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Camp Hill Flyover

motorman-mike

motorman-mike

Brum visitor who stayed.
The thread about the Dolls Club produced a great deal of information about, and cracking photos of, the Camp Hill Flyover that appeared next to it next to it. Chances are some folks that recall the 'tempory' flyover will have missed out because they wouldn't have expected it to feature in a thread about the Dolls Club! Hope you will agree it would be good to gather up all the various views of it in one place so here goes with the flyover in it's own right starting with the Grand Opening on 15th October 1961.
 
I seem to recall that the first, and last, to travel over the flyover where a group of cyclists. Do recall seeing pictures of them but alas cannot find them at the moment, as this thread is just starting thought one of the first pictures, if someone has it, could be that group of cyclists.
 
I was a bit apprehensive the first time I took a bus over it (Midland Red could, but BCT banned their staff from using it) but after a few times I'd fly at it at 30 MPH as if I'd been doing it for decades. Anyone else met a car coming the wrong way over it? I did once, luckily not far from the far end, poor woman was so flustered she kept stopping and looking out of the window.
Sadly there was a smash under it once, a Midland Red single decker hit one of the support pillars heading towards town. I think someone was badly injured, possibly worse. I've got a press cutting somewhere about it.
 
Me and a few other lads after a skinful in the Avenue one night went and watched them putting it up and ended up in the Dolls club.
 
Here is the bus crash Lloyd refers to that happened in 1967. Fortunately no one was killed but the driver, conductor and two out of only five passengers on board were detained in hospital, one of those passengers having serious injuries.The bus was on the 185 service to Birmingham from Solihull. Although the bus suffered considerable damage, the flyover was unaffected by the impact. I can't recall the cause of the accident.
 

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Camp Hill flyover, Deritend, photo by Phylis Nicklin. Len.
 

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ive got this one...dated 1961


astoness
 

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The Corporation buses did eventually use the flyover although some drivers still preferred not to.
 

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Here is a good view showing the curve in the flyover that caused many larger vehicles going over to rub the narrow curbing on it.
 

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towards the end of this video clip the bus is driven over the flyover, sure it will bring back a few memories!
 
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I seem to remember when Digbeth had its first few fleetlines some of the drivers wouldn,t go over it in them, the driving position being different to the normal deckers we had, I went over about 6 30 one Sunday morning in a D9 and when I got to the top saw a bloke on a moped just starting to come up from the other end, he was exceptionally quick turning round thank god, as I think I would have had a job to stop a D9 going down the other side, and going into town along the side of it if you were brave or perhaps balmy enough to overtake another bus it was a bit tight, can understand how that single decker hit it.
 
I remember the flyover near Temple Meads, I used to use an all night cafe that was on the approach to it, that would have been in the mid 60's.

Phil
 
A bit later Phil, it was built in 1968 and like Camp Hill was a 'tempory measure' but lasted until taken down in 1998. When this view was taken it still had two years to go.
Mike
 
Mike as you say that wasn't the one I recall, anyway I don't think I have ever been back to Bristol since 67 so it couldn't have been, What road was that on.

Phil
 
Thanks Mike I knew I went over it many years ago and it must have been when I visited my aunt at Wooten Wawen and later when she moved to Henly in Arden. Jaen.
 
pmc1947 said:
Mike as you say that wasn't the one I recall, anyway I don't think I have ever been back to Bristol since 67 so it couldn't have been, What road was that on.

Phil
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Phil, it went from Temple Way (off the Bath Road (A4) before Temple Meads Station) on a curve over Victoria Street round towards Redcliffe. Another glimpse of it here from Victoria Street.
Mike
 
Meanwhile back at Camp Hill, another view. The 15 bus isn't using the flyover as it will be turning left at the island for the Coventry Road.
 
Mike

Are you sure the one in Temple Meads wasn't there in 67, but there again I think I may have been there in March/April 68 would it have been built then, the old memory is failing me a little especially when I try to think of the 60's, but I have this vivid memory of a flyover and an all night café just before the up ramp. I remember it being a similar construction to the Birmingham one.

The day the one in Birmingham opened like many others we queued to cross over it, we did the trip about 3 times. It didn't take much to amuse us in those days.

Phil
 

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Before it went to Camp Hill, I remember it being either stored or assembled on 'The Tip' behind Garrison La. and moved in very quickly, in sections over a weekend.
 
col h said:
Before it went to Camp Hill, I remember it being either stored or assembled on 'The Tip' behind Garrison La. and moved in very quickly, in sections over a weekend.
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col h, it had already been assembled in a field outside Bristol by the firm that made it to make sure it went together OK. Then it was dismantled and brought up to Brum. I didn't know about 'The Tip' behind Garrison Lane so many thanks for telling us about that. Many didn't believe it could be built in a weekend - just shows what can be done with forward planning.
 
Hi there
i can remember the camp hill fly over being built john
and i remember the dolls club along side but do you remember the club named after the dolls club --what was the new club named ,
it was called daddy long legs club ,john did you or any other member used the daddy club ,--john , i hope you don,t mind me asking a question
but did you ever live on the king standing rd and moved to monument rd by spring hill by any chance when you was a kid and next to a sweet shop
because your code name in reverse reminds me of an old friend by the name of john aston best wishes astonian ,;;
 
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