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P.S.V. Badge

Heres my badge, earned it on the "Red, but used it on B.C.T. and coaching, seems silly to me they dont have to be worn these days.
 
hello Wendy
i still have my psv badges driver and conductor i worked for midland red in the 50s and 60s from Sutton garage
Allen
 
Well gibbo I must have travelled on your bus as I lived in Sutton in the 50's and 60's I think it was the 111 qnd 110.
 
I had conductor badge DD 43529 and drivier badge DD 46925 which on the Midland Red you paid for yourself (2/6 each.). I left the Red to go on the BCT but didn't settle and went back to the Red. The BCT paid for their staff's badges so when I left them they took 5/- out of my last wages for my badges. In 1973 I went over to WMPTE with the Red work that was taken over and eventually ended up at Yardley Wood Garage in 1975 where things were much the same as in BCT days so I went back to the Red again. In true BCT tradition the PTE took 10/-(50p) out of my last wages for my badges. So thats twice extra for what was mine in the first place!
 
We have a lovely Midland Red running around Tamworth at the moment. Its to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the bus garage I belive.
 
There is to be an open day and rally at the garage on Sunday August 3rd, Wendy, to celebrate exactly 80 years of operation from there (It opened 3rd August 1928). There was an earlier garage, at Twogates, which Midland Red inherited from the grandly named North Warwickshire Motor Omnibus and Traction Co Ltd when they took them and their eight buses (two of which were in a 'dismantled condition') over in February 1918. Twogates garage stayed in Midland Red hands until 1947, after which it became the Reliant Motor Co. factory.
 
Wendy I my see it this as we are in Tamworth this weekend. Lloyd i will have to come over on the 3rd for the open day.
 
I'm sure Wythall or Aston Manor would be grateful, mike-g. Do you know it's history? Was it yours?
 
My father in law was a driving instructor with B C T at Harborne and Quinton it was in a box of stuff from his house. dont know any more about it.
 
Re: On the buses

Helllo Inspector Linnecor!!!
One of the many positions I held at WMPTE Summer Lane was PSV Licence Clerk, and it was my job to renew all the PSV and HGV Licences for the drivers and engineers in the 14 Birmingham Bus Garages, and I used to go weekly to the Traffic Commissioners in Broad Street.

In 1982, I then moved out to work as the Mileage Clerk based in the Engineers Office at Washwood Heath Garage and my boss was John Loach the Garage Engineer, with Ted Lane and Johnny Wem as the Garage Foremen

I then moved upstairs into the New Build and became the Admin Services Assistant, and worked with Olive Prosser, Jill Brewer, Karen Simkin, Anne Morley, and Teresa Freeman.

When I started in 1976 the 14 Birmingham Garages were:
Acocks Green, Cotteridge, Coventry Road, Harborne, Hockley, Lea Hall, Liverpool Street, Miller Street, Perry Barr, Quinton, Selly Oak, Sutton, Washwood Heath and Yardley Wood.
The Training School for Drivers was at Perry Barr, and the Training School for Apprentices was at Moseley Road. Sheepcote Street was used to store scrap buses, and Tyburn Road was the repair shop.
 
My father in law was a driving instructor with B C T at Harborne and Quinton it was in a box of stuff from his house. dont know any more about it.

Just reading through this thread - did you find a home for it mike? (I only ask as I like to hear the end of stories).
Polly :)
 
Yes Polly, I gave it to Aston Mannor when we went on the No11 route.
 
Hi folks!
Do any of you remember Jack Leadbetter who worked at Wahwood Heath Garage? He was my great uncle and lived round the corner in Limetree Road. I think he might have been a mechanic. He probably retired in the 60s.
Cheers,
Stan
 
Mrs thatcher did more than abolish the traffic commissioners, she destroyed a dedicated and hard working profession, and ushered in a caiotic and unrelaiable system which was more concerned with profit than service, with bus's driven by people, some of whom should not have had licences to push wheel barrows.
 
Are there any other ex Washwood heath drivers out there.My name is Jeff Bode,i was there in the 80's,and moved to Yardley wood just before the garage shut.It was a great place to work,and we all had to put up with Ron Daly,what a wind up.
 
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