• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Midland Red Around Birmingham.

ragga

master brummie
4.jpg5.jpg6.jpg7.jpg

Photo No1 , New Sreet , am i right in thinking the red window frames is a Midland bus stop Only !
No 2 , Hagley road .
No 3 , Hagley road .
No 4 , Pershore Street ? ......... ragga :fat:
 
Can't help with the bus stop but the pics sure brought back some good memories of travelling out of Shirley to Majors Green to visit the Uncle & Auntie!!!!
I think the bus ran every hour and we always seemed to have to rush up the hill to catch it for the journey back!!!
 
Ragga, yes the red frames were Midland Red, can remember mom and nan saying when I was young and the 116 was one of our buses as it stops at the top of mom and dads road in Tamworth, meant we didn't have to walk home form Tamworth centre, the 110 comes in on the other side of Tamworth, so we had to walk home with any shopping we had done, but as nan lived in Sutton, used that a lot too.
We still use the 116, mom and dad travel free so if the forum meets are in town, its cheaper than parking!!
Thanks for the pic.
Sue
 
Great photos. Drove all these types. Pic 1 D9, pic 2 S21, pic 3 LD8 and pic 4 another D9 in not so attractive National Bus Co. corporate livery. Great memories for this ex Digbeth Midland Red man. Thank you for posting them Ragga.

Bishopsmate, the service you mentioned was the 179 from Birmingham to Earlswood (Red Lion). No service over the route these days - that's progress!
 
1.jpg2.jpg4.jpg5.jpg7.jpg

No 1 Pershore St ?
No 2 Outside the Crown .
No 3 Outside the Old Grapes .
No 4 Pershore St ?
No 5 Smallbrook ringway .

Motorman ......they must be treasured memories for you driving all those type of buses . ........... ragga :fat:
 
chester road.jpgCooks la.jpg

Had a quick look Philbee but alls i found was these 2 but i cant see if they are the 160s
No 1 Chester road
No 2 Cooks lane i think , i dont know who the family is but they look very happy .
ragga :fat:
 
Ragga, I think you have just solveda mystery for us - there is a very old faded photo of grandad which nan alwayssaid was at the depot and from what we can see, he is holding something with a crest on I wonder if that iswhat it is? It would have been in 1942 just before he died we think.
Sue
 
View attachment 80950

Snap time motorman mike ??? bet you drank out of those a few times .......... ragga :fat:

For a good many years of my working life Ragga, although most were a bit cleaner than that one:friendly_wink:

I certainly enjoyed driving for the Red and luckily still get to drive 'real' Midland Reds for the Midland Museum of Transport at Wythall. Keep these photos coming Ragga I love 'em. In your latest batch, poor old D7 4484 must have been near withdrawal judging by its run down appearance and missing BMMO radiator griller badge! Many of the photo locations are but a memory now as well.
There is a big running day dedicated to the Midland Red coming up at Wythall on Sunday 14th of October when there will be plenty of original Midland Reds out on display, and many running, all day.
 
Last edited:
Was Digbeth the only indoor Midland Red bus station in Birmingham? My Grandad used to take me to Far Forest to see his sister when I was very young (I think it was the Ludlow service via Kidderminster and Bewdley) but I just seem to recollect boarding it in Station St. I'm probably wrong and it was Digbeth.
 
Was Digbeth the only indoor Midland Red bus station in Birmingham? My Grandad used to take me to Far Forest to see his sister when I was very young (I think it was the Ludlow service via Kidderminster and Bewdley) but I just seem to recollect boarding it in Station St. I'm probably wrong and it was Digbeth.

Digbeth was the coach station and garage. You are probably thinking of the Midland Red bus station in the Bull Ring from which all the Mildand Reds (except the Dudley Road services) ran. Before the bus station opened, the Ludlow services would have run from Navigation Street or Paradise Street.
 
Oh yes, the Midland Red bus station, I recall that well, complete with the resident tramp in the corner, who was frequently moved on!! It was a bit scary at night though, if you were by yourself and health and safety would have a field day with the fumes today!!
Fond memories though, used to get the bus to Northampton from there, not a Midland Red, but can't remember what it was, use to go out down the Cov, through Coventry and Daventry, long journey but half the price of the train!
Sue
 
As children, my brother and I would go with our Mom, once a fortnight, to Nan and Grandads. We would get the cream and blue 60 or 58 from the Wheatsheaf, Sheldon to St Martins...walk through the indoor market, where Mom would pick up Smoked Haddock for our tea and a few essentials for Nan and Grandad..then on to the Midland Red depot, which I always remember as being dark, dingy and smelly...there we would wait for the 144 out to Rubery. It seemed to us as children that the journey took forever and we were always pleased to see the island at Longbridge because we knew then that we hadnt got far to go.
We spent more time on the buses there and back than we did actually visiting..!!
The bus stop I remember the most was the one on the return journey..outside Rubery Hill !!!!
 
The Ludlow bus is shown in my 1970 timetable as the 192, which wasn't a very frequent service.
The alternative was to take the 132 to Bewdley or Kidderminster, and then the 292 to Ludlow.
The arrival time for the 132 and departure for the 292 seem to coincide, so I wonder if the 292
would have waited a short time for the 132 if it was late?

Kind regards

Dave
 
My memories of the Midland Red Bull Ring bus station as a 5 year old in the late 1960's was the entrance off Edgbaston Street where there was an ice cream stall that sold the most delicious whippy ice cream next to an instant photo booth. I was about 9 years old when I realised that whippy ice cream didn't have to have the taste of diesel fumes with it !! Even now when I have a whippy ice cream on holiday my thoughts go to the bus station.
 
Back
Top