New Leyland Panthers for the City of Lincoln

My first visit to Lincoln many years ago coincided with the recent arrival of it's first Leyland Panthers bodied by Roe.

Day out in Statford on Avon ANK 319X & ANK 320X

A sunny Summer Sunday and a pair of  Carsville's Plaxton bodied Leyland Tigers arrives in Stratford on Avon on a day trip.

London Sightseeing Tours

One of the good things about sightseeing buses is not only are they often older and therefor more interesting they bring a bit of variety to the streets. Comparatively speaking Leyland Atlanteans have never been a  common sight in central London but quite a few carried tourist such as this former South Yorkshire PTE example SWB 286L. As it crosses London Bridge from the top deck tourists are afforded magnificent views of more than just the wide River Thames

Blackburn in the Nineties

Sorry I couldn't get the whole of the Dennis Dart in Guys! Blackburn was always a good town for bus variety and that was still the case in the Nineties and some of the girls weren't half bad either like this blond braless stunner who had been shopping in W.H.Smith.

Old Routemaster Coaches become Trainers RMC 1499

I always rather liked the Green Line RMC class so it was rather depressing when these buses looked so neglected in the Eighties after being turned over to training duties. RMC 1499 was seen at Ponders End Garage.

Thankfully an end to the Torbay Minibus

I must admit I like to post photos that relate to the time of the week whether it be Saturday, Sunday or a weekday. This Sunday was in July 1998 when the more balanced Stagecoach fleet had largely swept away most of those boring minibuses it inherited from Harry Blundred's Devon General and partly replaced them with older and much more enjoyable proper buses like this Bristol VR LWU468V seen in Torquay.

Ford Demonstrator PNO603V

In 1980 National Travel East had this Plaxton bodied Ford demonstrator on loan and PNO603V was seen heading out of Bradford on a London Service.

SMT Volvo Ailsa CSG776S in Edinburgh

As time has gone on for me buses have become progressively more dull either through appearance or modernity. Thankfully there have been exceptions too as in Scotland where there were plenty of these splendid quick Alexander bodied Volvo Ailsas with their screaming little turbocharged engines to make each ride a memorable experience.

Fishwick's National2 WRN413V

A Preston teatime and members of the attractive Fishwick fleet are difficult to photograph due to their sombre neutral colours obscuring them in long dark shadows. With it's base at Leyland not surprisingly Fishwick's were a loyal Leyland customer and a large number of new Workington built Nationals were bought too including early Mark2 buses like WRN413V.

A GMT Olympian heads for the Arndale Centre

When I was a boy one had to know where to go in Manchester City Centre to see all the different operators. Just outside a few yards from the city Salford Bus Station was literally just a stone's throw away and here one found the delights of Lancashire United, Leigh, and on Route 8 Bolton Corporation. When it closed this service and others finally made it and terminated in Manchester at the Arndale Centre nearby.

Green Line from Heathrow in the Nineties

Formerly B271KPF this London Country NE Plaxton bodied Leyland Tiger was leaving London Heathrow Airport on Green Line 724 to St Albans.

Pool Valley: Southdown Winter Sun

Pool Valley for many was Southdown, and here I caught East Lancs bodied PD2 No.200 catching the glare from the low winter sun coming off the sea across the promenade as it departed for Peacehaven. These were my favorite fleet deckers as they were my first proper taste of the company as I went to stay for New Year with a schoolfriend at Jarvis Brook near Crowborough on the iconic 119-122.

Routemasters and Tourist London

Like the pigeons Routemasters seemed to gather around Trafalgar Square much to the delight of the tourists. Few would have noticed that well turned out RML 2527 was owned by BTS and not London Buses.

Extreme Sports: Bus Photography!

Well it's not that dangerous unless you decide to keep nipping over the carriageways of the M25 to get your shots. But as with skiing and motor sport where there are infamous dangerous bends and obstacles our hobby has it's perilous places too.  I see from other Flick postings that I am not the first person to come a cropper trying to get a decent view of vehicles departing from Marlborough Street Bus Station either catching the shadows or like this getting it blurred. Pity really as I wanted a nice view of Southern National RDV419S because by that time it was almost the last of it's breed with the NBC.

A Southend Tiger at Piccadilly Circus

Following Deregulation Southend operated a number of coaches on express services to London including a number of former Green Line Plaxton bodied Leyland Tigers like No.561 A103EPA.

Plymouth Citybus: The School Run

Plymouth Citybus operates a modern fleet of buses but as well as these there is a pool of older stock kept for schools and student contracts. Many of them are double-deckers but in the Nineties there were also three former National Travel (S West)  Leopard coaches including KAD352V seen finishing it's homeward run in Tavistock.