Like Lloyd and John I too worked the 144 from Digbeth Garage, firstly as a conductor and then later as a driver. My favourite time on it was the early 1960's when D7's and LD8's were the order of the day. The 3 point turn John remembers was with the longer D9 shown in his fine pic. It was a 2 point turn with the earlier shorter types. The first 144 out of Brum Mon to Sat left at 5-40a.m. and was known as the "newspaper bus", ferrying bundles of various newspapers to be dropped off en route. To ensure reliability and correct drop offs the same crew worked this journey every day (Driver "Cracker" Dewsbury and Conductor Arthur Lawley). Even after the papers were switched to van delivery in the later 60's these two were allowed to work this journey daily until their respective retirements. The 144 was timed at 20mph in the 1930's and still ran as such until the one man (Sorry, one person) buses took over.
Keeping to time was achieved by leaving Brum 5 mins late, arriving Worcester 5 mins early and leaving 5 mins late giving an unofficial 10 mins tea break there. Passengers expected and relied on the late departures and complained bitterly if a keen driver left on time and they missed the bus! During the daytime a can of tea was picked up from a cafe above Great Malvern (run by a Brummie) and the empty can returned on the way back. It was said Midland Red buses ran on tea instead of diesel back in those halcyon days
Does anyone out there remember them and those days ?
