The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too  ~~~~   The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too  ~~~~   The page for enthusiasts in the Oxford Chilterns Area - News from you and news for you - pictures too  

News Page
Concessionary Travel, Buses in the Landscape, Running Days and Historical articles

Issue 290
(OBP-503)
Monday 8th June 2009
(next update week ending 21st June 2009)

 

Now in our 11th year

Visit the "OXFORD & CHILTERN BUS PAGE " Archives from October 2002

Visit the "OXFORD BUS PAGE" Archive 1998 - 2002

Please note that any comments made in this news page are those of the Editors' and in no way constitute 
any official points of view from the bus companies mentioned,  or indeed any other official body. 
As a news page we reserve the right to make valid comments as seen from an editorial point of view.

If you wish to be included on a mailing list where I will advise of any mid-week news please let me know
malcolmhc@aol.com

To see the pictures full size just click on the thumbnail

Concessionary Travel, Buses in the Landscape, Running Days and Historical articles

including:
Running days in Buckinghamshire (HCVS) and Cheltenham
Buses in the Landscape in Swanage, Musselburgh, Studley Green and Hemel
News from TCLB of upcoming events
and why not visit the Oxford Bus Museum this summer?

Concessionary Travel

On this theme please refer to the trip that Gavin & I recently took to Hemel and Aylesbury.

http://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/A%20busman's%20holiday%20-%20part%20one%20before%20lunch.htm

Buses in the Landscape


Swanage, Wilts and Dorset style in the summer of 2009 ..... don't you just want to be there?
1/ WD 3152-N13WAL-Swanage Sea front - 290509
2/ WD 3140-M140KRU-turns off the Swanage Sea front - 290509
3/ WD 3140-M140KRU-Swanage Sea front - 290509
4/ Swanage Depot and steam engine - 290509
5/ WD 3161-W161RFX- with Corfe Castle as a backdrop - 290509
Pictures by and © James May


Buses in the Landscape - Lothian buses in Musselburgh taken on 9th May by Keith Shayshutt


The Arriva Line 40 runs from Thame to High Wycombe and is run by two 6 cyl long wheel base Solos, 2496 and 2497.
 2497  is seen picking up in Studley Green on May 30th.
Picture by and © Malcolm Crowe


Buses in the Landscape - Hemel on a summer morning or "Come along children, we'll just catch the bus!" by Andrew Morgan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Running Days

The Ridgeway Run – Sunday 14th June 

The annual HCVS (Historic Commercial Vehicle Society) 's  25th Anniversary 'Ridgeway Run'  took place on Sunday 14th June. 

The route was from Henley Railway Station car park, via A4155 to Marlow, B482 via Lane End to Stokenchurch, down the winding hill of the old A40, B4009 via Chinnor to Longwick Road roundabout, then A4129/A4010 through Princes Risborough  then A4010 (that is via Stoke Mandeville Station and Wendover Road) into Aylesbury, round the west side of the town (i.e Friarage Road and Gatehouse Road to Bicester Road), A41 through Waddesdon, on through the village on A41 for about one mile then a right turn and to Quainton Road Station. 

It was not a cavalcade as such, which would cause traffic problems all the way but more of a leisurely affair spread out. 

Dave Stewart advised that the first vehicles would be through Stokenchurch around09.35 and so I took myself to the junction with the A40 towards Lewknor and waited and waited, the first vehicle not putting in appearance until 10.07 and the last was through by 11.05.

The first one through was Dave Stewart in his Routemaster, RM737 and I have selected a number of pictures to illustrate the event. I was at a slight disadvantage in that the sun was only marginally to my right and so the front ends were all in shadow but I think the end results are not too bad.

A pictorial record of participants.
I have not given titles as I think the pictures are pretty clear as to what each vehicle is.




The last time I saw this coach was at Minehead. It even has tartan rugs for each passenger.


The London Transport contingent.


I began to feel hungry !!


For all you AEC fans - the sound of the gearbox changes was great.


I think the Gardener badge is a little ahead of time for this age of model.


Who loves a Leyland?


I think it was Ward Jones at the wheel?


The Reading contingent




The driver of this Leyland National took a wrong turn, he missed the A40 and headed for Ibstone.


Was Al Capone on the run?


A nice selection.


Memories are made of this.


The first vehicle I drove after passing my test was my father's A35 van.


Another entrant takes the road to Ibstone. He came back eventually !!!!


I think the registration has changed. From The Telephone Manager, Oxford.


A nice Leyland Comet.

The weather was kind and it was a pleasant couple of hours right on my door step. I hope readers enjoyed the pictures?

Cheltenham Coach Rally - 75th Anniversary of the founding of the Associated Motorways Pool in 1934

I was sorry to have missed this event as it brings back memories of my days with a coach operator in Manchester in 1963. Every summer Friday we used to provide coaches on hire to Yelloway of Rochdale to assist on their Rochdale-Torquay service. In those far off days (now 46 years ago) Yelloway had a fleet of AEC Reliances of varying lengths and with various bodies. They would hire in anything up to 80 coaches on summer weekends and these would leave East Street Coach Station in Manchester and head southwards along the recently opened M6 which in those days finished just north of Wolverhampton. We would then follow the A4123 before joining the M5 and onwards to our stop at the coach station in Cheltenham. The company I worked for would provide various coaches such as Bedford VAL/Plaxton C52F or Ford Thames Trader/Duple C41F. I remember Yelloway paid £1 per seat to operators, so a 52 seat Bedford VAL fetched £52. The coach was away from Friday (AFTER CONTRACTS) until Saturday evening and one could be sure of a fully loaded trip in both directions.

One pulled into Cheltenham around 1.15 a.m. and all coaches would leave at 2 a.m. for the onward journeys. There was something about working through the coach station, full as it was and seeing the line up of Black & White coaches at the back.

What happy memories.

Martin Beckett writes "I attach some photographs taken by me during the rally to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Associated Motorways Pool in 1934. It was held on Sunday May 24th on the site of the former Black and White Motorways Coach Station in Cheltenham. The photographs are as follows":


NAE3 - Bristol Greyhound 2467 - Bristol L6B - ECW full fronted Queen Mary Style Coach Body from 1950 (C31F) and recently restored by Dr. Mike Walker
NHY 947 - Bristol Greyhound 2815 -  Bristol LWL6B - ECW full fronted Queen Mary Style Coach Body (C35F) from 1951 and recently restored by Dr. Mike Walker


UWX981F- Bedford VAL 70 - Plaxton Panorama 1 C52F.


Royal Blue MW6Gs 1436 HDV641E and 1423 EDV505D both operated by Western National and carrying the later style of ECW body seating 39


RHA919G - Midland Red 5919 - BMMO S23 - BMMO B51F


WKG284 - Western Welsh 1284 -  - AEC Reliance 2MU3RA- 1961- Willowbrook DP41F
and PUJ781 - Whittle of Highley - Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC 1/2 - 1958 - Burlingham Seagull C41F


PUJ781 - Whittle of Highley - Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC 1/2 - 1958 - Burlingham Seagull C41F

More memories from your Editor.

Out of interest the background to my trip on this coach was that we had, now I remember, not a 48 but a 36 hr pass leaving RAF Bridgnorth on Saturday lunchtime. I was late for the coach and imagine my surprise when I threw myself on at the last minute, the front seat was free.  

I settled down and off we went. Now I found out why the seat was free, the nearside front window was broken and the coach was being used on the Manchester un so that it could go to Burlingham's in Blackpool for a new one.

Normally we had a Bedford SB ( a type I never liked). I am not sure it was 781 as they had two or three in the batch but anyway I like to think it was.)

On the Sunday evening we loaded up at Manchester on the bomb site (car park) that is now under the Piccadilly Hotel and set off for Bridgnorth. Somewhere after Wolverhampton we ran out of fuel and had to wait several hours until fuel arrived and system was bled. I do remember felling pretty knackered that day, trying to do my square bashing to satisfy our Corporal DI. 

Happy memories.  Feb-Mar 58.

Rob McCaffrey sent views from the recent Cheltenham coach rally.


Soudley Valley AEC Regal III with Harrington dorsal fin body.


Stagecoach West ran a park & ride service to Cheltenham Racecourse using Ian Manning and Sholto Thomas’s FLF.


Bristol O.C.’s first RE, 1000 was down from BaMMOT at Wythall to work the local route D for Stagecoach Cheltenham.
Here it is paired-up with locally-based 1003 from the same batch.

Forthcoming events

TCLB news

1938 Tube Stock

I know many of you had a good day out on the 1938 tube stock last year, and so you might be pleased to hear it is out again on Sunday 21st June. It departs at 11:05 and 13:50 on an 80 minute non-stop trip on the Northern Line Charing Cross branch from Edgware to Kennington and back. To make a day of it, the RAF Museum at nearby Colindale is holding a pageant weekend with historic vehicles, and there is a fly-past at 15:30 of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The train trip costs £20 whilst entrance to the museum is free. Tickets available from the LT Museum direct this time on 020 7565 7298.

The Ghost Bus

Finally a plug for the Ghost Bus. Those that didn't make it on our private hire a week or so ago missed a real treat, and I highly recommend the evening. The Ghost Bus departs Northumberland Avenue Wednesday - Saturday at 19:30 and 21:00, and the normal fare is £15. See www.theghostbustours.com for details on how to book.

Oxford Bus Museum

Over 40 vehicles are on display.  Most are buses in the ownership of the Museum.  Some are privately owned buses on long-term loan for display to the public. In addition there are various other exhibits on loan, from fire engines to bicycles, to add a period feel to the core collection. For reasons of safety, and to preserve the more fragile exhibits, visitors cannot enter all the vehicles on display, but access to a number of them is possible.

There are extensive displays of photographs, tickets, uniforms and other memorabilia.

As a special attraction, the Museum offers a free bus ride from the collection on the first Sunday of the month from March to October inclusive.

Click Here

Historical items

 

Marcus Lapthorn writes "RM980 has now moved from where it was previously stored, at the now closed Billington Cross Inn near Sutton Scotney just off the A34. Anyone know where it now is?"

New Thames Valley history from Paul Lacey


 

Paul's latest volume in his comprehensive work on Thames Valley will soon be available.

Paul Lacey is pleased to announce the completion of his latest and long-awaited book:

A HISTORY OF THE THAMES VALLEY TRACTION CO. LTD., 1946 ~ 1960

224 A4 pages, perfect bound in laminated covers, with 544 half-tone illustrations, full fleet list, service fleet list, route map, and appendices covering livery details, background to Newbury & District and South Midland, as well as allocations of vehicles, working arrangements and premises. A highly detailed and evocative account of all aspects of the Thames Valley activities, with the experience of over 40 years of research, fully illustrated with almost all unpublished photos

Retail Price: £25  Order your copy NOW direct for just £20!

Please quote the OCBP when ordering

Other titles currently available: 

A History of the Thames Valley Traction Co. Ltd., 1920 – 1930

Retail Price: £15                                                     Special Offer Price: £5

A History of the Thames Valley Traction Co. Ltd., 1931 – 1945

Retail Price: £25                                                     Special Offer Price: £5

Thackray’s Way – A Family in Road Transport

Retail Price: £10                                                     Special Offer Price: £5

50 Years of South Midland, 1921 – 1970           Written by David Flitton

Retail Price: £11                                                      Special Offer Price: £5 

Offer prices apply to orders placed with the new volume only. Send to:

Paul Lacey, 17 Sparrow Close, Woosehill, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG41 3HT, cheque payable to Paul Lacey  -(post & packing inclusive). 

If you live locally and prefer to collect, please call on 0118 979 4097 to arrange a mutually convenient time to visit (please do not just turn up!).  

Menu for News Page Issue 8th June 2009

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Introduction & main menu

Editorial & Features plus Picture Corner

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Concessionary Travel, Buses in the Landscape, Running Days and Historical articles.

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