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Favourite Bus

Bob Davis

Bob Davis

Bob Davis
in his book Across Birmingham on the 29a, David Harvey remarks that one of the Wellhead Lane HOV Leylands was his favourite bus. Mine was 1749 HOV749 a regular on the 5a/7 bus route, regularly crewed by a delightful Irish conductress. Question for the ex bus drivers/conductors and conductresses, did you regularly have the same bus over a period or was it Hobsons Choice each day? However, I always had to ensure I rode those unusual ones on other routes and do it by other ways than getting straight on the 5a. One day it was S67 to Erdington, tram to the 8 Inner Circle, Inner Circle to Five Ways and then joy of joys the South African Daimler FVP922 to Hagley Road, Bearwood and the 11 to Acocks Green, waited around for a while and along came one of the GOE AECs. Although I rode Piano Front AECs and the odd Leylands and prewar AECs before they were scrapped, I never rode on a Morris Dictator as far as I know although some of them ran until after the war. I did also leap off an Inner Circle at Hockley Brook one day to catch 296 on the 29a. The joy of having a mother who worked an preferred me out of the house during the day. Did you have a favourite bus or tram or trolley bus?

Bob Davis
 
No favourites really, I just loved them all. My favourite way of reaching the city was to walk/cycle to the city boundary at Hall Green and catch the 29a: there was always a good variety on that route as it was served by quite a few garages. The only time I ever found myself on the 37 was in fact the NS37. I liked the rarities such as the unfrozen Leylands 1324 - 1326 and 1329 -1331 and of course 295 (I unofficially rang the bell on that from Snow Hill to Baldwins Lane). I had no love for the utility fleet, neither did I recall a Morris Dictator journey. After a shopping trip to the city the journey from the city could be rewarded with a piano front AEC and another bonus was a grey painted bus. The 29a was a haunt of the famous bouncing Leyland PD2's. :D Moving to the South West in 1954 meant that I never rode many of the exposed radiator Crossley vehicles. Though I did manage a trip on the unique 1655 when visiting relatives in Garretts Green. I also had an aunt who I often visited in Mosely which often yielded the unusual, for Birmingham, London RT type AEC, The Jo'burgs were restricted in the area they worked so I never had a journey on them. The other unusual buses, for the city fleet, were the Leylands TD's on the B80 - B83 services which having a torque convertor mechanism had a totally different sound.
A ring of change - less walking - gave me the Midland Red services which ran on Stratford Road. A good choice with services from Solihull and the surrounding area, Earlswood and of course Stratford upon Avon. Occasionally an older REDD or often a FEDD (also seen on the Dudley Road B84-87)) might arrive. During the staff shortages for the Midland Red, in the 1950's, a Stratford Blue Leyland PD2 (hourly) could be sampled.
During school vacations, when I wasn't cycling all over the Midlands, I might venture to Dudley by West Bromwich Daimler. And then there were still some tram routes, particularly on the Bristol Road, which were a great day out. I only used the trolleys on a few occasions but often went to the Lode Lane (Solihull) area to see them in operation. They were too quiet really so I was not able to savour the usual engine sounds. ;)
Now and again I used the train to Moor Street but that was not such an interesting journey.
 
Radiorails said:
No favourites really, I just loved them all. My favourite way of reaching the city was to walk/cycle to the city boundary at Hall Green and catch the 29a: there was always a good variety on that route as it was served by quite a few garages. The only time I ever found myself on the 37 was in fact the NS37. I liked the rarities such as the unfrozen Leylands 1324 - 1326 and 1329 -1331 and of course 295 (I unofficially rang the bell on that from Snow Hill to Baldwins Lane). I had no love for the utility fleet, neither did I recall a Morris Dictator journey. After a shopping trip to the city the journey from the city could be rewarded with a piano front AEC and another bonus was a grey painted bus. The 29a was a haunt of the famous bouncing Leyland PD2's. :D Moving to the South West in 1954 meant that I never rode many of the exposed radiator Crossley vehicles. Though I did manage a trip on the unique 1655 when visiting relatives in Garretts Green. I also had an aunt who I often visited in Mosely which often yielded the unusual, for Birmingham, London RT type AEC, The Jo'burgs were restricted in the area they worked so I never had a journey on them. The other unusual buses, for the city fleet, were the Leylands TD's on the B80 - B83 services which having a torque convertor mechanism had a totally different sound.
A ring of change - less walking - gave me the Midland Red services which ran on Stratford Road. A good choice with services from Solihull and the surrounding area, Earlswood and of course Stratford upon Avon. Occasionally an older REDD or often a FEDD (also seen on the Dudley Road B84-87)) might arrive. During the staff shortages for the Midland Red, in the 1950's, a Stratford Blue Leyland PD2 (hourly) could be sampled.
During school vacations, when I wasn't cycling all over the Midlands, I might venture to Dudley by West Bromwich Daimler. And then there were still some tram routes, particularly on the Bristol Road, which were a great day out. I only used the trolleys on a few occasions but often went to the Lode Lane (Solihull) area to see them in operation. They were too quiet really so I was not able to savour the usual engine sounds. ;)
Now and again I used the train to Moor Street but that was not such an interesting journey.
Click to expand...
Used to get the FEDds and wartime Guys when I went to school, favourite the was to get one of the West Bromwich DEA reg Daimlers on route 25 back to the Beggars Bush, they cost more, but always seemed to go so much faster....perhaps that was just an illusion. On fine days time was spent as you on the bicycle all over the area visiting the backwater stations where the old push and pulls used to gently idle away. The snag there was always Mucklows Hill coming home. I moved South West first to Plymouths Leyland fleet and the HOD xxx series of Bristols, then to Exeter with their Leylands and Guys and Devon Generals AECs and finished up in North Devon which at that time was still Southern National. Now it is just Stagecoach since First pulled out. Good to read your comments thanks. By the way the Crossleys were always worth a ride.
Bob
 
oldMohawk said:
My favourite bus as a child was a Midland Red Front Entrance Double Decker (FEDD) which had a large front bench seat upstairs. I've seen pics of them but the only one I can find at the moment is in a post here
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...eld-road-perry-barr.38467/page-22#post-578609
I used to travel from the Beeches Estate Great Barr to the city on a No 188 and I could easily have been on the one in the pic.
oldmohawk ... :)
Click to expand...
Occasionally caught the 118 from Perry Avenue in to Town but the extra fare often persuaded me otherwise.
 
I am not sure this was a favourite but my Dad used to catch the 150 (Midland Red - I think) from night school in Birmingham to the terminus in Hockley Heath (the boundary with Stratford and Solihull). He then got off to walk to the Royal Oak to meet my Mother (then his girlfriend) at a dance. The galling thing was the bus passed him as it went to the garage in Stratford. That is why I am not sure it was a favourite. Coming back her works laid on coaches to Shirley - so no walking after the dance.
 
My favourite was not a bus but a tram, the 3x from Witton to City in 40's/50's, I lived in Queens Road at the time, caught it at Queens Rd/Park Rd stop, straight upstairs to the front seat and sat glued to the window as it climbed up Park Road hill and down the other side, then Aston Cross, Lichfield Rd to the Martineau St terminus, a simple pleasure but most enjoyable - all for about 3 old pence . Happy days now gone forever. Eric
 
I and my mates liked the trams so much that although we lived in Great Barr we used to get on the No 6 tram in town and ride to the terminus in Perry Barr and then complete the journey by bus. It made our day if we could sit on the open balcony of the tram ... :)
 
Cookie and Old Mohawk, you are both right there was something about the tram, particularly the open balcony. Saw the 6 but never used it as I was already on a Midland Red 107, 109 or 113, but used 2 and 78 and I have left the 5a at Witton to go to town on the 3x and when that finished I used the 39 just after it started, I must have been an anorak.......no comments please

Bob
 
Old Boy said:
Hi All.
My favourite was the 39 bus - It took me away from Villa Park.
Old Boy
Click to expand...
I understand why for after last year, watched first game 1945/46 against Coventry City? Alec masseys last game? Do not hold me to that followed them at home to 1952 every week, then occasional games to 1954, two years away and then through to 1962, then left, but followed them religiously ever since, when I lived in Plymouth, Peter McParland lived just around the corner. Just realised that like the Remainers and the AntiTrumps we should have demanded that the whole 2015/2016 season should have been replayed until Villa were not relegated, but back to theme after the game, whilst the buses to Perry Common were all the normal harborne/wellhead Lane regulars, the buses back to the city ( the football specials ) could be from any garage and often there was the odd piano front AEC or an EOG/FON Leyland going to town, So if we were going back to my Grans in Harborne with my uncle, the bus journey would be a joy. Better still was when Dad said we'll take the tram as it could be quicker and to get on an open front.......total joy

Bob Davis
 
My favourite bus was the 1A. It was a great alternative to going to the City Centre from Hall Green along the Stratford Road. I used to catch the 1A either opposite the Springfield Cinema or at the junction of Reddings Lane with Shaftsmoor Lane. It would take you up past Moseley Grammar School and onto Moseley Village. Then to Cannon Hill Park and the Edgbaston Cricket Ground. The direction would then be to near the Botanical Gardens and to Five Ways. From Five Ways it would go down Broad Street and to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. The route combined passing interesting places with views of leafy suburbs. I particularly used this bus for visits to Cannon Hill Park and the Botanical Gardens. Dave.
 
1A, but from outside "The New Inns" in Acock's Green, especially at cherry blossom time along Church Rd. Edgbaston I never knew a Guy from a Crossley but any bus that came along that got me out of the rain and on the way home.
 
The 1a was my favourite as it took me into town from Ryland st on my way home from work, 51 and 52 were my next favourites s they completed my homeward journey.
 
11.png
I don't think I had a favourite bus route but I did do he complete 11 route some Sundays and we would alternate clockwise or anti.
 
I remember travelling on the old Midland Red FEDDs including an occasional ride on one to and from Bearwood on journeys to school, I think as late as 1957. However my favourite buses were the Midland Red Leylands with SHA registrations which were regulars on the 221 service from Bearwood. I last travelled on one of those Leylands on a late night bus on the 126 route home from night school in about 1966. The conductress told me that their bus had broken down and the driver had gone to Digbeth and was given this bus which, as a Wolverhampton garage driver, he had never driven before.

Referring back to the 221 route which was a joint service, we lived about 100 yards from the route and we always heard the squeal of the brakes on the West Bromwich Corp0ration Daimlers as they stopped at our stop.
 
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