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Birmingham Bus On the Outer Circle On The 11-11-11

Article on the Birmingham Mail site

Share your memories as part of National Express West Midlands celebration of the legendary Numer 11

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IT has inspired musicians, attracted tourists and kept everyday Brummies on the move for generations.
Now travel firm National Express West Midlands want Birmingham Mail readers to share their memories of the world famous Number 11 Outer Circle Bus.
It is part of an event to coincide with November 11 which this year will be the 11/11/11.
Operating since 1926, the Number 11 is Europe’s longest local bus service covering a marathon 26 miles, passing 19 shopping centres, six hospitals, over 40 pubs and 233 schools colleges and universities.
Peter Coates, interim managing director, National Express West Midlands, said: “We are very proud of our world-famous Number 11 service.
“It has inspired hit music and carried some of Birmingham’s most famous faces but more importantly it provides thousands of local people with daily travel to work, college and hospital appointments.
“It is easy to see why families in the 1930s spent days out on the Number 11, you see some famous places as well as getting a great feel for the real Birmingham, the small parish churches, the neighbourhood parks, the suburban local pubs and other symbols of the city’s everyday life.
“Put simply, anyone who wants to see the real Birmingham can do so from the Number 11.”
For some drivers, the landmark service is more than just a route – it’s is a career.
Jimmy Brown has been carrying passengers on the 26-mile trip since 1970 and is the Number 11’s longest serving driver.
He said: “It is great to be part of something that is as famous as the number 11.
“Although the route has stayed the same, some things have changed quite a lot like the amount of traffic around the city and the development of buildings like the amazing QE hospital.
“On the route you really get to see so much of Birmingham from the recognisable University in Selly Oak and Cadbury World in Bournville to some of the region’s only remaining prefabs in Moseley.”
FAST FACTS

THE Number 11 Outer Circle has played a part in Birmingham’s heritage for generations since its inception in 1926.
The famous bus route which covers 266 stops over 26 miles.
The Number 11 inspired music from Duran Duran to Jethro Tull.
It is rumoured Simon Le Bon wrote the hit Hungry Like the Wolf on the route between Perry Barr and Kings Heath.
Martin Barre of Jethro Tull wrote the instrumental piece The Outer Circle about his many journeys on the service.
Passengers can also sample the Birmingham’s literary heritage on the route which passes the former homes of JRR Tolkien and W.H Auden. Other famous residents to live along the route include former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy Osbourne.
In the 1930s the Number 11 became a tourist attraction in its own right.
Bank Holiday trips carried families all the way around the 26-mile route. The tourists were named by locals as All Rounders.
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Will talk to mom and dad and contribute to this horsencart, they spent many hours travelling on the 11 and I have very fond memories - and hates - when using it during my training at Selly Oak!
Must try to post the pic of mom n dad on the 11 at Aston Manor.
Sue
 
The Birmingham Mail has published an article about the no 11 bus route letters readers have sent them in

Memories of Birmingham's No.11 bus route come flooding back

READERS have been writing in their droves to share memories of Birmingham’s iconic No.11 bus after an appeal in the Birmingham Mail.
Ahead of a special celebration of the Outer Circle service in the run up to November 11 - this year 11/11/11 - operator National Express West Midlands called on our readers to reveal the role world famous No.11 has played in their lives.
From former drivers to those who enjoyed day trips on the 26 mile route as children, the No.11 is a hot bed of happy memories for Brummies.
Val Dunkley, from Yardley, spent many hours riding the whole route as a child and said: “It was a good way of spending a few hours on a rainy day, riding all the way round the route for the princely sum of one shilling.
“A ride on the No.11 was an education in itself. Long may this service continue.”
Stuart Manning, a former Cadbury worker, said: “I travelled the route regularly to and from Bournville Green.
“As the buses on the service at that time were double decker haldcabs (Gray Arab and Daimlers) this makes the recall of the time more nostalgic.”
Brendan Shields travelled the route with his brother sitting behind their uncle who was a driver on the No.11.
He said: “We were both of primary school age and saw this as a great adventure.
“We sat in seats just behind the driver and our Uncle Pat pointed out places of interest as he drove the bus.
“Our mom was waiting at the top of Reservoir Road as we tumbled excitedly off with memories that are still vivid nearly 50 years later.”
Anthony Davies, from Stirchley, said riding around the Outer Circle was an ‘adventure’.
He said: ‘‘We used to get on the 11 in Fordhouse Lane, Stirchley, take a bottle of water and a piece of bread and go all around the route.
“To us children in those days it was fantastic to be able to see parts of Birmingham we would never have seen.
“The children of today would laugh at us now, but to us it was an incredible adventure and it was a trip we never forgot.”
We still want to hear of your experiences of the legendary No.11.
Whether you use it for work or leisure, tell us what role the service has played in your life.
Email your memories to number11@nationalexpress.com or letters@birminghammail.net or contact reporter Matt Lloyd on 07825 11 44 11.
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Carl Chinn will give a talk on a historic no 11 bus

Historian Carl Chinn to give special talk aboard a vintage bus on Birmingham's legendary Number 11 Outer Circle bus route

PROFESSOR Carl Chinn will be sharing his memories of Birmingham’s legendary Number 11 bus as Birmingham Mail readers continue fill our postbag with their own tales.

The popular historian will give a talk and hold a question and answer session aboard a vintage bus next Monday starting from Aston Hall at 11am.

With his own fond memories of childhood journeys he will recount why the Number 11 has been important to him and to the heritage of Birmingham.

Carl said: “The Number 11, and the Number 8, are both icons of Birmingham, particularly for working class people.

“We’ve all got memories of the Number 11 and for me it was always about going from Hall Green to Stechford to go to the swimming baths.

“I’ll be talking about my own personal memories and how transport used to be a part of municipal pride.”

Starting at Aston Hall the vintage bus will travel to Erdington, Stechford, Yardley and back to Aston taking around an hour.

Carl added: “It will really give me a chance to talk about the Number 11 and the history of those places.”

n As well as a small invited audience, we’re asking Birmingham Mail readers to go along for Carl’s talk.

You must be able to get to Aston Hall by 11am on Monday morning and have an hour to spare. To register an interest email matt.lloyd@birminghammail.net or call 0121 234 5323.

n Send your memories of the No. 11 bus to letters@birminghamail.net
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Read More https://www.birminghammail.net/news...ircle-bus-route-97319-29707245/#ixzz1cg3fSElH
 
GOOD MORNING JOY RIDERS
On the subject of the number eleven bus ;which i used to ride every sunday afternoon for
six pennies with a gang of us from ladywood and king edwards rd
whom two was the sons of the local chimney sweep we used to go around the out circle all the
because last night i was at the triplex factory in cotteridege and whilst driving
i got behind a numer eleven bus and at the top of the rear of the bus
it states this bus runs every eight minutes interval ;
is that true or not ; because years ago it was probaly every i hour and a half before you got
a climpse of the bus to catch ; such happy memories of that route and we all waited in vain to grab those two front seats when ever the front passenger decided to get of the bus
happy joy riding guys ; best wishes astonian
 
It does run every 8 minutes or so Astonian. One thing I noticed when I used it earlier this year is that if a bus is running behind time it becomes "unload only" so doesn't pick up passengers again until it recovers its time. The bus behind (which is often right behind the late running bus) picks up people so they don't have too long to wait.
 
My Mom had a friend in Davey Road Perry Barr and she would take me and my sister there once a week and we would play with the friends daughter and when my Mom and her friend wanted an afternoon chat, they would often send us kids aged about 10 for a trip completely round Brum on the Outer Circle bus - got rid of us for two or more hours. We always seemed to go the anti-clockwise way towards Handsworth and someone recently told me that the drivers had a favourite direction to go round - unfortunately I've forgotten what it was...:rolleyes:
 
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hi oldmowhawk
yes we as lads there would be about six of us tavel the outer circle every week on the sunday
afternoon ; alternive weeks for a tanner 2 hours and thirty minutes
then we would do the same on the inner ccle eight alternated
that also cost us three penies bit and ater we go into the botanicle gardens
and walk through the hot house and the gardensloking for old masons pop bottles and take them back so we could buy some sweets on the way down monument rd there used to be a news agent come sweet shop just before the edgbaston picture house and more or less just past the ivy bush pub
on the oppersite side of the rd where we would spend our pennies if we got lucky finding the posh peoples or middle

class familys whom brought there kids and there bottles of pop and left the empty bottles on the grass failing in not finding the bottles we would go scrumping up westfield rd and get plenty of pears or apples
we was chased off afew times thou as i was knew with the gang and the area i used to panick
as i soon relized this was wrong and i stopped going with them best wishes astonian
 
These days on Sunday's it's every 20 minutes. Not sure if it's every 8 minutes Monday to Saturday's currently. It is quite unreliable after 5pm, when they send some of the buses back to the garage. Most but not all 11C/A bus stops have that digital display showing you when the next 3 buses are due (think it might be from the timetable not sure it's acurate). They used to show things on the TV they have on the bus, but it doesn't appear to be on any more (assume that the CCTV is still running).
 
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