ricklangley
New Member
Living in Handsworth in the 1960s, the bus routes that featured most prominently in my life were the number 11 and the 74 and 75 from town to Dudley and Wednesbury respectively. This was in the days before the 75 became the 79 and ran all the way through to Wolverhampton. I seem to remember that the 74 and 75 were operated jointed by BCT and West Bromwich Corporation, so occasionally it would be a 'foreign' bus that came along.
Travelling to B'ham city centre was no problem. But when we visited relatives in West Bromwich, we had of course to cross "the boundary" at the Hawthorns. Because the journey was in two different jurisdictions, the tickets were only valid to the boundary. Then the conductor would have to go round again and take the fares for the rest of the journey. When returning from West Brom (though curiously enough never going, though the rigmarole was the same) there was always the debate with my grandmother as to whether to pay the extra fare to 'our' stop, which was only a few hundred yards, or to get off and walk the rest of the way. The outcome probably depended on whether it was raining or not!
Of course when WMPTE came into being all that finished.
Travelling to B'ham city centre was no problem. But when we visited relatives in West Bromwich, we had of course to cross "the boundary" at the Hawthorns. Because the journey was in two different jurisdictions, the tickets were only valid to the boundary. Then the conductor would have to go round again and take the fares for the rest of the journey. When returning from West Brom (though curiously enough never going, though the rigmarole was the same) there was always the debate with my grandmother as to whether to pay the extra fare to 'our' stop, which was only a few hundred yards, or to get off and walk the rest of the way. The outcome probably depended on whether it was raining or not!
Of course when WMPTE came into being all that finished.