A leisurely bus ride from Swanage. The driver delaying the wait at a stop to chat with a regular passenger (without the division of a perspex screen). The largely elderly fares bidding a farewell in unison to a mother and child. The driver more than happy to permit passengers to alight prior to an official stop. A ‘rural public transport idyll’ now perhaps the proverbial ticking clock, in terms of perceived sustainability, but still able to operate on a ‘customer service’ level that might have been seen as the norm in the days of the Shell Guide.