BUSWORLD PHOTOGRAPHY

I AM CHRISTOPHER LEACH THE ARTIST. I started this blog so that I can share with everyone my vast collection of transport photographs showing a personal and nostalgic view of the industry with images that span some 45 years taking in the U.K and some of Europe. I have no darkroom and so rather than being the perfectionist after tidying them up I upload the images warts and all, and even those that won't scan squarely or are scratched. In a way it adds age and character. You are all free to download these for your personal use but please remember I still own them and you are not just free to use them without prior permission for any knd of publishing. Click on images to enlarge them and if you want to see more leave your comments or visit my website for the mother-site with galleries including those Buses & Girls: PICTUREWORLD

Tuesday 29 January 2008

Browned off! When Sunday was a day of rest and boredom


Do you remember when on Sunday everything was closed and all the bus drivers left late because otherwise they would dawdle along dropping off to sleep. As you can judge there were not many intending passengers on the Royal Parade and a little Dennis Dart or a small minibus could have more than handled the non-existent load, but don't look at me I'm not complaining. The Plymouth fleet has seen a good few livery changes over the years mostly using various combination of reds creams white grey and black. But in the early Eighties before buses started to look jazzy the main colour reverted to a historic chocolate maroon hue used in the tramway days before the war and these attractive East-Lancs bodied Leyland Atlanteans like No.145 of 1980 were delivered looking just like this.

3 comments:

busing said...

Probably the best looking East Lancs product. Ever. And didn’t they look fine, no matter the livery. Personal viewpoint but I felt the soon to be adopted after this photo CityBus livery suited these deckers well. But I guess they looked smart no matter what. Royal Parade isn’t this quiet during daylight hours on Sundays now!

Omnibuses Blog

christopher said...

Another favourite was The 'Bolton Atlantean' which looked really good too in a crisp bright livery like that at Southampton, but being a purist I'm particularly fond of the first flat fronted Bolton batches, but the finest East Lancs products must have been worn by the last generation of 30ft half-cabs like the AEC Regent V buses also to be seen in Southampton. Here they did not did not spoil the look or character of their older buses by giving them the revised Atlantean look and kept in good condition they never looked dowdy and second best.

busing said...

The Soton Atlanteans did looked good too, whether in red or later cream and red (Soton did something similar to Plymouth with its livery style and application). Am inclined to agree about the Regent Vs.

Any chance of a Southampton City Seddon RU, if you have one?

Bolton was a bit too North for me!