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

Saturday 16 August 2008

East Staffordshire: The Pompey Atlantean Brew


In the stupid Seventies when change for changes sake was all the rage with the new name of the local authority Burton Corporation became East Staffordshire. The latest buses too were a tad different from the conservative solid old maroon and cream crash-gearbox Gardner 5LW powered Guys and Daimlers of old. Roy Marshall the new General Manager had brought with him the slightly odd red, off-white and green livery that had been favoured at his previous post at Gelligaer in the Welsh Valleys. The fleet was updated too with vehicles more suited for one-person-operation including six MCW bodied Leyland Atlanteans from Portsmouth, buses that were also being bought by Stevenson's whose yellow and black buses were also to be seen in this the Midlands most important brewing town making the total tally nine. Appropriately a local product is being advertised at the Swan, a rather imposing Bass Pub situated at the far end of the Trent Bridge. These buses were purchased in 1975-6 and a couple of years later a small batch of new batch of East Lancs bodied Atlanteans arrived. Even though No.4 has it's OPO sign illuminated it looks as though the bus is actually carrying a conductress.

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