Do I do buses and girls?

Well that reminds me I do, here is a Reading view of a recent Alder Valley Leyland Leopard wearing that unpopular Willowbrook 003 bodywork. It was working the long established and important railair link from the main line from the South West to Heathrow Airport. As you can see in this early Eighties scene Lady Diana fever was rife which meant quite ordinary girls wanted to dress like a princess too even if it meant wearing a dated twin set and pearls like their old Gran once did. Today of course the idols they follow are more likely to be Paris Hilton or Lady GaGa, rather more sexy but somehow I quite applaud when I see them well groomed and ladylike in heels for a change.

Cotterills of Mitcheldean

As well is in urban areas a few Independents managed to run double-deckers in service. At one time Cotterills of Mitcheldean in the Forest of Dean bought new buses but later additions were secondhand like this smart MCW Metrobus GBU 6V in their chocolate brown and cream which came from Greater Manchester where it had been 2006 on the route to Cinderford.

Lancashire United Seddon

Built in Oldham the truck maker Seddon tried to make an impact on the bus market and won some notable orders particularly as the NBC took for Crosville 100 badly needed new single-deckers to speed OPO. Independent minded Lancashire United Transport didn't always follow the normal flow of things and ordered some Seddon RU's too with rather dated looking flat-fronted Plaxton dual-entrance bodies for one-person operation. This 1971 bus No 392 New in 1971DTC 740J was seen close to it's home depot at Swinton and lasted twelve-years.

Blackpool a Mecca for those Scottish Coaches

 Blackpool was a great place to spend a sunny August Bank Holiday with the arrival of coaches from far and wide especially Scotland. Strathclyde is not readily associated with coaches so it's nice to have a view of the Alexander TC-class Tiger C16. Getting in people too meant I could also fit in enough of the once common Bedford or Ford with it's Duple Viceroy.

NBC's new colours: Trent in Matlock

Twenty buses at Matlock and about thirty-five further afield at Buxton were transferred to Trent of Derby as their share after North Western Road Car of Stockport was wound up when their new owner's the National Bus Company made changes. One way to look at it was that Trent inherited many of North Western's former prettiest routes in the rugged and hilly Peak District. More of a problem though was that much of it was not good operating territory which probably is why Matlock was sent these redundant Leyland Tiger Cubs from the main Trent fleet, and with Alexander Y-Ttype bodies it was a combination that was rare outside Scotland. Here their coach type bodywork would be a plus but their progress would have been slow over the hills despite the low seating capacity. Still looking smart in Trent colours though we see at the bus station HRC 105C and 106 plus part of yet a third example.  This depot had previously run mostly the more powerful Royal Tiger but under North Western they were already being replaced by a new generation of Gardener engined Bristol RE's and SJA 346J No.346 a 1971 Marshall bodied example had just received in 1974 what was quickly becoming the norm the unimaginative poppy red of NBC.

More Portugal: Come on, wish me a Happy Birthday!

With the exception of perhaps the town buses of Lisbon and Porto I'm getting a bit short of new views of Portugal's buses. However as it's my Birthday today I thought I would offer you all this little slice of celebratory cake. It's a Volvo but apart from that I can't tell you much.

Same Day: Today August 28th my Birthday

Yes I remember the day well, buswise this was my Birthday Treat being a smart Tiger but how many years ago? But it was the end of the 90's when I caught this Mayne's coach dropping off in Moss Side LIB 6437 (C437 YBA) just before the light started to fail at tea-time

West Midlands MCW Metrobus 2149 in the Birmingham suburbs

We can take some of our best shots in the winter sunshine as long as there are not too many shadows. In about 1981 a recent WM Metrobus GOG149W 2149 picks up on the Tyburn Road. In those days most cars were still British and look at those British Leyland Minis. The Tyburn was where they used to hang criminals in the old days and executions were popular public events with a carnival atmosphere. No doubt not everyone thought it was fun but they should have thought about that before they stole those shoe-laces!.

Plymouth City Transport

At one time the Municipal bus fleet of Plymouth was 100% Leyland and also there was a time when most of the fleet was made up of Atlanteans. This view was taken in about 1980 which was very much their Heyday. Many were supplied with a style of attractive Park Royal bodywork which was more usually found with the National Bus Company. GDR 203N No.78 was paused outside the large bus garage at Milehouse.

Hutchinson's Scottish Pullman

Growing up reading the fleet news in Buses Illustrated as well as our school tables we learnt our operator listing rhymes such as for this coach firm 'Hutchinson of Overtown' seen working a Deregulated 'Scottish Pullman'service out of Glasgow Buchanan Street large busy Bus Station in the mid-Nineties. A number of firms had a go but most ended up handing their services to the all powerful Scottish Citylink formed from the intensive operations of the mighty state owned Scottish Bus Group which judging from what happened elsewhere in the Uk was pretty inevitable.  Duple's final offering the 320 and as here higher 340 was one of it nicest designs and looked fine on Hutchinson's Volvo F775 FYS.

Pool Meadow Coventry

Even though except during the War Midland Red never had a garage at Coventry it was a busy and important hub with buses mainly coming in from places like Birmingham, Leicester, Leamington Nuneaton and Rugby. Some of these were quite long routes too and it took numbing two and a half hours to reach Lichfield on the half-hourly 765 which also called at Tamworth and Nuneaton where 5153 was based. It was one of thirteen of these Weymann bodied Leyland Leopard LS18 buses of 1962-3 based there and the arrival of one of these fine beasts with a good heater was a welcome sight compared to the crude single rear wheel lightweight BMMO S14's type that preceded them on this route from that garage. The order should have been split 50-50 but of the 5145-5244 only up to 5169 actually materialised as a Weymann with the bulk coming from Willowbrook of Loughborough.
N.B. Sorry about the poor quality it is a basic schoolboy camera photo.

Thomas of West Ewell (Surrey)

Liking smart Leylands often catching glimses of it I always wanted a photo of this Plaxton bodied Tiger coach but because of the traffic or lighting conditions it always evaded me. Eventually I caught up with it near the Tower of London, it's a pity but I can live with a bit of blur as it speeds passed if it's appropriate. However I can only just read the number C913 UPB.