Maidstone Corporation Daimer CVG6 LKJ 777

When I was at Maidstone Art School in 1967-8 the Corporation had a 100% Massey bodied Leyland fleet apart from three old Daimler CVG6's and Brush bodied 77 was still wearing the much more tasteful and pleasant ginger livery when photographed. By the time I left another three G-Reg Atlanteans had joined the fleet and the old days were gone.

West Midlands Dennis Trident Y754 TOH

Despite Birmingham trying to make the place more people-friendly it is still a city of concrete and draughty tunnels as seen here close to the Bull Ring as a Dennis Trident emerges from the gloom.

Felix of Stanley Lynx in Derby J564 URW

Felix of Stanley was one of the many Independents that avoided the temptation of growth following Deregulation and consequently stayed in business perhaps longer than the more ambitious and more foolhardy operators who either couldn't cope or got swallowed up in the malaise. So still a familiar sight at Derby in the 90's was this interesting later series and rather appropriately for Felix a Lynx, one which had some fame as a well-travelled Leyland demonstrator.

Recent Arriva Mercedes Minibus at Winnington Northwich

For a few years now I have driven through Northwich and never made the time to stop especially as most of the Arriva buses from Winsford that serve the town are familiar types. But just before Christmas I left home slightly early so I could catch this a rare minibus, a Mercedes with some some reason a London registration and it was seen at Winnington with some of what is left of ICI in the background.

Preserved Stagecoach Ribble Volvo Olympian P234 VCK

Taking part in this year's Ribble Running Day at Morecambe was this Northern Counties Volvo Olympian in those once controversial Stagecoach Stripes.

Brisol Omnibus FLF LH 7267

The Bristol FLF never seemed more at home than in the city of Bristol itself and indeed BOC bought over three-hundred of them with a few surviving on a lay service into the early Eighties.

White Christmas! Select Olympian J722 GAP

Snow at Christmas in much of Britain is a reality very often and the concept is just another unwanted import from America where they have much colder winters in the north. Generally here it's even bright and sunny or just as likely to be wet and miserable just like in this view from January 2015 as the well known former Stagecoach Leyland Olympian of Select made it's way through Moss Pit on it's way into Stafford.

DAB Articulated bus to Meandowhall C104 HDT

Articulated single-deck buses have yet to gain popularity in Britain. The Mercedes Citaro buses introduced in London proved so unpopular they had to be quickly sold off and some found their way to places like Malta but  in the Sheffield area South Yorkshire PTE was one operator which saw their virtues and had the only sizable batch of DAB-Leylands to enter service in the UK. They were well suited to the service to Meadowhall which enjoyed good stretches of wide straight roads like this.

Scottish Citylink Metroliner

Despite being being only a year or two apart these two Scottish coaches taking a refreshment break on the long trip south to London look very different. The Eastern Scottish Leyland Tiger on the right wears a familiar looking Duple body but the Northern Citylink coach from Aberdeen was a lot more interesting as only a few of these Metrolines were ever built 

South Lancs Tiger in Leigh F62 SMT

South-Lancs had rather a bright and attractive blue and yellow livery. A Duple bodied Leyland Tiger was seen in Leigh.

Brighton & Hove Bristol VR JWV 271W

After the break-up of the NBC Southdown was split up and the old pre-NBC Brighton and Hove was reborn. One of the best things was that as well as having a tidy and rather classy script for the fleetname it took on that traditional red and cream livery one which in various shades was found all across the bus industry and did the job well. Of course the new B&H different from the local former Tilling operation in that it took over the old Southdown Brighton routes like this one to Tunbridge Wells.

Let's Go in Wolverhampton

Travel Express always seem to be darting up and down Stafford Street in Wolverhampton so maybe the Dennis Dart is quite apt like this former Cardiff bus. It is my interest in photography and the world around me these days which  holds my interest in buses and over the years I have gained something of a reputation rather like Robert Jowitt for my more creative buses and girls images.

Rapide Bova WSV 570 in Edinburgh

One of biggest nuisances in the Nineties was the number of coaches with so-called cherished registrations like this Rapide Bova Futura of Northumbria leaving Edinburgh for Newcastle which started life as E692 JUT.

Merseybus Ikarus K131 TCP

Following the opening up of the Russian controlled Eastern Block the bus builder Ikarus had to both adapt and find new markets as it's state controlled customers dried up. They appeared in Britain too and this Merseybus example was seen in Liverpool on a service from the Wirral. In fact I think as they had an arrangement with DAF to provide chassis they might not have looked beautiful but they became quite a popular choice both in bus and coach form.  Road signs and the like can be a real nuisance when trying to take photos but in this instance it might have blocked out some of the picture but at the same time it blotted out the glare of strong sunlight.

Maidstone's Massey Bodied Atlanteans

The later Massey bus bodies lost that elegant rounded look but to those who liked them like myself the slight ugliness gave more of an impression of ruggedness. I think these Atlantean buses were heavy as the Maidstone drivers complained about the steering but in their early years as a passenger they were lovely to ride on totally free of rattles. One good thing about Maidstone in those days was following the old trolleybus routes up the Tonbridge Road even on a cold day like this according to the timetable one only had to wait three or four minutes for a bus during the day.

GMB 383T at Little Heywood

The Midland Red North garage at Stafford had this former Crosville Leyland National on loan which was unusual here in having been re-engined by Gardner. I took a ride out to Little Heywood as I wanted to get a sound recording but it was mostly hattle and shake.

Nice Jugs!

I don't know what you are all thinking lol, but I rather liked the more rounded Roe bodywork to be found on the earlier Leeds sourced Wypte Atlanteans and Fleelines including Leyland JUG 502L.

East Yorkshire Open-Top RE PHN 177L

The double deck open-top sightseeing bus is a much more familiar sight than it used to be when it was confined to the sea front. Indeed it can be found on sightseeing duties in any number of cities around the world. However this former United Auto Bristol RE was a very rare example in being of the single-deck variety and with East Yorkshire had recieved the much missed old traditional livery for work in Scarborough.