Record breaker: Land's End - John O Groats by bus

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tangy
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Record breaker: Land's End - John O Groats by bus

Post by tangy »

Something I have always wanted to do...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... roats.html
A 16-year-old schoolboy has broken the record for the fastest journey from Land's End to John O'Groats - by public bus.

Adam Mugliston spent four days and £170 on tickets travelling 1,167 miles on 36 different buses to beat the previous record by nearly a day.

He spent months poring over bus timetables to plan the quickest route and set off on his epic journey to mark the completion of his GCSEs.

Adam said: "I'm pretty knackered and glad to be home now. I got hardly any sleep, getting in after midnight and up again to get the bus before 6am.

"It was all worth it though. It was a great trip.

"My parents were a little worried about it but they were fine. They dropped me off at Land's End.

"I'm in Year 11 and this is my way of celebrating finishing my exams."

Adam, of Suffolk, started his journey on the number 1 bus from Land's End to Truro on Monday (June 23) at 7.21am.

He made overnight stops at Bridgwater, Crewe, Newcastle, and Dundee Premier Inns - because the hotel chain was happy to accommodate a 16-year-old without parents.

Four days, 10 hours and 44 minutes later he stepped off the X97 at John O'Groats.

He came close to missing a bus change on his second day as the number 46 from Stroud to Cheltenham, Glos., was running late.

Adam only had nine minutes to spare when he got off the bus - just enough time to get his bearings and board the 801 to Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.

The schoolboy has a passion for public transport and hopes to work in the industry after university.

He said: "Buses have always been my thing and I read about people trying the challenge so I thought I'd give it a go but do it quicker. After all, why not?

"I don't know why, but I've always had an interest in buses. I want to go to university to study transport and hopefully get work with Transport for London. I've got work experience there this summer.

"I'd love to work in scheduling transport. That has been an issue while planning this trip."

There is no official Guinness World Record for the feat but Adam's time is believed to be almost a day quicker than anyone has completed the journey before.

Adrian Cole, membership secretary of the Land's End John O' Groats Association, said he had not heard of anyone coming close to Adam's time before.

Mr Cole said: "Four days beggars belief. His predictions on bus times must have worked out well.

"From my experience on the buses - and I work for a bus company - that is really quite impressive."

James Aukett, who works for London Buses, completed the journey in five days, seven hours and 25 minutes in 2011.

Steve Gibbs, 74, will be attempting the epic trip in August, but without as much cost as he will use his bus pass. He hopes to raise ?20,000 for Children In Need.
Adjudicator of the Alternative Challenges and webmaster of the Tube Challenge "Top Times" website at www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubechallenge

This is a Central line train to "Woodford via Hainault"- sadly, not no more!

Tangy.
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Re: Record breaker: Land's End - John O Groats by bus

Post by Cheshire Cat »

An impressive achievement and something I'd love to do, too.

£170 sounds a lot to spend on tickets. I wonder if he made proper use of day rovers &c? My instinct also says go up the west coast, not the east, but it sounds like he did his research.
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palkanetoijala31

Re: Record breaker: Land's End - John O Groats by bus

Post by palkanetoijala31 »

Cheshire Cat wrote:An impressive achievement and something I'd love to do, too.

£170 sounds a lot to spend on tickets. I wonder if he made proper use of day rovers &c? My instinct also says go up the west coast, not the east, but it sounds like he did his research.
although looking at his route i can see one flaw and its a biggie if you reverse his route with a later start at jog it seems i can make everyone of his connections backwards.
nozzacook
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Re: Record breaker: Land's End - John O Groats by bus

Post by nozzacook »

Also he counts the time at JoG to walk to the sign but not the time taken to walk from the sign to the bus stop at Le
Just had a quick look at the start of the route and if done in school holiday you can be in exeter 2hours earlier.
26 miles 385yards in 4h 14m 40s.
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tangy
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Re: Record breaker: Land's End - John O Groats by bus

Post by tangy »

The problem is you would have is getting north of Exeter- route 22 between Tiverton and Taunton isn't the most frequent these days
Adjudicator of the Alternative Challenges and webmaster of the Tube Challenge "Top Times" website at www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubechallenge

This is a Central line train to "Woodford via Hainault"- sadly, not no more!

Tangy.
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