I spent some of the New Year picking the best and more importantly scanning the most interesting of these old beginners photography Ilford Sporti photos. With square negatives it was not easy to get much closer than this to take this two coach view of the Roe Dalesman bodied AEC Reliance of Greatrex of Stafford 242 CRF. However boring as they might have been in their day the frontal treatment of the Duple Yeoman body on a Thames has made them a bit of a favorite of mine and much nicer than the much more plain contemporary Bedford. 168 HBF looked quite new so I imagine this was taken in about 1963. After the heavyweight era ended this firm turned to the Commer but I haven't changed my mind boring old Fords were favorites for much of the Sixties and Seventies.
This has evoked some memories! A small company supplied coaches for our inter school pupil transfers using both types in this photo. When the Fords arrived brand new I had an argument with the class "know all" who maintained they were not Ford Thames as they were lorries and therefore couldn't be coaches. Unfortunately the Fords were soon repossessed as rumour had it that the H.P.payments (no leasing in those days!) could not be afforded, but the Roe Dalesmans went on for a good few years.
ReplyDeleteThank you Malcolm, I'm glad you enjoyed it even the most faded of photos can evoke memories.
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