Mercedes-Benz Bus on Santorini

We have a certain nostalgia for buses from places like Portugal and Malta and perhaps Greek buses deserve a second look for even though most were familiar manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz they have a kind of rugged charm helped no doubt by the heat and dust like this example on tourist transfer duties at a quayside on the fascinating volcanic island of Santorini

A Comfy Ride Home: Crosville RELH EFM 164H in Warrington

Once a long distance express vehicle this well appointed Crosville Bristol RELH had been relegated to more mundane duties such as Warrington locals when it was seen here in about 1980.

Midland Red 2957 HA passes Wordsley Post Office

Midland Red BMMO D9 4957 passes Wordsley Post Office in the Black Country in about 1971. I think 4956-8 were at Harsthill HL. I can't always remember what I had for tea tonight but I can still remember a whole list of allocations of these new: 4945-6 LD, 4947-8 OY, 4949 BD, 4950-1 MN, 4952 WN, 4953-4 SN, 4955-57 HL. In fact HL might have had 4958 as well, for 4959-60 were at DY. Oh dear 1962 so long ago!

We could all take more Orange: D&G in Newcastle

I'm feeling a but sniffy nosewise today I think I ought to put a bit more vitamin C in my photostream lol and D&G are not averse to a little route branding so here is an 'orange' Enviro in Newcastle.

Lancashire United Leopard OTD 824R seen in Wigan

Lancashire United had quite a varied fleet but the Leyland Leopard seemed to be favored for coach duties such as this Plaxton Supreme bodied example here in Wigan in later years when under Greater Manchester ownership coaches wore their variant of the 'family' image which was greatly removed from the old sober red and grey.

On Your Marks.....Get Set....GO!

It's only when one gets home to the tranquillity of a small market town that we realise just how rushed and busy London is. Indeed just to take photos of what's going on means one has to make quick judgements for a click later and this scene would have gone. I think this one of B20 Daimler Fleetline Park Royal DMS 2454 was taken on Whitehall. The cyclists look a lot less stressed out than they do today in their day wear.

Just another picture of a boring old Setra

I'm careful not to post what I consider to be poor images but sometimes the content and interest overrides that as is the case here for Berlin was a very different place in what I imagine was 1982.

Red Bus GPD 317N in Tiverton Devon

Here in Tiverton was a former London Country  Bristol LHS BN 17 by this time with Red Bus.

MLG 964P Cymru -Crosville Wales in a wet Chester

Not a very nice day for a shopping trip to Chester but at least passengers traveling towards the unfortunate titled Mold have a more comfy than usual coach seated National to take them back over into Wales.

Eco-Friendly and Ego Friendly Buses in Wolverhampton: BX61 LHE & MX04 YMF

It's a good thing I'm not a bus driver as I might de-roof it, but with the built in zoom lenses on modern digital cameras it is quite easy to let the vehicle get too close. But in my defence as an image it works in a different way for ones eyes are drawn to the bus stop behind where perhaps the slightly optimistic Banga Bus driver points towards his Optare Solo here in Wolverhampton. In recent times the city National Express West Midlands fleet has been flooded with single-deckers and the only exception seem to be these green Enviro's used mainly on Route 1 to Dudley.

Cornish Busways Lodekka Trainer 314 PFM

When they had plenty of the things themselves one wonders how Western National ended up with an identical Bristol Lodekka from Crosville. No doubt there is a simple explanation but but it certainly stood out at Bretonside alongside the Plymouth red and cream Atlanteans.

First Potteries KV02 VVD in Newcastle

Seen heading into Newcastle I'm not sure what type of bus this Wright bodied vehicle of First Potteries, but it make an interesting picture. It's probably a Scania.

Old Bus Stops in Giessen: MAN bus SWG 143

When these old views taken on the Continent are slightly blurred it seems to add to their mystique for until quite recently it at least seemed a very different world to that in the UK. But it was and still is for the beauty is in the detail and oh how dated those stern looking bus stop signs appear now. Today of course it might flash up in digital letters 'Eat Happy at McDonalds' and give the exact arrival time of the next bus but if I'm not in a rush I would much rather study a printed timetable board and look at my watch, or indeed ask that nice looking  girl standing next to me when the bus is due and see if she smiles.

Smile: Rider LUA 320V in Leeds

The world has definately changed as in those days of the Eighties bemused bus drivers just used to scratch their head when photographed as you can see in this scene of a Yorkshire Metro Leyland National2 in Leeds. I don't seem to read so many nightmare stories of rabid driver throthing at the mouth hurling abuse at poor enthusiasts who just want to photograph that bus any more. Surely it must go on or is management starting to take a tougher line on public relations matters as we use the buses too.

NBC Market Analysis Project Bus: 67 ACH

Lincolnshire used this former Trent MCW bodied Atlantean in connection with the Market Analysis Project or MAP for short which did a kind of Doctor Beeching on the NBC network cutting out all the less attractive services. Running on trade plates like many of it's shortly to be made redundant sisters perhaps it was shortly heading for a dealer or scrap.

A Fish Out of Water? Havelbus Ikarus

One got used to seeing buses from all over the place in Berlin but even though it's home Potsdam through which the Havel flows was just outside the city. Yes this Havelbus Ikarus heading off on to the Kurfurstendamm seemed an unusual sight to me.

A Pair of Aldershot Loline's to Compare

To the untrained eye one bus has always looked the same as another but even the one's that are 'the same' are often different. These two Aldershot and District buses look very similar but even though it is a lot more attractive 488 KOT the nearest one carries a Weymann body of the MCW Orion family whilst Alexander bodied 462 EOT is quite a bit better rounded than the not too distant Addlestone product. They were seen at Alton last year and a cracking event

Parked up at Widnes

Renamed Halton, Widnes favoured Leylands for many years and ran a good number of East-Lancs bodied PD2's. By the time I took this in 1980 there were just the two last ones dating from 1966 still in service the rest had either gone to the scrapyard or lurked like ghosts outside the depot. Thankfully N0.38 has been preserved

Narrow Residential Road Tight Roundabouts in leafy Wolverhampton

Even close to Wolverhampton where the Victorian industrial sprawl seems to just follow the main routes to the next former industrial centre there were little pockets of countryside. But later even these green lungs fell foul to the property speculators and this up-market green and leafy residential estate with it's showy Mercs and 4x4's is a fine example. Built between the wars when few families even possessed a car the planners could not take into consideration large buses like this Enviro on the 27 as well. I'm glad I took my camera with me that day for by the next Saturday last week the 25 had become single-decked too and a couple of times the driver mounted the curb which just didn't happen at all previously.

Happy Days for Ron Jackson

As long as I can remember I have rarely seen any former Maidstone and District buses operating into Stafford. In BET days they operated about 800 buses but by contrast the town of Maidstone itself with just fifty was much better represented for as well as Stevenson's snapping up a bunch of Massey bodied Atlanteans when no doubt a new general manager decided to go for lightweights these lasted even fewer years and a couple also ended up working into Stafford for Happy Days. Of course the Massey bodied Atlanteans were almost unique to Maidstone and Colchester with one with A1 in Scotland, but even though this type of Wadham Springer body was quite common on military and police buses etc they were not usually found that much on proper PSV's. TKM 111M looked smart and Ron Jackson who is often at the wheel of preserved PMT TVT 128G was driving it. As well as working here, he did PMT Midland Red and Arriva.

Remember South Yorks of Pontefract KWY 198V

South Yorkshire of Pontefract was an Independent with a modern bought new fleet which had a bit of character and commanded a lot of respect. Sadly the blues and white in the livery didn't wear terribly well and the buses could have looked a bit smarter which was a pity. Sadly they are another one that succumbed to the Arriva empire so I prefer them the way they were. These low-height Northern Counties bodies on the Daimler Fleetline were simple and attractive though like No.98 seen in Leeds on the main route to Doncaster.

East Berlin Motor Show

One could literally cross the Berlin World and enter another world. From a transport enthusiast's pont of view this might have sounded exciting but I'm afraid the trucks, buses and trams weren't usually that old just serious 'naff'.

Interesting livery for London Buses Titan CUL 112V

Waiting at the lights beside the Houses of Parliament, London Buses Leyland Titan T 112 was painted in a special white and red livery for this express varient of the quite long 177 to Thamesmead.

Change is always just around the corner: BU04 BLV No.4591

In this case that literally happened for I took this photo last Saturday and exactly a week later I expected to see the top of the double-decker appear above the trees like the neck of a giraffe but no it was a Scania single-decker today. I though it might be a one off replacement bus, but no all the others on the 25 were the same. I'm not sure they are so well suited as between Bilston and Wolverhampton buses have to negotiate a between the war's housing estate with parked cars and tight turns and a couple of times the rear wheels mounted the kerb. Also how can I take photos from the top deck!

A bit far too north even for Eastern Counties in Lincoln: Bristol FLF JAH 553E.

Outside Lincoln Railway Station picking up enthusiasts on a museum running day last November. At least they will get quite a few on this seventy seater Bristol ECW bodied FLF. I always had a soft spot for Eastern Counties perhaps it was a combination of things including the way they managed to make some attempt to match the registrations to the fleet number like many muncipals and the BET Group. I also favour the more cheerful 'Tilling Red' as apposed to often drab green and of course the operator's huge and fascinating and often very rural operating area covering Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and  Norfolk where one could find small bus garages and even dormy sheds was quite enticing.

Stevenson's former 404 to Uttoxeter C40 CWT

This is a favourite of mine for fairly obvious reasons. Arriva Leyland Tiger Plaxton C40 CWT loads in Stafford for Uttoxeter on the service to Uttoxeter once the domain of Stevenson's and before that Green Bus of Rugeley.