Thank you for posting this wonderful clip. It's especially good to hear the beautifully-delivered commentary by Martin Jenkins. What a superb speaker he is. His delivery, the old bus sounds and the scenes of bygone Britain all combine to make this film sheer perfection.
This video made me sad. As someone who travelled on these great old buses as a kid, their disappearance seems like a terrible act of vandalism to me. I just loved those buses, full of "character", & really looked forward to travelling on them. And NOW? Buses are just forgettable, soulless tin boxes. As are trains.
I watched this for the lovely old buses but there's something else of interest around 6:11 to 6:12 mark. Notice a sleek car with a pointed fastback body with 2 large rear windows, heading away from the camera, following a Standard Flying 12 or 14. It looks to be a very rare Triumph Gloria 'Flow Free' coupe, of which only 11 were built and only one survives.
Yeah m8.rememb doing rovers around London ..red green twin and gold. Also remember 1st Atlanta at Hastings. Problem 1st r engine dd I had ever seen. Also saw rm1 as a prototype on Leighàm Court rdmstreatham
I can remember trollies going uo St Martins, by the Bull Ring from Deritend, Birmingham only just but every school day going to school on number 17 Crossley of the Birmingham Corporation before they were replaced by those horrible Leyland rear engined monstrosities.
Give me a PCV anyday over any car. i have driven many types of bus/coach but now i have my own - albeit tiny 17 seater Iveco. Expensive over car ownership, MOT's usually a nightmare, but i love my old short bus !
Thoroughly enjoyed this video, especially the scenes from Onslow Street bus station in Guildford. Memories of waiting here for the 408 to Effingham in the late 50s to mid 60s. Fascinating to see the street scenes around the country too. Thanks for showing.
The reference at 6.16 to Mansfield (which had never had a bus station at that tme ) should be to Nottingham Mount Street and Huntingdon Street bus stations; both of which have long since vanished under the bulldozer. Wm Gash's sky blue Daimlers were a credit to both the Cpmpany and it's staff. One was preserved (KAL500} but I haven't seen it recently. Oh happy days! Particularly when, due to a rail strike, a 56 seater took about 85 of us home to Newark one evening!
We have kept Leyland and royal Enfield legacy still...New gen Comet series is still sold by Leyland in India...That engine sound was heard till 15 years back..New refined models came then..
Great Video, buses had character back then. 6:14 to 6 24 showing Bartons bus is the Old Nottingham Mount Street Bus Station.6:24 to 6:44 Nottingham Huntingdon Street Bus station. W.Gash buses leaving on Platform 1. and then showed the coach park.
Beautiful buses.all over w. Country. E.anglia..and best of all n. Wales .eventually became our love and honeymoon bus..courtesy of T. Valley. Did you ever see one broken DOWN ? THOUGHT SO
I remember going by Bus on a Bristol Double decker of United Counties to school..the bus was always full of smoke as people just smoked like chimneys in those far off days.There was no heating and the platform was open at the back.There was the driver and conductor usually with a ciggy in the side of his mouth.(1950,s)
The South Coast (SOUTHDOWN) sequences towards the end reminded me of childhood visits to the seaside in the 1950's, and the variety of buses to be seen, unlike the continuous stream of red London Transport RT's & Routemaster buses back home. Notice also the number of "serious"" cyclists there were on the roads back in those days.
Interesting how passengers got off the bus when it was still moving, was it fast-food made people have accidents so they stopped the practice, now the driver has to open the doors after the bus stops.
Lovely documentry and well handled commentary as noted elsewhere, great to see these buses from a bygone and more sedate age plying their trade around the country. I believe the very elderly bus shown in Hastings area is still running, or certainly one like it comes out at various times at vehicle shows in the area
This takes me back. I used to live in Beverly and remember the busses with the pointed roofs. I also remember a normal bus getting stuck under the north bar.
