Leicester Types: Dennis Dominator & Leyland PD3

n the old days if people didn't have a bike they probably had to catch the bus and if they were in a reasonable sized town or city it might have been a Corporation Bus. Each one was as individualist as it's general manager and as seen here at Leicester many were well run with a smart fleet of buses. For many years Leicester favoured ultra reliable and simple buses like the Leyland PD3 but like a number of Municipals took to the Dennis Dominator as a replacement.

Hooper's Setra Arrives in Chester

A distinguished looking Setra enters Chester perhaps they are all going to The Swan if there is one in the city.

Miserable Xmas but A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Not a very nice day at all and despite it being Xmas Eve not much cheer, but I expect spirits would rise for the new year celebrations. Not an ideal day for photographs either but as well as getting moody photographs of Midland Alexander R-Series Metrobuses in Glasgow I had a look around what I think was the Burrell Art Collection nearby with the upside down crucifixion by Dali etc so it was an interesting day. I didn't mind it being on top of Xmas either for the GEC driver didn't fancy going up in the lorry because there might be snow and ice and Christmas Shopping to do so I took the more urgent bits and with the extra miles got a nice little stocking filler for my efforts. That was the beauty of having my own van, once the jobs were finished it was up to me what you did which is partly why I have such a good variety of black and whites from this period. No I don't regret not having a proper career either as life is for having fun.

Lancashire United Daimler Fleetline PTD 647S

Bathed in winter sunlight St George's Hall in Liverpool makes a spectacular backdrop for Lancashire United 503 a Daimler Fleetline with a GM Standard Northern Counties body. How amazing I've just realised this was taken on the day I'm posting it 23rd December so how appropriate and I think it was 1981 just before the Ribble PD3's and Crosville Lodekkas finished in the city.

TWM Metrobus B881 DOM in Carrs Lane

I'm sure I am not the only one who misses the Travel West Midlands MCW Metrobuses. No.2881 was seen in Carrs Lane, Birmingham in about 2000 when the currunt registration system started for that's when I stopped doing film.

Bus Wars in Glasgow

The bus war that followed Deregulation was intense in Glasgow with rival operators almost trying to beat their own buses to the bus stop lol. A contrast in styles here to the west of the city as a colourful Kelvin Routemaster presents are somewhat cheap and cheerful image with the novelty of London Routemasters whilst Strathclyde offering cheap fares too still tries to show it is here to stay with it's familiar orange Atlanteans.

Sheffield JOC ECW Leopard 1881 WA

I told them but a trick EFE missed for a nice model was the Sheffield JOC Leopard with ECW MW style body. The only combination of the two it was these quirks that made being a bus enthusiast interesting in the Sixties. Coach seated the three buses did the longer services as seen here in Manchester. It was because the JOC was partly owned by British Rail that the Corporation had access to the nationalised sector products.

Those Magnificent Green Line Berkhoff's on Flightline

It's a shame the Berkhoff bodied Leyland Tigers of London County had such short lives in that guise before most were rebodied as buses for new lives elsewhere as they were rather impressive coaches. But Deregulation and the sell off of the NBC turned the bus industry upside down; no not literally but who would have guessed all the things that might happen in the coming years. It might have changed quite a bit over the years but thankfully Victoria Coach Station is still there and they didn't just pull it down an move the coach terminus to some draughty and  cramped glass affair in Brent Cross or Golders Green or somewhere stupid like that.

Bern Volvo B10R bound for Bremgarten

I'm a bit of a stick in the mud but I much prefer the traditional 'military green' livery worn for decades on Bern's buses and trams before the advent of a shocking pink! This bus outside the bahnhof  was bound for Bremgarten and carried bodywork by Ramseier & Jenzer of Biel or as it was better know simply as R & J and dated the start of the Nineties.

Rossendale Bolvo Duple F339 VSD in Blackburn

Prior to Deregulation the former Rossendale fleet consisted very much of East Lancs bodied Leylands but expansion well beyond it's Rawtenstall roots like No.69 seen at Blackburn brought in a variety of used stock including this Volvo with fairly rare Duple bodywork of this type.

BX56 XCL West Midlands 1767 in Walsall

I tend to much prefer the old Victorian streets with their more pleasing red brick buildings to the more modern town centres with all that souless concrete and glass, besides buses look better here too where they can mingle with the trees and local traffic. I can't remember what this road is called but it goes out to Pleck.

B707 EOF Flights Coach Travel at Birmingham Elmdon

It must have been fate for a conventional Flights of Birmingham certainly had the right name for inter-airport link services when the opportunity arose. In the twenty-five coach fleet there was a big batch of thirteen of these Volvo B10M-53 with well appointed Jonckheere bodywork as can be seen here at Birmingham Airport.

A Berresford Hidden Gem

Berresford of Cheddleton operated nearly all second-hand buses and these usually ended up unceremoniously in the famous bus graveyard behind the garage. Quite a number were just bought for spares which was a pity as it would have been nice to see rare Strachan bodied AEC Regent V WCS 196 in service in the Potteries or better still preserved. It came from A.1. Service member Kerr & Linney of Ardrossan which must have been about the smallest contributor of the sixteen with just three buses.

Stevenson's Tiger UVT 14X at POPS

Last Autumn I had an enjoyable ride around the Potteries on this former Bassett's Leyland Tiger which was XBF 423X. It's a shame they didn't re-apply the rising sun motif instead of a fake destination box. A nice reminder of much missed Stevenson's all the same.

Derby Corporation Daimler Fleetline CRC 243J

Whereas the old olive-green and cream colours were rather pleasant I was never a big fan of Derby's drab blue and grey scheme. Still it didn't stop me photographing them which was also a reason why I stuck to black and white for so long as there was a lot I didn't care for. I know, I'm a fussy Virgo I like everything to be right lol. But the Park Royal-Roe bodies on these Daimler Fleetlines were attractive enough and certainly a lot more beautiful than the earlier generation here..

Bere Regis Volvo B10M Duple Caribbean A599 LJT

Bere Regis might have run mostly old and even more elderly coaches but it always bought new as well including heavyweights like this Duple Caribbean bodied Volvo B10M, one of a pair along with A600 LJT both equipped with toilets.Caught where I took a lot of my photos at a spare moment on a busy day at the motorway services. I wanted this one hence the poor lighting.

Potters Bar's ex West Yorkshire PTE Metrobus Maark 2

I remember when I started spotting all one saw of LT at Potters Bar Garage was the ubiquitous RT type, but by the end of the Eighties it had become choice-wise  a kind of lucky dip with a good selection of secondhand types from various PTE's. This Mark Two Metrobus had come from West Yorkshire PTE but as to where it was taken that is another matter as I did a number of calls with my van in the Enfield, New Southgate, Cheshunt area. Of course this was one of the least exciting additions as London Buses had plenty of not too different Mark1 Metrobuses already.

I must admit I tend to use bus scenes to create my pictures these days but as bus pictures they still do not lose out I feel. Note the lengths I will go to get one of my buses and girls studies. She walks by almost in a world of her own as the throng jostles for position as the board the Enviro on the long established 192 to Stockport.

New Olympians mark the end of tradition at Chester

I certainly miss the chocolate brown Chester  buses which suited the city so well along with the Tilling Green of Crosville. The Coropration favoured Daimler Fleetlines for many years and then bought Dennis Dominators before as usual with Northern Counties bodies a few Leyland Olympians. Following Deregulation survival became harder and purchases were often geared to the quick-fit of the second-hand market so instead of continuity variety became the order of the day, interesting but a bit depressing at te same time..