Bretonside: Anxious moments at Departure Time

Isn't it surprising how we always manage to forget to pack something. Departure time at Plymouth Bretonside with two Western National coaches one in National Express colours and despite it's normal livery B195BAF probably spent most of it's time on this work too.

With a fleet of modern Duple bodied Bedfords including two VAL's, the Royal Arsenal Cooperative Society fleet based at Woolwich was not exciting.  However if one includes it's Duval and Son and W.J.Eggleton RACS was not tiny by any means with twenty-six smart coaches. However many will remember more fondly the AEC Reliance coaches of the Fifties before the nationwide lightweight-era of the Sixties and early-Seventies No.117 MMC307C was seen beside the Medway Bridge at Maidstone in 1968.

Because of it's large coach station Cheltenham was somewhat overlooked as a town for buses and especially in the later years of the BTC with it's mundane green ECW bodied Bristols and of course the NBC era which was even worse with it's added blandness. However with the passage of time we've learnt to enjoy them too and this National Mark2 one of many in the town looked a lot more interesting in it's then Cheltenham & District livery just prior to getting those hated Stagecoach stripes.

The sun tries to shine in East Berlin

Today East Berlin seems very much like West Berlin, but even when the sun shone it could be pretty depressing in the old days. However it is another bit of the world that has changed for ever, and one could cite it as another 'German Miracle' the way they managed to not only modernise the old DDR but to make Germany not on the most successful but the key driving force in the EEC. Like the once ubiquitous and now gone Hungarian Ikarus buses these Eastern-Block Czech built trams are staring to look rather dated even in updated colours.

Optare a Trent favorite: Delta 325

Since Privitisation Trent based in Derby has been forward thinking with initatives like strong route branding and maintaining a modern fleet profile. Optare products have been favoured including the stylish and now much missed Delta like J325BVO seen in Derby's now demolished historic early bus station.

I wonder how well the tourist trade is doing in Greece and whether life is just as depressing on the lovely islands as it is in Athens. Typical of the late Eighties was this Greek bodied Mercedes seen on Ios. I could certainly do with some of that warm sunshine to shake of the 'Cold Spring Blues'.

WMT 2077: Ah Yes the Back End of a Bus

Taking people activity shots can liven even the back end of a bus, something that shouldn't be totally ignored. WMT Metrobus BOK77V No. 2077 in that smart blue and grey livery of the time was heading out of the city when pictured in Digbeth opposite the Coach Station in the early Nineties.

Back from Plymouth on a VR: Pure Magic

First Western National seemed to be the destination for many old double-deckers from other fleets. Typical was this Bristol VR URF 668S seen at Tavistock and which came from PMT. Perhaps the public and the drivers grumbled about it sometimes but these were often welcome developments for us enthusiasts to enjoy. Like many things in their heyday we took them for granted but as they became more scarce their more traditional sounds were to be cherished.

Blackpool Bank Holiday Blues

I'm not sure if it only seems that in Britain we always get horrible weather on Bank Holidays when people want to enjoy themselves, but this one in August in the late Eighties was a shocker. Colour views of such days are usually just too dreary but it's at times like this that good of black and white film comes into it's own laying on the misery giving it loads of gritty atmosphere. Even on a day like this Blackpool had it's attractions whether it be the trams or Leyland Atlanteans to ride on like this very late example with East Lancs bodywork and which was also the town's last new one No.364 B364UBV.

Warstone Green Bus turns to Atlanteans

In the Eighties and Nineties many of us missed the buses of the past but around the country there were a number of small operators who not only kept the old ones going but turned them out smartly. Warstone's Green Bus famed for it's half-cabs had to turn to more modern Atlanteans but this Park Royal bodied former Greater Manchester example in Wolverhampton looked wonderfully turned out.

Royal Parade for a Regent

Something of a rarity AEC double-deckers had never been a common sight in Plymouth so it is nice to be able to add this former East Kent Park Royal bodied Regent being used in the city for driver training in the Eighties.