How nostalgic to see all the bus types used by Devon General over five decades ago. I'm a Londoner and moved to Devon in 1974, living first just outside Ipplepen on the Totnes Road, then in Newton Abbot from 1978 till I returned to the southeast in 1991. I started work for DG as a bus conductor in April 1979 on the 120 Newton Abbot/Brixham and Newton Abbot/Exeter services. It was hard graft at that time, often carrying a leather bagful of mixed coins on one shoulder and a heavy metal ticket machine on a wide leather strap and worn around the neck. The number of times a conductor had to trudge up and down stairs on busy days or school runs was incalculable, but I really enjoyed the job until our bus station at Sherborne Road changed to OMB operation in 1983. I did take and pass my PSV test that year but I couldn't cope with the pressure as an OMB driver and reverted to work as a conductor until those of us who remained were made redundant and all services become one driver operated in April 1984. I really did enjoy my job with DG and I liked living in Newton Abbot, but in1981 I moved to Buckland Estate where I lived until I finally left Devon to return to London. Seeing the Leylands, Guys, the infamous 'long Toms' with steering as heavy as a stack of bricks and so on brought back many memories, as well as the locations features in the photographs. Thank you for posting this archive of pictures that enabled me to take a pleasant trip down Memory lane. A.V.
