• 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
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Midland Red at Digbeth

In 1975 during my WMPTE days at Lea Hall, we used to run from Castle Vale to Wythall Chapel Lane and also Kings Heath, 165/185 if i remember correctly. via Chelmsley, Sheldon, Shirley Maypole. We used ex Midland Red S17, LS18 ( my all time favorites ), S20,S21 and S23s then later on Nationals.
 
On late nights you wouldn't switch engine off outside Wythall Church in case it didn't start very eerie.. Chelmsley Wood North - Sheldon, Shirley Maypole 164/165/185 ..
 
On most occasions of school term days I used my bicycle, even snowy days (maybe the buses were not running or were late), but raining and very cold days I used either the 170/172 route. I remember the HHA 601 series which I believe were the originators of those routes.

I always was interested in the parking lot at Digbeth. During the daytime many relics could be seen parked there. :D At some time during WW2, most likely in the later part I recall seeing a German aircraft which had presumably been shot down and had crashed onto the roof of buildings adjacent to the entrance road to the Digbeth Garage. * I will place this later part of this post in another thread here which will be relevant to WW2 discussions.
 
A good friend. last year. loaned me a DVD of a BAMMOT Open Day. The introduction music was by the , presumably erstwhile, Midland Red Concert Orchestra. (I hope I have the name correct). I had not heard of this illustrious group beforehand and have made a couple of enquiries about them; without success. I did write to an 'Official' City history department but had no reply.

I was surprised that the Red had this organization but guessed that given the size of its workforce it might not have been so unusual. I wonder if any Forum Member belonged to the orchestra and did they make any recordings?

O am not sure where they met but posted here as I assumed it to be Digbeth or Bearwood.
 
The Midland Red Salon Orchestra was primarily part of the company's publicity 'machine', and would provide accompaniment to slide shows or (silent) films given to advertise the company's services, principally 'Coach Cruise' holidays and day & half day tours, but also "days out by bus" using the 'Day Anywhere' ticket which allowed travel on all the company's bus routes.
They also gave concerts in their own right, the name being enough to spread the Midland Red name.
For a while in the 1960s a withdrawn type C1 coach was used to transport the orchestra to and from these events, the rear seats being removed to enlarge the luggage boot space for the instrumenets.
Not all members of the orchestra were full time Midland Red employees, some were just hired for the events they attended.
 
Alan, I would love to know more about the Midland Red Salon Orchestra. The subject has been discussed briefly on the Midland Red Early Days thread (posts #166-169), but without adding much to Lloyd's previous notes.
 
Last edited:
Thank you for the replies: hopefully more may come. I had not got the Orchestras name correct: Salon would be more suitable for such a Group. The sound reminded me of The Grand Hotel , Torquay and similar places here which were large enough for a small group, usually ladies, who played during afternoon tea. ;)

I did look at the early days thread earlier this evening but gave up by Page 10 as I was due to be working at a local Heritage Railway, (yes I know, almost treasonable talk on a bus thread :D).
 
Alan, my link in post #370 will take you directly to the relevant place in the (rather large) MRED thread. As I said, there's not much more information there. But there is a lovely picture of our Lloyd driving the former orchestra C1 coach!
 
Thank you for the link. I missed it last evening: maybe a senior moment or tiredness. ;)

I remember seeing that bus and similar ones around Digbeth when I made visits to the big city. I also saw those and the newer versions of the coaches in parts of the South West of England bringing holiday makers here - and of course taking them home again.
 
Enid and I were married on August 28th 1954, on the following day my brother who had hired a car for the weekend
to us down to Digbeth Coach Station at 8 am to get the coach to St Ives in Cornwall for our honeymoon. No sure but I think the fare was £10 each return, and it took us 10 hours to get there, no motorways of course in those days, A38 all
the way.The journey together lasted until 2008 and I dont regret one minute of it. Bernard
 
Hello Bernard,
Your a very lucky chap to have found the right girl for you, lots of happy memories to keep you going. Mike.
 
Mike Bond said:
Hello Bernard,
Your a very lucky chap to have found the right girl for you, lots of happy memories to keep you going. Mike.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike I have known that for many moons, its even more amazing when you see how beautiful she was, Bernard
 
Last edited:
Stitcher, I've commented on your 1964 Corporation Street picture on the Midland Red Early Days thread.

Yes, Fashionz, strange indeed (but then it was the sixties!).
 
Yes, I noticed you had commented. I tend to get lost with all the different threads and I wondered if it was in the right place. I posted it because of the D9, not the location.
 
Many will have seen the mock up London Routemaster replacement bus known better as the 'Borismaster' due to come into production soon (Pic 1) but better looking and aleady built for testing in Macedonia (formerly in Yugoslavia) is the Skopje Routemaster (Pic 2). 202 of these are to be built in China with the odd two being open toppers. Whilst based on the London RT as much as a Routemaster, surely with the set back front axle there is a decided BMMO D9 look about this rather amazing bus. Perhaps Lloyd can produce a Midland Red computer image for us. (hint, hint):D
 
motorman-mike said:
Whilst based on the London RT as much as a Routemaster, surely with the set back front axle there is a decided BMMO D9 look about this rather amazing bus. Perhaps Lloyd can produce a Midland Red computer image for us. (hint, hint):D
Click to expand...

The Carlyle Works section of my computer has produced this Chinese-built double decker suitable for both Midland Red and London Transport...
 
This taken on what was called ( The Patch) at digbeth which was in Mill Lane and where buses were parked in the open over night etc. its an S14 bus which had single rear wheels,I drove it quite a few times.
 
ragga said:
View attachment 63470

This photo must have been taken @ digbeth with a nice looking advertisement .
I assume that it lit up @ night .......... ragga :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the memory ragga. Like john70 I drove 4671 many times, mostly on the 170/2 routes from Acocks Green to Wythall and the 173/174 routes Acocks Green to Yardley/Sheldon. As you say, the advert panels would light up from a seperate switch when the interior lights were switched on. Because of the M&B advert carried throughout it's working life it was known to all at Digbeth as 'the beer barrel'. The illuminated advert on the offside was for Park Drive Cigarettes.
 
Hello M. Mike, I am surprised more has not been posted about the Track, the 175, oh god you must remember it. We sometimes used C5s on the route.
 
Lloyd said:
The Carlyle Works section of my computer has produced this Chinese-built double decker suitable for both Midland Red and London Transport...
Click to expand...

You beat me to it Lloyd, I thought I would have a dabble and managed this (but couldn't get rid of the front entrance!)
 
Stitcher said:
Hello M. Mike, I am surprised more has not been posted about the Track, the 175, oh god you must remember it. We sometimes used C5s on the route.
Click to expand...

That's right Trevor, it could be a killer LOL. They used the 36 footers on there mostly to clear the crowds! The C5's were great for timekeeping but short on seats and hopeless for the conductor when we got a standing load.;)
 
Thank you Mike and John 70 , i was going to ask wether there was another
advertisement on the other side but i already posted it , I collected many
numbers of Midland red buses when i was little lad but i do not recall
then on the single deckers only on the double deckers .
ragga :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top