Blackpool Atlantean A360 HHG

Rather like Plymouth the seaside town of Blackpool has seen a number of livery changes over the years. This one of the early Eightes appeals to me the most as I like the strong crisp modern looking livery couples with the town's crest and decorative roundal. Some bus designs are probably best forgotten but the later much better AN68 Atlantean along with the Leopard were two of Leyland's most popular models and these double-deckers could be found working with many corporations and for no particular reason but especially on the coast like this. No. 360 of about 1983 was one of the very last ones built and managed to get a A-Series registration despite the later Olympian having been in production already for a year or so. Obviously managers were wary of new models from Leyland as they didn't know what problems might come with them, and also of course the Olympian was seen as a replacement for the 'provincial' Bristol VR whereas the Atlantean was in my opinion more of a town bus.

No more buses through Tixall or Haywood to Hixon

Tomorrow is rather a sad day as for the first time since H.Nicholls started it's bus service to Stafford in the long ago 1920's there will be no service going to the Haywoods via Tixall as the new Staffs County Coucil sponsored D&G 841 will only go as far as Hydrant Way on the Tixall Road. It then goes up passed the County Show Ground, left down Withens Lane to serve Hopton and down to Sandon and Weston before rejoining the old route at Hixon. The reason for this is Arriva will be solely serving the Haywoods on it's Lichfield 825 through Milford without asking for a subsidy. Fortunately no passengers regularly board the bus at Tixall but not having a bus route from Haywood to Hixon causes a real headache for many villagers as they still have to get to their doctor's surgery and now they don't know what to do as I imagine on a bad day it could almost take a couple of hours for if they really have no choice but to go by bus as they will have to come into Stafford first. It's a bit like one of those stories we see on the news where a bridge gets swept away or damaged and drivers have to drive forty miles to get a bottle of milk from the village shop. Anyway here is a photo taken in happier more predictable times of Derek who along with Geoff Arrowsmith used to do the Haywoods service in Staffordian Travel days with trusty old Leyland Leopard coaches like this one which had ran for Wallace Arnold they had four of them and I didn't need to look out of window as each one sounded quite different.

Arriva Wright bodied VDL in Northwich

I go passed this convenient bus stop in Northwich about once a month and the previous time I parked and waited for a bus to arrive to photograph I just gave up went back to my car and then it came along. Well the next time I was more patient but thought I had fluffed it but no it's a good one. We get the same Arriva Wright bodied VDL's in my home town but there is something more appealing getting a variety of locations and also a good idea for before long the bus industry might find itself in a state of flux as the lines are becoming re-drawn as the big groups start to flake of chunks around the edge.

Arriva DAF Alexander 400 Double-Decker in Wolverhampton

For a while Arriva had a strong presence in Wolverhampton till it cut back services and closed the local Wednesfield Garage. Amongst the allocation were at least a couple of DAF Alexander 400 bodied double-deckers. I travelled on one once when they tried competing with Banga on the 530 and it certainly wasn't slow!

Leicester Buses of the Sixties and Seventies

A comparison of buses from the Sixties and Seventies here at Leicester, a 1967 MCW bodied Leyland PD3 and an East-Lancs bodied Dennis Dominator of 1979. Not that it had any complaints about it's faithful old  half-cab Titans but dissatisfaction with the Leyland regime at Leicester led to birth of the Dominator which helped the once familiar Dennis company to re-establish itself as a key player.

Black Prince Newport Scania JBO 84W

Black Prince of Leeds was one of those much loved Independents run by enthusiasts. However not all their vehicles were immaculate but still interesting nonetheless like this rather ugly Marshall bodied former Newport Scania still in what to me was it's old 'dinky toys green and cream' livery. I think the girl has just collected her holiday snaps.

Midland Red S23 5930 at Rugby

Travellers on the West Coast Main Line can glimpse inside the Stagecoach garage at Rugby as the train goes through the station. But things have changed a lot since Midland Red days and following a break of about ten years I was glad I picked up my camera again to get some of the last remaining BMMO's like S23 5930 in 1980. It was withdrawn in March the following year.

Coachlinks Leyland Tiger in Leicester A112 TRP

Enough time has lapsed for me to look at this Plaxton Paramount bodied Leyland Tiger with a certain amount of nostalgia. Even those Stagecoach Stripes have become acceptable and I do miss the old registration system which told this this former United Counties coach in Leicester came from Northampton.

KAL 684 West Bridgeford U.D.C

I think if one had to choose the most interesting and varied city for buses in the Sixties Nottingham would be near the top of the list. If one had to find an area where it didn't excel it was perhaps in that it was only served by two Municipals. Having said that they were both interesting for whereas the city itself was very innovative the small brown and cream fleet at West Bridgeford was for many years very conservative and when this Park-Royal bodied AEC Regent 111 was seen here in about 1968 was already twenty years old and had a 'rathergrand' pre-war feel about it.

Porto 97

Two Lancia trolleybuses in Porto in 1984.

D&G No.113 SN11 FFM on the Tixall Road in Stafford

Making a change from it's normal haunt on the One Service whose orange branding it wears was this D&G Enviro seen on the Tixall Road in Stafford on it's way to Uttoxeter. It was thought that we would lose the 841 going passed here when this route stops going through Great Heywood but it will now rejoin the Weston Road at Hydrant Way and then go via Hopton and Weston.

Vikings in York

I thought the Vikings were a long gone episode in Scandinavian fokelore but it seems a few stayed  on in York to run an open-top sightseeing service as can be seen in this busy view with a former United Couties Bristol VR.