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Midland Red at Digbeth

To all of you. I have said before that I worked at Digbeth/Mosely Rd them Selly Oak but I wasnt really a busman. That said, I am glad I did it because I met some great blokes and I still talk about some of the funnier things that happened. Thamks to you all for the experience.
 
No one has mentioned 'MACK EDWARDS' yet. I met him after I left Selly Oak because I went on a course to be a tourist guide for Birmingham. I thought it would go well with being a cabbie. The course was held at the College Of Food and guess who the tutor was. You got it Mack. I passed the course with flying colours.
 
Stitcher,
Glad you found us on this Thread. Probably the majority of people who have worked on buses didn't set out to be a busman but some stayed longer than others and many left and came back or changed bus company or went on to other jobs. For those of us who stayed with it, the job was all the more interesting because of the different workmates we met and the variety of jobs they came from and went on to. It's a fact wherever you go in the country once blokes clock they have worked on buses or coaches at any time however briefly they will talk about the job!

Mike

Meanwhile back on the patch
 
I will always remember my early years on Road Transport. I would be in 'doze mode' on the M1 and a Midland Red coach would come past and it felt as though I had stopped. In those days I was with a firm who had old vehicles do you see. I soon moved to where the lorries went a bit quicker and it felt great keep you guys in sight for a bit longer.
 
When the CM6Ts were replaced with Leyland Leopards even though they had 2 speed axles you blokes left us for dead going up Luton bank. Many's the time I was stranded with speed failing in the middle lane with artics overtaking in in convoy in the nearside lane. Oh, the shame of it!
 
No one has mentioned 'MACK EDWARDS' yet. I met him after I left Selly Oak because I went on a course to be a tourist guide for Birmingham. I thought it would go well with being a cabbie. The course was held at the College Of Food and guess who the tutor was. You got it Mack. I passed the course with flying colours.

Don't recall a Mack Edwards. The only bloke I knew who got a blue badge to guide round Brum was a Jim McPhillips from Digbeth but that was in the 1970's or 80's.
 
Motorman Mike. Let me apologise, It was Jim. Mack Edwards was another cabbie on the course with us.
 
Motorman Mike, You do know that it is a bad workman who blames his tools?. Ha Ha. I went to Lotts Rd Chelsea 5 days a week befor I started at Digbeth.
 
I knew Jim well Stitcher, we used to share a Scottish tour for National Holidays. I think he lives up in the Potteries now. The pic is me on the tour at Stranraer in the 1980's when they were scrapping HMS Bulwark up there. (It was there for ages because of asbestos)

"Right B******g Tools" you meant of course!

Lotts Road was a power station wasn't it?

Mike
 
Hello Lloyd
Diddy stayed at our place a couple of nights during his trip round Australia they had a great time over here he has not changed much cant stop him talking lol they had a mobile caravan it was very handy, i took them around Brisbane on our buses for the day Allen
 
Motorman Mike, there was a Power Station and it overshadowed the transport yard I went to. It was Caledonian Road Services. The main yard was in Dumfries, with a few more dotted around Scotland. There was a yard in Preston Tyseley and Bristol, so wherever you got empty there was always a yard not far away that would either get you working for them for a few days or would load you for home straight away. You may already know how it works but I will tell you, four or five lorries left Dumfries for Birmingham on Sunday night. They had a bite to eat at Dirty Dicks in Garstang and got to Tysely for about eight o clock Monday morning. Normally three of the lorries were loaded for the London area and so Tyseley drivers would take them to Lotts Rd. On arrival the drivers had a dinner then bought three different trailers back(loaded). The other trailers would normaly be for the Birmingham area and the local drivers would deliver and pick up all day, getting back for about four o clock. The Scottish lads would take the lorries back to dumfries on Monday night as five more left Dumfries to do the same all over again. I used to either do a full load to the East End docks or tramp around the country doing deliveries spread out coast to coast. In the winter when the snow was bad the scotish lads would travel across country past Brough to Scotch Corner then travel down the A1. This was to cut out Shap on the A6. Because it was a long way round and depending on how bad the snow was, some men from Tysely would be taken to a rendevue on the A1 and take over from there. The Haggis bashers would be bought back to their breakfast and bed by the mini-bus driver who took us out. It was all so different to bus work but I met some really nice tough men who would show or teach a newcomer how to do the job properly. They taught me how to tie anything onto a flat open trailer. When I say anything I mean a car, boat load of slippery shiny steel or fragile cartons. I dont want to bore you but I found that whatever they drove or wherever they came from, Proffesional drivers in our day were all worthy of praise.
 
To all of you. I have said before that I worked at Digbeth/Mosely Rd them Selly Oak but I wasnt really a busman. That said, I am glad I did it because I met some great blokes and I still talk about some of the funnier things that happened. Thamks to you all for the experience.
Hi. Stitcher. When you were at Digbeth and Mosely Rd. do you remember a Ken Haylor.
 
Not quite the "patch" this pic. but top of Bradford St.

Fabulous photo, john70, not the top of Bradford Street but the bottom - just passing Mill Lane.
The interest to me is that the Alltyres building behind is the former Buckingham's coachbuilders, who did a few bodies for Birmingham Corporation until foundering in 1930/1.
I am one of a group researching a plane crash in this vicinity in march 1944 when a Wellington bomber, HD987, suffered engine failure and crashed between Bradford street and Digbeth either on or just behind these premises.
As there is a date of 1923 on the building (just above the bus destination panel) then this part at least survived - this is the first picture I have found of Buckingham's works. Thank you so much!

Below is a picture of one of Buckingham's 1922 products for BCT, a small Leyland 'A1' 20 seat saloon that was one of the first one-man-operated buses to run in the city. As can be seen, they didn't go far to take the photograph, the Markets were just opposite the works!
 
Stitcher, Thanks for that brilliant rundown on a slice of life on lorries. Will be back tomorrow but have to be up at 4-15 in the morning and feeling a bit cream crackered so turning in (I'm at a funny age now)
Mike
Meanwhile out on the patch...
 
Cheers, Ill tell you something tomorrow that might make you smile.
 
Fabulous photo, john70, not the top of Bradford Street but the bottom - just passing Mill Lane.
The interest to me is that the Alltyres building behind is the former Buckingham's coachbuilders, who did a few bodies for Birmingham Corporation until foundering in 1930/1.
I am one of a group researching a plane crash in this vicinity in march 1944 when a Wellington bomber, HD987, suffered engine failure and crashed between Bradford street and Digbeth either on or just behind these premises.
As there is a date of 1923 on the building (just above the bus destination panel) then this part at least survived - this is the first picture I have found of Buckingham's works. Thank you so much!

Below is a picture of one of Buckingham's 1922 products for BCT, a small Leyland 'A1' 20 seat saloon that was one of the first one-man-operated buses to run in the city. As can be seen, they didn't go far to take the photograph, the Markets were just opposite the works!
Glad you like the picture Lloyd, and hope it helps in your research, I would be interested to hear the outcome of that. this is a great thread, brought back a lot of happy memories, John 70.
 
Not quite the "patch" this pic. but top of Bradford St.

John, Great pic, these were the first generation of "Showboats" the S13 followed by two batches of S15s. I heard they got the name from being dual purpose, the first black tops to appear on stage work when not on coaching work. My first time driving with passengers on was in 3928 was from a conducting show up on a January Saturday in 1964. Remember it like it was yesterday - a second portion Barston and a Marston Green Tavern with Clive Mann as conductor. The Barston went off fine but the 166 we left the Bus Station with a standing load. No problem until we got to Kingston Hill where the Blues were just turning out. In the traffic about halfway up I had to stop and on pulling away attempted a famous Midland Red snap change but S13s don't do snaps so with a face redder than the bus I crawled up the rest of the hill right round onto the Cov Road in first.
Ah yes, I remember it well....

Mike

Meanwhile back on the patch...
 
Motorman Mike, because I am not a bus preservation enthusiast, would it be better if use the other midland Red site?
 
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