Old Broadmarsh bus station


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Don't forget the Tower pub. Me and me mate used to go round there at closing time just top watch them trying to fight each other. They were often so drunk they would throw a punch and end up on the fl

61 was the original 1952 Clifton service, which was progressively extended along Southchurch Drive as the estate grew, eventually terminating at Green Lane. 61A was introduced shortly afterwards as a

I can still smell the exhaust fumes, fag smoke & piss    

There are a number of photos of it on Picture the Past; there are also quite a lot of photos on various bus threads here on Nottstalgia.

Also quite a few photos of it on this flickr site which I've linked to many times http://www.flickr.com/photos/8050359@N07/sets/72157603923450406/

There were two distinct versions of the old Broad Marsh bus station. The horse shoe-shaped layout, and the later parallel-platform layout which existed for a few later years. Both are shown in the various sites mentioned.

Not brilliant because the resolution isn't very sharp, but you get the idea.........

This is the early horse-shoe station

marsh1-2.jpg

And this is the later parallel platform version

marsh2-2.jpg

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In the horse-shoe place they came out of the station on New Bridge Street (along to the left), but in the parallel version they came out where they went in - almost.

BTW....simply doing a Google Image Search of Broad Marsh Bus Station brings up all kinds of photos from various times in the past.

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I believe there were two versions of the horseshoe layout - or rather, the buses circulated in two distinctly different ways, [rior to the parallel platform layout.

BTW - going back to the other part of the original question, the companies using it were NCT/West Bridgford/South Notts for their joint services to Clifton, plus Barton's services going out over Trent Bridge to various villages in south east Notts (e.g. Plungar/Redmile, Stathern, Long Clawson, Keyworth, Kinoulton/Hickling, also the 14 to Ruddington.) However I'm not sure but have a feeling that Barton's Melton Mowbray (2) and Leicester (12) services started from Huntingdon Street.

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The later parallel platform version must have had a short life. Presumably it was altered so that work could commence on the Broad Marsh Centre.

Does anyone know any dates when the old bus station was closed and the new one opened?

Also, was the new bus station open before the shopping centre, or did the whole lot open together?

I've seen countless views of the old bus station but never any looking across at it from Canal Street, does anyone know of any?

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I believe there were two versions of the horseshoe layout - or rather, the buses circulated in two distinctly different ways, [rior to the parallel platform layout.

True, I vaguely remember it. In the early version buses parked clockwise inside the horse-shoe, and the later, longer-lasting version where they went anti-clockwise outside the horseshoe.

The later parallel platform version must have had a short life. Presumably it was altered so that work could commence on the Broad Marsh Centre.

That's it. I know it existed for a couple of years around 69-70 but I don't remember exactly when it was there.

Also, was the new bus station open before the shopping centre, or did the whole lot open together?

The new (current) bus station opened some time before the shopping centre. Not sure of dates but I remember to get to the bus station you had to go along the tunnel under Collin Street because the route through the shopping centre hadn't yet been opened.

As for photos from across Canal Street....that's an interesting point because I'd never realised before, but I've never seen one either.

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Best I can do is this photo which I put on another thread, which shows a West Bridgford bus just turning onto Canal Street.

WestBridgford31atBroadMarsh1960s_zps3c62

Regarding Barton's route 2 to Melton Mowbray, here's a photo of AEC Reliance no. 777 at Broad Marsh. But whether it started at Huntingdon St and then called at Broad Marsh I can't remember. Sorry for the poor colour. This would have been taken in either 1969 or 1970.

c7d0b674-7b06-4928-b0ec-2cafd67d386f_zps

Barton's route 12 to Leicester did start from Huntingdon St. Here's an example of a service leaving that bus station - AEC Reliance no. 1129. This can be dated to 1969, as the vehicle was acquired that year from Stanhope Motor Services of Frosterley in County Durham. It was still in its previous owners colours which is why it's not the usual Barton livery.

Barton1129atHuntingdonSt1960s_zpsfb65bee

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Done the Mace films to death now but 2 mins into this 1958 film and after the Palais shot , is a view up to M&S ???

Completely forgotten that huge space like that .

http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/Title/pole-city/MediaEntry/46110.html

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That's an interesting clip because it shows a lot of places you don't normally see in the usual films.

The view up to M & S is indeed Lister Gate. The big empty space was the site of the Collins Almshouses, although they'd gone by the time I ever knew the area and by then it was a car park - as it is in the film.

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They seem to have occupied their own 'island', but there were other streets which have now been lost. The name Collin Street has been preserved, almost in the same location; and for a reference point, the building I've marked with a red dot is the current "Ocean" nightclub.

canal.jpg

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Well thanks for that, it shows the old bus station very well.

Is it possible to read the name of the two small streets to the left of New Bridge Street which linked it to Carrington St?

I have a book entitled 'Buses in the Sixties' which has a picture dated June 1969, suggesting that buses entered Broad Marsh by New Bridge St. at that time, although the perspectives are very difficult to discern. If this was the case, it must have been a very short lived phase during the redevelopment of Broad Marsh because as was stated earlier, New Bridge St. was the exit until the parallel platform arrangement by the viaduct was introduced.

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I believe there were two versions of the horseshoe layout - or rather, the buses circulated in two distinctly different ways, [rior to the parallel platform layout.

BTW - going back to the other part of the original question, the companies using it were NCT/West Bridgford/South Notts for their joint services to Clifton, plus Barton's services going out over Trent Bridge to various villages in south east Notts (e.g. Plungar/Redmile, Stathern, Long Clawson, Keyworth, Kinoulton/Hickling, also the 14 to Ruddington.) However I'm not sure but have a feeling that Barton's Melton Mowbray (2) and Leicester (12) services started from Huntingdon Street.

Just realised - Midland General also used Broad Marsh - the A1 to Ripley via Basford, Eastwood and Heanor started there, and also called at Huntingdon Street (didn't go into the bus station) - this was the service that was previously trolleybuses, but they started from Queen Street. Then there were the F2 Ilkeston via Basford, Kimberley and Awsworth, and F4 Hucknall Beauvale Estate via Basford, Larkfield Estate and Watnall.

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Very interesting thread. During 1968 I had a girlfriend in Clifton and used to get the bus (I think 61) from Broadmarsh. I remember the modern NCT Daimlers took you over Clifton Bridge more directly, and the WBUDC brown buses and South Notts (all low bridge types with side passage upstairs) went via West Bridgford and had the A added to the number. I am trying to remember the type of buses involved but trouble is, when you are in love (or think you are) you only think of one thing, and it aint the type of bus that you're travelling on.

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All three companies - NCT, South Notts, and West Bridgford - shared the routes which went over Trent Bridge; only NCT went over Clifton Bridge.

There were 5 route numbers to Clifton, 61, 61a, 66, 67 and 68; the A wasn't added because of the Trent Bridge link, it was a different route. It was a weird system because the 61a took a totally different path to the 61 once they got into Clifton; it was almost as though they had simply run out of numbers.

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Like I said, I had a woman on my mind. And at the age of 17 it just cut everything else out. I can remember the noise when those sliding doors on the South Notts buses closed. It sounded like a wet f--t.

Funny thing, five years later, I was driving similar buses, AEC Trojans? and Leyland TDs with folding doors and also the rear entrance models. The Leylands had a push button door control and on the AECs it was a lever. These were the Green and orange buses of Glasgow Corporation.

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Don't forget the Tower pub. Me and me mate used to go round there at closing time just top watch them trying to fight each other. They were often so drunk they would throw a punch and end up on the floor. Bless 'em.

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Don't forget the Tower pub. Me and me mate used to go round there at closing time just top watch them trying to fight each other. They were often so drunk they would throw a punch and end up on the floor. Bless 'em.

There's an old thread on the subject http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7887&page=1

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61 was the original 1952 Clifton service, which was progressively extended along Southchurch Drive as the estate grew, eventually terminating at Green Lane. 61A was introduced shortly afterwards as a variant that was extended progressively along Farnborough Road, the final terminus being Glenloch Drive. The 66 was a short version of 61 finishing at Southchurch Drive/Rivergreen. 67 was an extended version down Green Lane to Langstrath Road, and the 68 an extended version along Southchurch Drive and right into Farnborough Road to Pastures Avenue. The 61 and 66 became rush hour only short journeys, the main all-day service being 61A, 67 and 68. All of these were via Trent Bridge and Wilford Lane, joint with West Bridgford and South Notts (with low height buses needed for the GCR bridge). However when Clifton Bridge was built the same numbers were used (NCT only) - defining the route in Clifton estate, but not how it would get there!

Other "A" suffix route variations were 4A and 5A (Beeston via Castle Boulevard instead of Derby Road as the 4 and 5 did); 15A a variation on the West Bridgford Wolds Estate 15; 16A same as 16 Bilborough as far as Aspley Lane/Beechdale Road, but then extended along Strelley Road and Bilborough Road to the Balloon Houses cross roads; 25 was a circular route - out to Westdale Lane via Carlton Road and back via Breckhill Road and Mansfield Road, while the 25A went the other way round the circuit (and 25B was not circular, but both out and back via Carlton Road). I gather from photos that the 9 Mapperley at first went up Carlton Road, turning left up Thorneywood Lane (now Porchester Road), and that the later route up Gordon Road was at first a 9A.

Well, that should have you all nodding off nicely!

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61 was the original 1952 Clifton service...

But don't forget that, in another way of looking at things, the original original Clifton service was the existing South Notts service to Gotham, East Leake and Loughborough, which went along Clifton Lane before the estate existed.

Always referred to as the 'Main Road buses'.

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