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No 12 BUS ROUTE

Local History

master brummie
We have recently come into possession of a picture taken in 1957 of a no. 12 bus in the city centre. What has us perplexed is the destination board 'Oakworth and Bartley Green'. Can anyone shed a light on where Oakworth could be or was? Many thanks.
 
definatly the bartley green bus well from 55/64 anyway, never heard of oakworth or seen a sighn for it would travel regularly between town and bartley green via harborne.
paul
 
I don,t know this route but if it went via Harborne we have Harborne Oak Rd and the Oak pub could Oakworth be in that area. Dek
 
Any chance of posting a copy of the picture? Seeing the style of destination blind would help to identify it.
 
Apologies for not getting back to all those that responded to my query, here is the photo. It says Oakworth and Bartley Green.
No 12 bus.JPG
 
It says
CALIFORNIA AND
BARTLEY GREEN

and was well known because Birmingham buses went to CALIFORNIA and Midland Red went to HOLLYWOOD (although in different directions)!
 
California was Weoley Castle, back in the 50's & 60's, this included Barns Hill, and part of Stonehouse lane (Roses cafe), which it stopped at during its route to Bartley green via Harborne.
paul
 
Yep definitely Bartley Green. Used to go out with a girl who lived by the terminus. Had to get on the No 12 to take her home, then get back into town and get the 65 home. Don't think you could get two suburbs further apart.
 
I am struggling to get California from the blind - though I have tried to clarify and sharpen the photo - but neither can I agree that it is Oakworth as the first letter does not look to be an 'O' were it to be shown in full. Over to you guys sorry.



Bernie
 
California would be the logical thing for it to read but I agree that it seems to end in "worth". First part I can't make out at all....
 
I am currently playing around with the parts of the name I can make out using word but not having much luck so far. The photo is a good one but will only stand so much magnification as I discovered.. We will get there.
 
I lived in both Bartley Green, and Weoley Castle, for some 16 years, catching this bus more or less daily for that time, never at any time did I see the reported name on the destination blind, but many times I saw California, because the bus stopped there!! I have looked at a map of the local and nowhere within a 5 mile radius could I find a hamlet or village anywhere near this bus route with a name coming near "Oakworth".
paul
 
"OAKWORTH" has never appeared on a Birmingham bus blind. Believe me, it is "CALIFORNIA"!
 
I too travelled on this bus daily and I always thought it said Harborne and Bartley Green, but for the life of me I can't decipher it to read Harborne.
 
I had better go to Specsavers then Lloyd as from what I see the bottoms of the letters [even enlarged further] do not add up to either as far as I can see.
 
I must agree at a quick look it does appear to say something like Oakworth. Wow! BCT buses going to Yorkshire. lol

I must agree with LLoyd that is says California. However, I don't recall California being on BCT blinds prior to 1954 (the year I left Warwickshire), and was surprised to later learn that there was a California in Birmingham. Oh! yes, I knew of Hollywood: I has an uncle who lived there.
 
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