Affluent Bournemouth

Despite the affluent feel in Bournemouth in July 1992 the Army was still trying to tempt any unemployed to become soldiers by advertising on the buses but I don't think there were any takers here amongst this laid-back bunch. As well as a rather ugly Marshall bodied Olympian rear much more pleasing was the town's more traditional Alexander front on Fleetline MFX176W.

H140GVM From Olympian to Dominator

After buying mostly Leyland Olympians, GM Buses tried batches of other makes of double-decker including Volvo and Scania. Working from Princess Road Garage this batch of Northern Counties bodied Dennis Dominators were a familiar sight heading through the city towards their terminus at Exchange Station.

Fishwick's Fowler bodied Atlantean

A rare, indeed unique vehicle seen near the entrance at Cheshire Dealer Martin's was Fishwick's Fowler bodied Atlantean whose styling might have made it look more at home in Calcutta than on the road to Preston.

"Aars-so-ray-me-far-so......"

 I'm not sure how the Sound of Music would sound in Danish but it is not any easy language to understand.
The Danish bus enthusiasts haven't discovered my photographs yet which is a pity as I took quite a number of operators in different locations. Jutland was particularly interesting for it's many small operator's and individual liveries, and I imagine this colourful localised world is now largely a thing of the past now we all live in a more uniform 'Aquamarine Arrivaland'. No doubt for some DAB bodies looked very much all the same but they were constantly being modernised enough to guess the date of manufacture and this example with Leyland running units seen in Aarlborg belonging to Carl E Sorenson of AARS dated from about 1980. The registration number gives us clues to it's age to as they were slowly going through the alphabet.

Western National 1418 bound for Penzance

Western National MCW Metroliner 1418 C675GRL still has a long journey ahead of it on it's way to Penzance on a National Express 500 Service from London.

A smart London Coaches Tiger

A spin-off from London Buses, London Coaches certainly started with a very smart upmarket image. Before changing to DAF's, early purchases were a pair of these Duple Laser bodied Tigers of which C766 DYO  was seen on The Thames Embankment on the S2 North Kent Express along with one of their open-top Routemasters VLT84 RM84 on the Original Sightseeing Tour.

City Fleet: One of many!

Deregulation seemed to bring quite a number of new operators to the streets of Liverpool but one of the lesser known was City Fleet whose former Crosville Bristol VR TMA329R looked rather attractive in this not unpleasant yellow and red livery

249 The rounabout route to Roseneck

The Zoo Bahnhof is an important departure point for a number of quite long routes but the 249 is one of those local services that weaves it's way to Roseneck  frustratingly slowly and one is left feeling it might have been quicker to walk or more sensible to catch the very direct double-decker 129 five minutes walk away.

Hotspur Tiger 1615

In September 1992 Midland Red North from it's Hotspur Shrewsbury garage were providing passengers with a little bit of extra comfort on the long Hanley service via Market Drayton provided by this former Southend Transport Leyland Tiger  A215PEV which previously did commuter services into London.

Pooles of Knutton leaving Hanley

At one time Poole's bus service terminated at Newcastle but in later years they were extended to Hanley where one of it's mostly bus bodied Leopards was seen leaving the bus station for Audley in the Eighties, this one with RBF987M Willowbrook bodywork.

East welcome to the West

It might have been just over the infamous Berlin Wall but it really did seem like another world which of course in many ways it really was. One thing I missed when the city was reunited was it's quiet roads unhurried atmosphere and at first that slight feeling of unease and adventure. Soon those long dreamed of Mercs, BMW's and Audi's plus the neon signs for MacDonalds and thronging tourists would change these threadbare streets for ever. Indeed this view was taken just as it opened up and the first hints of change are there to be seen like snowdrops appearing in Spring, and no doubt many including the elderly would not welcome entering the fast lane.

GMPTE 5891: Old Stockport buses soldior on

Some buses were worth stopping for to grab a quick photo. At this time in 1980 the days were numbered for the solid but very elegant East Lancs bodied former Stockport leyland PD3's like MHA892G still working for GMPTE. The damp grey winter day just adds to the nostalgic feel of this view, which is also what I felt when I first printed it.

Liverline in Liverpool

Now under the wing of North Western and seen in Liverpool was this former West Yorkshire Leyland National No.315 GUG120N a 1975 Leyland National.

Favourites in the PMT fleet were ten stylish Optare Deltas bought along with a similar number of Leyland Lynx buses. In the end neither was bought but I know which will be the most misse. SAD 801 was seen passing through Stoke on the long cross city 24 between Longton and Talke.

The Wythenshaw Express

This former Manchester Leyland PD2  3637 looked in rather good condition despite having became a local play bus and was seen somewhere relatively safe from any vandalism at Northenden Garage early in 1980.

Capitol two welsh coaches in Berlin

A pair of Plaxton bodied Leyland Tigers were seen on tour in Berlin when quite new.

RTC 823: All-Leyland PD2 in Accrington

For photography a dark bus in shadow is not a good idea but surprisingly it works quite well as somehow not only is the bright work highlighted on this early Fifties all-Leyland PD2 of Rawtenstall seen in Accrington but we can also see the elaborate traditional lined-out livery which gives this 1968 view a timeless feel. At about that time afraid that they might be dragged into the forthcoming PTE's Haslington and Rossendale Corporations merged their fleets, and unlike Ramsbottom just down the road towards to Manchester whose dark maroon and cream livery was rather similar they managed to avoid the impending orange and cream  'Municipal Oblivion'.

F258GWJ Arriva: One of my better digital Lynx's

I've been using Nikon Fotopix cameras since 2001 but I must admit I'm not proud of my digital pics which is why I don't bother to take so many bus views. A few turn out okay I suppose but at some time I ought to treat myself to something better but I'm afraid when it comes to bus photography I prefer to live in the past.. With these they are all either far too pixalated or they come out fogged in the same way as when negatives hadn't been bathed in fresh fixer. This Lynx came to Stevenson's from Wright  of Wrexham and looked reasonable in Arriva colours although these and other types would have looked better with an unpainted black grill instead.

Saturday Afternoon on the Kurfirstendam

I rather like taking from a different angle putting in things most people would leave out. Somehow it seems even more effective than an orthodox view as anyone who knows the area well will fill in their own version. So much has changed, not only have all these buses like BVG 3557 gone you'll have a long long wait there today for a 69 Bus! The only trouble with this is it looks like a robotic street view from Google Maps.

Crosville trying to break PMT in the Potteries

The era of Deregulation left us if few surprises as overnight anything could happen a bit like waking up to snow, but like the white stuff most of it was short lived and did not benefit anyone. At one point Crosville set uo an operation deep in the Potteries to compete with PMT employing it's Mini Lynx LDV's like D777PTU. No doubt PMT were also trying to nibble away at Crosville on their patch somewhere in Cheshire or on Merseyside.

Articulated Buses in Bern

At one time to an Englishman seeing articulated buses in Europe was something of a novalty, built in about 1967 buses like Bern FBW artic 268 were still going strong in the Nineties.

Typical Drawline Bus in Liverpool

Very much a trademark of the Drawline Group was it's East Lancs bodywork on Dennis's like North Western No630 F630BKD seen in Liverpool. As you can she the cash in transit vans are well protected on Merseyside but having watched BBC's Crimewatch UK it's not a job I would want.

Colchester Bristol RELL 16

Was the Bristol RELL the perfect bus? I don't suppose so but it ticked enough of the right boxes to make it popular with the Municipal sector as well as the NBC. Amongst it's attractions was a choice of power unit and the bodybuilder of their choice. I guess the majority had more Leyland O600's than the Gardner. This was more ideal for buses like Colchester No.16 YWC16L as the fleet at the time was full of Leylands in the shape of the Atlantean..

RMC 1485: A Bus For Every Occasion

Towards the end of their long lives London's Routemasters had very mixed fortunes, some looked neglected and scruffy whilst a few chosen buses were semi-preserved looking as good as new.  Stagecoach owned East London and as usual they did it right with a superb looking RMC fit for a VIP wedding. These former Green Line buses like 1962 RMC 1485 485CLT had enjoyed comparatively easy lives as during the NBC era having manual gearboxes they had been used as trainers.