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2105 on the 167 today, which is unusual ..... although I have seen an Optare Solo on the route once or twice before.

.... and there was also a 904E Sutton Coldfield heading north through Walmley village mid-morning, with a 904 right behind it. 4924 on the E, and 4934 from memory.

Saturdays, that Beggars Bush junction seems to be particularly bad.  By car, I try to avoid it by using Monmouth Drive but the crawl to Banners Gate lights can be just as slow - it's sheer volume of traffic.  The sequencing of the lights at Beggars Bush perhaps needs looking at to give more priority to Jockey Road traffic; the trouble is, it's three-phase: Jockey Road, Kings Road, Chester Roads.  Roadside parking on the narrow part of Jockey Road doesn't help either. 

I'd certainly agree there's a case for running the 907 straight along College Road and avoiding the dogleg around the Beggars Bush.

Dorset is another county where subsidised rural bus routes are being withdrawn from this April.  They have targeted the "once or twice a week" services.

If you know the area a little (as I do), the .pdf map makes sobering reading - many communities will be losing their buses entirely.

https://www.dorsetforyou.com/travel-dorset/2016-bus-review

4779 working the 914 today, first time I've seen one on that route in a while .....

4709 on the 5 today, probably not uncommon, but first time I can recall noting one of that batch on the route .....

Brilliant, guys, that'll be it then! 

Many thanks for your input  8)

Well, according to this Black Prince website, none of their H-LOM vehicles survived.

http://www.blackprincebuses.co.uk/#!where/c88n

There's only two d/d they've noted as preserved, and neither V3 (London Buses) or 4738 (WMPTE) are in Black Prince livery.

I only really got a look at the rear view - I seem to recall a split window rear of the upper deck but three small windows rear of the lower deck, quite a strange configuration .... I'm stumped!  :D

There was a maroon and yellow liveried double-decker about 10 vehicles in front of me this lunchtime travelling down Queslett Road towards the roundabout by the Asda.  As it went round the roundabout, I noted it was sign-written for Black Prince, which according to Wiki ceased operation in Leeds around 2005.  I couldn't tell from the rear of it what it was, but it might have been a Scania.

I've found a Yorkshire Evening Post article which indeed suggests there's a Black Prince vehicle preserved in the Birmingham area.  Does anyone know what it is?

Mention of the services departing from inside Stourbridge garage (which I also remember from my yoof  :D)  reminds me that there was another BMMO garage where that happened as well - Digbeth!  There were a number of inspection pits at the Bradford Street side of the depot, hidden behind tarpaulins, IIRC ....

WA | 6758 | 77 - noted in Sutton Coldfield

X55 branded bus on the 75 today. Seen it at Birmingham Business Park.

It was YX63ZXL, managed to ride on it into Sutton.  The front destination display was faulty, just displaying "757575757 ..."  :D

Advance notice has been given of major repair works to the Riland Road / Coleshill Road (Sutton Coldfield) railway bridge, being planned for February 2016 and lasting between 14 and 18 weeks, depending on whether you believe Network Rail or Birmingham City Council.  Not sure if they're planning a major repair or a complete rebuild like the adjacent Rectory Road bridge.

With that bridge totally closed, there will have to be diversions to the 15, 71, 75, 110, 167, 604, 904 and 914.  I'm assuming that the outbound services will have to use Mill Street, Coleshill Street and down under the Rectory Road bridge to Good Hope, with the 604 and 167 peeling off down Riland Road and left onto Coleshill Road, back on route (I think that will still be viable).  Inbound services will presumably run the reverse, and round the ring road to access South Parade for the Sutton terminating services.  Unless John at PB or anyone else has heard anything different ....

In any event it sounds like a great recipe for traffic chaos.  The roundabout at Holy Trinity Church, with buses waiting to turn right into Coleshill Road, has pretty good potential for major tailbacks in all directions!  As I understand it, householders are to be leafleted in the new year with suggested alternative routes for car-drivers.  The cynic in me suggests it might be better to work from home .....

Diversions and traffic chaos around Walmley this lunchtime.  Not sure where the problem actually lies, but Igo's 167 and 168 certainly going off piste and heading through the Village rather than the "Oak 'n Ash" estate.  I don't think any NXWM services are on diversion, but the 71 etc. are subject to 5-10m delay, I reckon.  Also two northbound 914's noted running within a minute of each other, so possibly problems elsewhere as well?

Pain for London Midland - already have 172338 running round as a two car.

Weird coincidence: according to a poster on the RailUK forum, the Lapworth unit affected was 333 (one of the driving cars) - and 338 was running as a 2-car on the back of it .....