Wonder if any other company takes any of them up as the 247 could have been more profitable when the 67 is withdrawn.

Excellent news! I hope we get a variety of WM liveries.

Only if people ask for them. That's going to be the difference with this run of buses they are only going to tool for what people ask for so if you don't ask for MRW or WM liveries then they won't exist. Which I think is a good way to make sure you don't have sheds of models hanging around.

Has anyone read how long the probe will take. Remember the Asda / Sainsburys one taking some time.

But unlike the ASDA Sainsbury's merger this is very much different. This is in part due to the fact how the Bus sphere is changing with the franchising in some areas. The main difference is the fact there is only two conflicts NXC SMR and NX Coaches MegaBus. The other one which would have coursed a conflict was Sold off Dundee. Now yes I did say 2 but the CMA (or what ever they want to call themselves) may find NEATs and any other part of the NX operations as a conflict.

How ever to completely contradict my self it might not take as long as we think due to the fact that everything was passed ok in Redditch and Kidderminster for the FMR ops that were Sold to Rotala, due to Johnsons and Stagecoach running services in the area. And if I'm not mistaken Johnsons and Rotala run services in the NXC/SMR area too. So it shouldn't take as much time as thee failed ASDA Sainsbury's deal.

They were
002 Weoley to Merry Hill
004 Harborne to Merry Hill
006 Halesowen circular
007 Bromsgrove to Merry Hill (which got split to be 217 Merry Hill to Halesowen and 007 Halesowen to Bromsgrove)

I do believe the 007 ran Redditch - Merry Hill and it was only from April 2003 that it changed.

The buses aren't awful.  Like any operator we do have breakdowns, one was due to an overheat on the day and the other down to a suspension fault which occurred in service

Ok they aren't awful, but they are poorly maintained compared to pre-acquiring First Redditch and Kidderminster/ your brother leaving midlands with others to set up YourBus. It was noticeable, but I can see how hard it is to keep prices down for customers and costs low to gain maximum income. A lot of the buses do seem to be bags of nails and that's from what I see in Redditch. The pressures of Redditch are the hills as you can't go any where in Redditch with out coming across a hill of some sort somewhere.

McGills? - They caught everyone out when they bought Arriva Scotland so could surprise everyone

Erm I don't think they will be buying much till the court case with Transport for Scotland and Caledonian Marine Assets Ltd plus CalMac over two new ferries being built on the Clyde by Jim McColl's ships building arm Ferguson Marine. Jim McColl will be looking more at that and his future relationship with the SNP than what his buses group McGill's is going to buy next.

Courtesy of Simon Dunn:

Confirmed, Rotala are closing down their Wessex operation, a deal has been agreed with Stagecoach to take over the remaining tendered services in North Bristol from 2nd Sept, staff notice attached for further info. Bicester shuttles will be managed by Heathrow. Stagecoach will be acquiring 8 x E200's & 1 x Solo currently operating in Bristol.

What is due to  transfer out of Wessex before closure @Simon Dunn

I don't think Simon need say.......

32219- spent most if not all of the day on Evesham Road by the Bridage Surgery, one would assume it had broken down.

@Emperor why do you have an obession with the number 64?

Or maybe he likes to visit ASDA Redditch at the Mayfield Retail Park.

It would have been nice to have seen the West Midland Railway in Midland Railway Red with the light grey and gold doors as I think the Purple and Orange don't look right.

As for the new LWNR colours it looks like all the UK operators can think of is Green, Grey and Blue(SWR). I would have liked to have seen Black Cabs with red Lining and then for the rest of the Carriage to be in the old LNWR coaching stock livery with gold doors again. Of course due the Black a bit more yellow would be needed at the front but I'm sure that would have worked.

There was an item on BBC Points West this week with amateur footage of Flying Scotsman stalling on the bank near Bishops Lydiard and having to be rescued by an ex-S&D 7F.  A spokesman then said that Flying Scotsman was designed for fast express services and not to pull trains up banks in Somerset.  He didn't add that the rescue locomotive was designed specifically for that purpose.

I'm sure it was 7820 Dinmore Manor that had to rescue Flying Scotsman.

I have found out that Rotala now own Go Goodwins which was the company they took over in Manchester.