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The Outer Circle

Love the photos post 114. In the 2nd photo, is that the slot on the side of the bus where the yellow/orange indicator used to pop up? Remember seeing them through the window if you were sitting in one of the front seats. Always fascinated me. Also remember the brown pleated blind that used to be pulled down in the driver's cab. And of course the 'no spitting' signs. Yuk! Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Love the photos post 114. In the 2nd photo, is that the slot on the side of the bus where the yellow/orange indicator used to pop up? Remember seeing them through the window if you were sitting in one of the front seats. Always fascinated me. Also remember the brown pleated blind that used to be pulled down in the driver's cab. And of course the 'no spitting' signs. Yuk! Viv.
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Yes Viv, they were known as "trafficators" lots of vehicles had them at the time. Interestingly the "No Spitting" signs have vanished over the course of time.

Simon
 
I seem to remember my mum telling me that the 'no spitting' signs were on buses to help prevent from TB infection when it was a common disease. Viv.
 
Some of the trams in Manchester had that notice above an advert for another local form of transport:

NO SPITTING
Use the Manchester Ship Canal.
 
Above top deck front windows on the right hand side (looking in the direction the bus was traveling) there was a notice on all Devon General buses which said "driver below do not stamp feet". Naturally youngsters would alter this by removing the letter D in driver.
 
Radiorails said:
Above top deck front windows on the right hand side (looking in the direction the bus was traveling) there was a notice on all Devon General buses which said "driver below do not stamp feet". Naturally youngsters would alter this by removing the letter D in driver.
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Remember it well Alan, sometimes the ST in stamp was altered to D as well. I lived in Ashburton then Buckfastleigh for a while in the early 1950's and used the Devon General a lot then.
 
I used to use the #11 bus when I was 11/12 years old 1951/2 (Giving secrets away here) Catch it at Six Ways Erdington to Vicarage Road Kings Heath. I had a friend that used to live by me in Erdington whose family moved to Vicarage Road to run a bread and cake shop called the "Oven Door". I missed my mate, so every 6 weeks or so, I used to make the journey to see him. Happy days. One day I will take the bus again for the full tour.
 
I knew several conductors on the outer circle, and I remember that their waybills were marked
outer ring or inner ring, equating to 11C or 11A, but of course they didn't use the A or C in those days.
The full route took approximately 2 1/2 hours, but the outer ring took 5 minutes longer than the inner ring.
I loved the outer circle route, and walked right round it on 2 occasions in the 1950's. I wouldn't
want to do it now!

Happy days!

Kind regards

Dave
 
My father worked at all of the bus garages in Birmingham as a maintenance plumber after the second world war and retired in the late 70s. I remember Tyburn Road, Perry Barr, Quinton, Yardley Wood, Kitts Green, Coventry Road, Acocks Green and Digbeth. I remember the pantomines at Perry Barr and Summer parties at the Stadium in Billesley. We also used to go on day trips from the Old Sqaure near Lewis's or the Hall of Remembrance in Broad St.
 
I missed this thread when we were planning our first Historic Outer Circle Tour on 11-11-11. But we are taking a 1953 Birmingham City Transport Guy Arab IV (no 2976) round the Outer Circle twice in September (2013). The bus is from The Transport Museum at Wythall who always give us a great deal of support. All surplus monies from the tours are given to charities. You can find out more at www.OuterCircleBus.com
 
My mom and dad often used to take me on the outercircle in the 50's. I remember once there was a calypso bandplaying on the front seats upstairs who played continuously around the whole route. Another time we were joined upstairs by a gang of teddy boys with bloodstained clothes. One had a hammer hanging out of the pocket of his drapes. Happy days!!!
 
My daughter was telling her partner to take his boys round on the No 11 - pack a picnic and play I Spy, Find the Alphabet in car numbers, Mam used to take us for the day out and we loved it, never cost too much either - she said she felt sorry for his boys not knowing about where the no 11 went! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!!!
 
When I was a kid in the early sixties we used to travel from Handsworth to Acocks Green on the 11 to visit my great aunt. We would arrive at the bus stop in Rookery Road towards Perry Barr and keep a look out for which direction bus came along first. If the bus going towards Winson Green came first we would quickly cross over and get on that one as our destination was exactly halfway round.
 
ricklangley said:
When I was a kid in the early sixties we used to travel from Handsworth to Acocks Green on the 11 to visit my great aunt. We would arrive at the bus stop in Rookery Road towards Perry Barr and keep a look out for which direction bus came along first. If the bus going towards Winson Green came first we would quickly cross over and get on that one as our destination was exactly halfway round.[/QUOTE

that was good thinking rick...and i guess you did the same thing coming back...welcome to the forum..

lyn
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Did anyone watch the short BBC Series "WPC 56" about the first WPC in Birmingham ? The opening sequence in the first episode showed a No. 11 Bus with its destination board saying "City". Someone not done their homework ?
 
Hi Chris
I never seen the first episode of this short film about the police officer on the number 11 bus
But if my memory serves me correctly there was a programs or a film it was many years ago about a police officer travelling
Around on the 11 bus I think it was in the seventys when I seen this programs can anybody ever recalling a such programs
I would have to see it myself to confirm to myself its the same film
Best wishes astonian,,,,,,,
 
Astonian, nice to renew acquaintance,

WPC 56 was a fictional series set in 1956 and was shown very recently in 5 one hour episodes over 5 consecutive afternoons on BBC 1. I think that the bus in the opening sequences was the wrong vintage and the conductor's ticket machine was the type used on Midland Red and not Bham Corp buses.
The series was well worth watching as a period piece, vehicles, police uniforms, locations, sometimes rather overdone Brummie accents and so on. It also highlighted what male chauvinistic pigs we blokes were in those days !! I'm sure they will repeat it and there is a write up on Wikipedia.
Kind regards
Christopher
 
Hi Chris
I have reason to believe going on the merit of what you have said being set in the 1956 ,period and midland red and not corporation bus
We was living in kingedwards red Ladywood at this period and doing regular runs around the outer circle every other Sundays and alterniateing
To the in circle route of the number eight bus around circle there was quite area of us at that time and then may be we would go the other way around the circle
But getting back to the outer circle run I am recalling 1957 when we was doing these trips
And it came to light one day during this period the TV announced a programs saying some thing about a police officer doing a round on the
Outer circle may be some think like sight seeing on the 11 bus or travelling around and looking
I just cannot recall the actual title ,but when we heard about it we discussed it and wondered what they will show us and we was very Intrigued
And we all said we will stop in and not meet up to see this film about the police officer travelling around on the bus
And we watched it wed was completely disgusted with it because as you say it was not we thought we might see and even then
That's ain't right because it was not the original number 11 bus travelling around and as you said it was a midland red
So it must have been that period of the 1956 /7 period and not in the seventys as I have previulsly said
That's the period we travelled on that 11 bus and we would pay a tanner all the way around for that privalige 6 d pence old money
And threepence 3 d old money for the inner circle bus all the way around back to Ladywood
Its sounds very much like what you say that's the same film
I have some one whom can get hold. Of that film so I will let you know sooner or later if its the same
Best wishes astonian,,,
 
Sakura said:
I remember friends going around the No 11 route from Handsworth for a trip out, I guess a lot of our families didn't have cars and mom's just wanted to get rid of the kids for a while. Can you imagine, kids being allowed to do that now, maybe they do!

I used to travel on the No 70 and then change at Hockley Brook onto the No 8 to go to the skating rink several times a week. :)
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My dad drove the number 70 on occasion. I also remember in the 80s where the buses charged kids 2p and you could go anywhere, we went on the number 11 and did two or three trips in one day, it was great!
 
I kept promising myself to do the entire route on the No 11 bus . Alas I got distracted what with work and then of course the girls . Never did manage it
 
kraggy said:
My dad drove the number 70 on occasion. I also remember in the 80s where the buses charged kids 2p and you could go anywhere, we went on the number 11 and did two or three trips in one day, it was great!
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I also recall the 20p go anywhere ticket. I My friend at work, who was in his late twenty’s had a very boyish look and was able to get away with asking for a 20p ticket
 
Di.Poppitt said:
A Sunday afteroon outing was a ride on the number 11 bus round the outer circle. I can't remember how long it took but it was usually tea time when we got home. We never got off the bus, we would have had to pay again to get home, and none of the shops were open anyway. :D
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Di.Poppitt said:
A Sunday afteroon outing was a ride on the number 11 bus round the outer circle. I can't remember how long it took but it was usually tea time when we got home. We never got off the bus, we would have had to pay again to get home, and none of the shops were open anyway. :D
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I caught the Outer Circle 11 bus in Perry Barr to Soho Road to attend Handsworth Tech, but then switched to riding there on my bike so that I could head directly to the newsagent's after school to begin my delivery, which included Westminster Rd., Stamford Rd., Hutton Rd., Crompton Rd. and others. The newsagent was on Heathfield Rd. My Dad was the police inspector of the station in Perry Barr.
 
Hi Pat,

I seem to remember that the Outer Circle took around 2 1/2 hours to go right round,
and that the outer ring was about a mile longer than the inner ring.

In the 1950's I walked the whole route on 2 occasions, - I wouldn't want to do it now!

Kind regards
Dave
 
Never did the outer 11 route, but did the inner circle quite often most Sunday mornings while my nan got the dinner ready, only took an hour to go all the way round and only cost 6d...
 
When I was 7 we usually made a weekly visit to an aunt in Perry Barr. Sometimes my mom and aunt wanted a 'grown up' chat and got rid of me, my sister, and cousin for 2 hours by sending us on the Outer Circle bus round trip. We caught the bus in Aston Lane and always chose the clockwise route.
 
Dave89 said:
Hi Pat,

I seem to remember that the Outer Circle took around 2 1/2 hours to go right round,
and that the outer ring was about a mile longer than the inner ring.

In the 1950's I walked the whole route on 2 occasions, - I wouldn't want to do it now!

Kind regards
Dave
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I walked the Outer Circle route from Wellington Road in the mid 80's for the Walkathon charity thing they used to have, was fine up until the Swan Yardley - about half way I think - it started to get more telling after that and I had to grit my teeth for the final mile or two! I did it though.
Oh how I wish I could walk that distance now!
 
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