A Midland Red LS18 heading into Birmingham in 1979

Midland Red Cannock's 5178 a Willowbrook bodied Leopard seen passing close to the Perry Barr Container Base in College Road was once a very smart red and black LS18A which with sister 5186 worked Shrewsbury's share of the long X96 to Northampton. X96 was a good number as it was about that distance, however the drivers only went half-way as they did a crew change taking over the similar Rugby bus at Digbeth Coach Station for the return.

Little & Large at Frauenfeld

Typical of the Post Buses at Frauenfeld when I first went in 1990 was this fairly ordinary Mercedes 0405 albeit with a luggage compartment at the back for the mail. At that time taxpayers were starting to be more cost conscious and the VW dial-ride bus was a way to cut at corners of both the rail and bus network, for instance closing smaller stations at weekends.

APH 533T Wellers: Summer Day's Out in Sussex

In the early Eighties this Duple Dominant bodied Ford R1114 coach was seen passing through Haywoods Heath perhaps going to Borde Hill Garden.

Rebodied Tiger on the 112

Arriva aquired a number of these distinctive East Lancs rebodied Leyland Tiger coaches with Midland Red North. Many were former Green Line buses but this one came from Crosville. A42 SMA was seen leaving on the 112 a well known old Midland Red route from Birmingham to Burton on Trent laterly worked by Stevenson's of Uttoxeter.

Ellen Smith 4728 DK waiting to be saved

Fortunately I think it has been preserved which makes me happy as Ellen Smith ticked all the right boxes for me as a favourite Independent. I always liked the ones with a healthy sprinkling of heavyweights and preferring Leylands to AEC being from childhood rides a Leyland fan. But today they were all wonderful and especially if they bore once smart Harrington coachwork like 1963 Leopard 4728 DK.

T105 SVK. Harrier Mercedes Minibus in Crewe

How times change, once minibuses were everywhere and rather boring, but now in the corporate climate their rapid comings and goings and varied liveries seems something almost to feel nostalgic about. Thankfully I didn't have to ride on them.

Is it Supersonic Concorde? No it's a Wallace Arnold Bova

With time we get quite accustomed to certain odd looking vehicles but even though they were stylish the early Bovas seem to now look even more strange. But at least they looked well put together unlike the Willowbrook Spacecar and 003. Wallace Arnold VWX 370X was seen at Victoria Coach Station.

Steels of Addingham & Streets Coaches

There is only about four years difference between the Duple bodies mounted on these two coaches seen resting on the M6. The AEC Reliance was new to the Shearing Group.

M&D VKR469: On it's way to Folkstone

I'm sure it would have been an enjoyable ride on smart Maidstone and District Park Royal bodied AEC Regent DH 477 to Folkstone via Ashford. M&D tends to get overlooked because of Southdown to the west and even equally East Kent to the east. There was always something rather predictable about the very traditional and more standardised BTC fleets but every BET fleet had something to get excited about whether it be one-offs or just sheer class. As well as taking fourteen of these highbridge buses in 1956, also delivered were eight lowbridge buses of which two could also be found at Maidstone Garage.

Duple 425

If looks are anything to go by the Duple425 ought to have been a success but it never became very common. Looking rather smart in a mostly silver livery was this example belonging to Birmingham International having arrived in Plymouth on a National Express duty.

646 DK; Former Liverpool Atlanteans with Flyde Borough

The Borough of Fylde livery suited the former MCW bodied Atlanteans it bought from Liverpool well. No.92 646 KD was seen close to the depot late in 1979.

KYV 372T at Walthamstow Garage

Still quite new Leyland TitanT372 prepares to leave Walthamstow Garage to take up service on the 123.

P24219 Waiting to go to Les Hauderes

After Lugano the town of Sion in Valais is the busiest post bus departure point. The long mountain climb from the Rhone Valley up to the sleep village of Les Hauderes in the Eringertal with narrow roads steep drops and hair-pin bends is all one might hope for. Here too there was one of the many sub-garages holding a couple of buses that made seeing them all so hard. On a cold wet Sunday in the early Nineties Saurer RH P24219 had most of the big bus station to itself as it waited for custom.

A121EPA; Snowy trip to Uttoxeter

As well as rebodied Tiger coaches as buses, Arriva in the Midlands had a good number of coaches including redundant Green Line vehicles which fit in well at Stevenson's. A121APA was braving the snow in Stafford on a 404 to Uttoxeter

Black & White B500TCJ

This eye-catching Black and White Duple bodied Leyland Tiger in National Holidays livery at Victoria Coach Station with plenty going on around it made rather a good picture.

Stevensons Secondhand Buses B102PHC

Over the years Stevenson's had become experts at buying secondhand, an art no doubt invaluable following Deregulation when the fleet size soared. Typical of the mid-life buses bought were many Leylands including this former Eastbourne East-Lancs bodied Olympian B102PHC seen in Uttoxeter on a town service.