Buses in Nottingham

[rob237 89]

As a frequent user, might I suggest that the service which ran to Cinderhill was the 41 - from Trent Bridge.

To a young lad the turning of the 'trackless' at the Bell's Lane/Nuthall Road roundabout was a sight full of wonderment with the conductor pulling the rod to activate the overhead pointwork enabling the vehicle to turn tightly around the roundabout, which was about 5% the diameter of today's monstrosity!

Regular entanglement of the poles often ensued, requiring the use of the special re-railing pole which was located in a tube stored along the length of the trolley.

The 37's route was King Street to Haydn Road.

The wires certainly ran all the way to Ripley, and the MGO - in their dark blue livery - trackless service was the A1.

Link to an excellent site on the "Ripley Rattlers", in their pre war form as trams:

http://uk.geocities.com/jg4fun2001/contents.html

Especially recommend their Rattler Trail section which refers to the Alpine Street, Basford tram disaster of 1917 - in which, apparently, many perished.

That section also has some interesting pics of buildings on the route.

Further claim to fame for the Nottingham - Ripley service was that it was mentioned by Eastwood's DH Lawrence in a couple of his novels, and several of his short stories. Specifically recall a Lawrence reference to 'Dark Lane' which took the trams behind Cinderhill Park, adjacent to the modern day college, and is pictured on their site.

Cheers

Robt P.

[Ayupmeducks 1,728]

My late Mother used to be a conductress for Nottm City Transport in the mid 1940's towards the end of WW2. She was only about five foot tall and on the trolley buses.

One tale she told me years back was when the poles came off the rails, the drivers wouldn't get out to assist the conductors, she being short and light in weight, often ended up elevated off the ground, with a helpful passenger or passer by grabbing her and hauling her back to ground level!!

Travelled on many trolleybuses or as me Mam used to call them Trackless's".

[rob237 89]

Talbot Street/Hanley Street:

Having recently visited the Talbot Street area, for the first time in more than 40 years, I was reminded of the NCT buses (Services 1,7 and 22) which formerly terminated on the sloping Hanley Street.

Due to the steep incline there, it was usual practice to place a wooden block (shaped like a cheese wedge, kept in the drivers cab and attached to a chain) beneath the front offside wheel whilst stationary and loading.

Notice there is a 1950's picture, elsewhere on the Forums, of a No 1 standing at Hanley Street - but unusually devoid of it's block!

Wasn't this system in use throughout the City? ...... especially in the more hilly areas such as those Carlton routes, off Porchester Road and also some Sherwood terminii stops.

Anyone recall where else the blocks were regularly used?

Cheers

Robt P.

[rob237 89]

My late Mother used to be a conductress for Nottm City Transport in the mid 1940's towards the end of WW2. She was only about five foot tall and on the trolley buses.

One tale she told me years back was when the poles came off the rails, the drivers wouldn't get out to assist the conductors, she being short and light in weight, often ended up elevated off the ground, with a helpful passenger or passer by grabbing her and hauling her back to ground level!!

Travelled on many trolleybuses or as me Mam used to call them Trackless's".

Certainly true that the regular disconnection of the poles from the wires caused much all round entertainment and mirth !rotfl!

During the mid 50's I remember riding on a city-bound 41 on Alpine Street, when a pole came off with such violence that it finished up embedded in the roof of a nearby building!

The present day Health & Safety Executive Mafia would have had a fit.....

Cheers

Robt P.

[hawarden 7]

Does anyone have any information about a Nottingham play called "Ow'd yer tight!" about Nottingham buses and conductors? I think it was written by a Nottingham Evening Post columnist, Emrys Bryson? It was put on at the Nottingham Playhouse in the late 1960s early 1970s. Emrys also wrote a book "A Portrait of Nottingham" which I have a copy, a great read. It has a chapter called "As she spoke" and is a wonderful collection of Nottingham speak! "Worri wi is sen" " Mik it gu backkuds" etc. . . .

[edthefolkie 6]

Hi Hawarden, actually I do know something about this. It's just the title of the 1965 show (and later book) and there wasn't much about buses in it!

I ought to have gone to see the show but didn't although I was in the Playhouse Club at the time, and had seen the young Ian McKellen in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, also other plays. I was probably short of cash as I was only 18! 'Owd Yer Tight featured John Neville and Ronald Magill (later of Emmerdale) who also directed the show. I don't recognise most of the other players but they were regulars in the 1960s.

Emrys Bryson did a little book, based on the show, also called 'Owd Yer Tight and I bought it for my dad in 1967. He gave it back to me before he died. It's a combination of much of the stuff later to appear in "Portrait of Nottingham" and lots of doggerel and jokes. The "Notts as she is spoke" bits are there as is some vintage smut. One can just about work out which bits were in the play - I wonder if somebody at the Playhouse has a script? I suppose you could define the show as "That Was The City That Was".

Part of the introduction consists of this gem by Donald Cotton:

Floreat Arboretum!

Et Jessicus Booticus

Playing fields of Long Eaton

And Spartan Barton Bus.

All of these have come to mean

Nottingham - the Midland Queen.

Floreat Arboretum!

Most blessed of central parks;

This plot, this other Eden,

And similar remarks.

Where sheep may graze, all unattacked

But yet do not, in point of fact.

Eternal city on the Trent!

Thy image never fails

To warm the heart

Flung far apart

Beyond thy plastic pails.

O, God, to see the gasworks come

Across the moon at Nottingham!

Stands Woolworths where it used to be? (No! Ed)

And are there kippers still for tea?

Floreat Arboretum!

The bells are not so rare

In summer time on Bredon

As in the Market Square.

When East meets West, the bit between

Is Nottingham - the Midlands Queen.

The first night was in the presence of the Lord Mayor, his lady, Lord Goodman and Jennie Lee, the Minister for the Arts. I don't know what Alderman Derbyshire thought of the featured quote from Mr Arthur Seaton - "I'd put all them fat-gutted councillors in the castle and blow them all sky-high together."

[BulwellBrian 107]

Since finding this forum I have been thinking of my years in Nottingham, one thing I remember is the variety of buses colours and shapes that were about in the fifties.

The ubiquitous green corporation buses & trollybuses, the West Bridgeford buses in the market square brown and cream I think, red Trent and a different red Barton buses, blue Notts & Derby trollybuses and Midland General motors with letters & number route numbers, Gash buses to Newark from Huntingdon Street, United Counties to London, East Midland Motor Services to Chesterfield, Midland Red to Birmingham, Halls to South Shields, and I see I have forgotten the South Notts from Broad Marsh.

Do you remember the old single decker converted to a tea bar that the Corporation Transport parked at the Trent Bridge terminus?

[rob237 89]

..and the Black and White coaches, to and from their Cheltenham home base, and which usually were to/from Mansfield.

Ridden on the first leg of an annual holiday to far away south-western coasts.

Changeover at the infamous Cheltenham bus depot, where 2pm saw the mass exit of hundreds of coaches...

Cheers

Robt P.

[Cliff Ton 10,008]

and I see I have forgotten the South Notts from Broad Marsh.

And a few South Notts services also went from Huntingdon Street - the routes to Loughborough/Gotham/East Leake

Do you remember the old single decker converted to a tea bar that the Corporation Transport parked at the Trent Bridge terminus?

THIS one?

[BulwellBrian 107]

And a few South Notts services also went from Huntingdon Street - the routes to Loughborough/Gotham/East Leake

THIS one?

Thats It! There was proberbly an earlier one before 1956.

[Cliff Ton 10,008]

Here's a few Buses in Nottingham

Huntingdon Street in the mid 1950s

[mick2me 3,029]

There also used to be a terminus on Hanley Street behind Coop House.

What busses went from there?

[rob237 89]

NCT 1: Aspley

NCT 7: Bulwell

NCT 22: Bells Lane Estate

All travelling via Alfreton Road and Nuthall Road, to their respective divergences...

Hanley Street, and it's buses, discussed several times in earlier threads.

Cheers

Robt P.

[loppylugs 8,351]

Great pic of Huntingdon Street, Cliff.

Brought back a few memories. Thanks.

[Ashley 288]

Didn't that NCT 7 go up Melbourne Rd? maybe even Harwill Crescent? caught a bus similiar to those in the photo overnight to Glasgow from Huntingdon St one night in december about 1965, what a journey! freezing cold and full of drunks, went via A610 Ilkeston, Matlock Buxton etc was daylight by time we got there!

[rob237 89]

Didn't that NCT 7 go up Melbourne Rd? maybe even Harwill Crescent?

That was NCT 1...it merely passed the end of Harwill Crescent.

The route was Melbourne Road, Hilcot Drive, Minver Cresent to the terminus at the top of Rosslyn Drive - adjacent to the Bells Lane/Broxtowe Lane roundabout, around which the bus effected the turn.

NCT 1 frequency was twice that of 7 & 22...

NCT 7 went to Bulwell Market, via Cinderhill Road...

NCT 22 turned off at Broxtowe Lane, then went via Dulverton Vale, Bells Lane, Ainsdale Crescent before the right turn to the Deepdene Way terminus. Returning by Amesbury Circus, then Dulverton Vale etc.

Cheers

Robt P.

[danny333 7]

Is Mackesons of Bulwell still running, they did a Pit Run to Bestwood from Bulwell. in the 60`s My brother rented a shop from Mackesons on Commercial Road and the upstairs was boarded off, when we made access to the upstairs, it was a time warp to the 20`s, it had been a Drapers storeroom and there were lots of " Roaring 20`s " dresses , strings of beads and all sorts, our sisters and sisters in law had a ball trying on all the stuff.

[BulwellBrian 107]

Is Mackesons of Bulwell still running, they did a Pit Run to Bestwood from Bulwell. in the 60`s My brother rented a shop from Mackesons on Commercial Road and the upstairs was boarded off, when we made access to the upstairs, it was a time warp to the 20`s, it had been a Drapers storeroom and there were lots of " Roaring 20`s " dresses , strings of beads and all sorts, our sisters and sisters in law had a ball trying on all the stuff.

They had a garage on Highbury Road just past the junction with Picadilly. They did private hire as well as the Bestwood bus. I left Bulwell in 1972 so I don't know what has happened since then. I remember that they had some double deck buses for the Bestwood trip.

[nnsc 131]

Anyone fancy a stab at what bus this is and where the picture was taken?

[katyjay 4,997]

I always thought it was Mackemsons, or Makemsons, either way, it had an M in it.

[BulwellBrian 107]

Anyone fancy a stab at what bus this is and where the picture was taken?

Hucknall Road, at the side of Bulwell Forest Golf course, The Railway is the GC/GN connection between Bulwell Common & Bestwood Junction. The bus is a Midland General B8 to Mansfield. I did remember the B8 going through Bulwell Market, so what was this doing there? What the DMU is doing there is also a mistery. It must be a mid 60's photo. Moor Bridge is just beyond the railway bridge.

[BulwellBrian 107]

I always thought it was Mackemsons, or Makemsons, either way, it had an M in it.

yes it did.

[nnsc 131]

Hucknall Road, at the side of Bulwell Forest Golf course, The Railway is the GC/GN connection between Bulwell Common & Bestwood Junction. The bus is a Midland General B8 to Mansfield. I did remember the B8 going through Bulwell Market, so what was this doing there? What the DMU is doing there is also a mistery. It must be a mid 60's photo. Moor Bridge is just beyond the railway bridge.

Brian, you are a fountain of knowledge!

[susyshoes 69]

Hucknall Road, at the side of Bulwell Forest Golf course, The Railway is the GC/GN connection between Bulwell Common & Bestwood Junction. The bus is a Midland General B8 to Mansfield. I did remember the B8 going through Bulwell Market, so what was this doing there? What the DMU is doing there is also a mistery. It must be a mid 60's photo. Moor Bridge is just beyond the railway bridge.

The B8 went thru Bestwood village so it would be turning right just under the bridge before Moorbridge, then down Moor Rd and turned left onto Papplewck lane Hucknall.

Didnt realise there was a train line over the road there - thought it just ran down the side of Hucknall Rd along what is now Rise Park?

[rob237 89]

... The bus is a Midland General B8 to Mansfield. I did remember the B8 going through Bulwell Market, so what was this doing there?...

IIRC, the B8 didn't go through Bulwell Market but up Hucknall Road, over the Forest, taking Bestwood Road, then turning left at Papplewick Lane and right at the Byron cinema for Hucknall Market, then Annesley Road to Mansfield...

During the 50's I can recall many of the Nottingham residing staff riding the B8 to and from the Bestwood Area HQ offices on Park Road - a conspicuous daily passenger, who regularly 'entertained the gallery' on the journey, being trainee accountant Mick James from the Meadows - later to become acclaimed actor Michael Jayston.

Could the DMU be a very late "Dido" working?

They were known to have done the task on occasion...

Cheers

Robt P.