Huntingdon Street bus station

[mick2me 3,033]

I rember catching a double decker bus to calverton on a freezing cold winters morning.

No heating and remember going down a steep hill. That was the worst bus journey of my life.

[Paulus 541]

That sounds gruelling enough but I reckon I've one that was even worse. I went to Amsterdam to see Forest in the European Cup semi-final against Ajax - yes Amsterdam - on a bus that I can only describe an extremely basic one that you'd use to travel round the city, (no headrests etc.) I don't think I slept for two days. Never again, then again, I don't think Forest will be obliging any time soon.

Stu, I went to that match, it was in the old Ajax Stadium (built for the olympics in 1928) we had a great time, went 'Window Shopping' in the back streets...............................

[.... 23]

I rember catching a double decker bus to calverton on a freezing cold winters morning.

No heating and remember going down a steep hill. That was the worst bus journey of my life.

Did you come across the legendary 'figure' on the hill?

Stu, I went to that match, it was in the old Ajax Stadium (built for the olympics in 1928) we had a great time, went 'Window Shopping' in the back streets...............................

Ah yes, happy days! Some memories were of running a gauntlet of storm-trooper-like police and their dogs on the way into the stadium. Also remember a huge fight kicking off between Forest and Ajax fans in our coach's car park with a few bus windows getting tanned.

The match itself had one of the greatest pieces of defending I have ever seen, by the superb Dutch centre-back, Ruud Krol as he tamed a two-on-one break by Forest on his own.

I still have the programme!

Sorry for the hijack.

[piggy and babs 544]

when dave was in the airforce i used to fly to amsterdam to meet him about once a month cost about 20 pounds return from east mids airport the first time i met him there we went for a walk and he took me through the red light districked from the back way what a shock i got i was not a prude and knew about red light districked but did dot expect it to be quite as open as it was.

[mick2me 3,033]

No Figure Stu,

I was shivering too much to notice anything.

[Ashley 288]

Re nightmare bus journeys, take your pick!

1) Huntingdon St to Glasgow overnight pre motorways in december

2) Nuthall Island to Blanes Spain 27 hrs inc a crash and driver falling asleep

3) Return journey with one half hour long cassette tape repeated over and over on bus pa

4) any of the many Dalaman Airport to Icmeler (turkey) bus runs

5) about an hour long ride over mountains as per that Top Gear progamme (if seen) sheer drops at side of road, hundreds of feet high from Ovalik to Icmeler in a dolmus minibus with crazy suspect drunk driver after missing last boat home

[mick2me 3,033]

A couple of years ago we were at 'The Turban' Icmeler, caught a dolmus and no money was taken no fare was posted,

we just ended up getting off at Icmeler, no one seemed bothered about collecting money? Strange form of transport?

[piggy and babs 544]

ash would no 3 be the elvis tape only one on bus comming back from blackpool trip by any chance we sat at the front just behind the driver piggy never much of an elvis fan but put him off him for life.

[DAVIDW 1,681]

Our first holiday together was a week in Newquay in 1966, and travelled there overnight on a Trent service from Huntingdon street to Exeter via Cheltenham, then change onto a local service from Exeter to Newquay; took about 12 hours in total, not an experience to be recommended!

There still is a straight through Newquay -Nottingham bus .We saw it the other week leaving Newquay.....still takes 11 hours !

Love those pictures of Huntingdon Street bus station , brought back a few memories . It used to be our only route to town on the number 25 City Buses that went from Westdale Lane through Carlton to Huntingdon Street . Was the terminus Thackreys Lane ?

The number 65 was later introduced from Valley Road, Carlton and would struggle up Prospect Road ? to Thorneywood straight to the Square , so more convenient .

I also think of my old Mum as she loved her hot peas in the Central Market before we got on the 25 bus . I loved the peas but hated the smell of the fish from the adjacent fish market . Its also the place where my Mum assaulted my sisters boyfriend !!

She didn't approve of him so when she bumped into them on Huntingdon Street bashed him on the head with her umbrella !

[Ashley 288]

piggy & babs, no, number three was blanes back to nottingham, got back to nuthall about 5pm on a friday, must have waited about an hour and a half for a taxi to get the mile or so back to basford. Re the dolmus happened to us a couple of times, the turks never seemed to pay! and with being there for months and esp the wife getting a similar shade as the locals plus knowing bits of the language assume mistook us for locals! almak istermum beira! goolie goolie

[StephenFord 866]

There were three Bartons services running north from Huntingdon Street. The 7 and 7A took the same route as far as Woodborough - i.e. Union Road, York Street, (possibly Mapperley Road, then) Woodborough Road, Plains Road, Mapperley Plains, Spring Lane to Lambley and Woodborough. The 7 then turned right and went to Epperstone. the 7A turned left to Calverton, with a few journeys going on to Oxton. The other route was the 8 which went straight up Mansfield Road, and direct to Oxton.

[StephenFord 866]

As far as I can remember the following "ordinary bus services" ran from Huntingdon Street (omitting long distance express/coach type services). I have included Barton's route 9 to Skegness because it was a proper daily service, and on Summer Saturdays often used double deckers. I'd welcome any comments/corrections.

Trent :

62 Mansfield direct (i.e. via Newstead Abbey Gates)

63 (Joint with East Midland 12A) Chesterfield via Hucknall, Mansfield.

64 (Joint with East Midland 36) Doncaster via Edwinstowe, Worksop.

65 and 66 Loughborough via Ruddington and Bunny, also some via Rempstone and Wymeswold.

67 Arnold via Netherfield, Gedling and Mapperley Plains.

68 Stoke Bardolph via Netherfield.

69, 70, 71 Gedling via Netherfield.

73 and 73A (Joint with Skills) East Bridgford via Radcliffe and Shelford

74 and 75 Carlton, Burton Joyce, Lowdham and Gunthorpe. (Not sure about route numbers)

79 (Joint with Lincolnshire Road Car 33C) Grantham via Radcliffe, Bingham, Bottesford, Aslockton.

79A Bingham via Radcliffe.

80 (Joint with East Midland 37) Retford via Edwinstowe, Ollerton.

84 Sutton in Ashfield via Hucknall.

Barton :

6 Keyworth

7 Epperstone via Lambley, Woodborough

7A Calverton and Oxton via Lambley, Woodborough.

8 Oxton direct

9 Skegness via Newark, Sleaford, Billinghay (refreshment stop), Spilsby

12 Leicester

Midland General :

B8 Mansfield via Bestwood, Hucknall, Papplewick and Blidworth.

B9 Blidworth and Rainworth via Bestwood, Hucknall, Papplewick

F3 Farnsfield

(Routes F2 Ilkeston via Basford, Kimberley, Awsworth; and F4 Hucknall Beauvale Estate via Basford, Larkfield Estate and Watnall, started from Broad Marsh, stopping on Huntingdon Street but not going into the bus station).

Mansfield District Traction :

215 Southwell via Carlton, Burton Joyce, Lowdham, Oxton.

216 Gonalston via , Carlton, Burton Joyce, Lowdham.

South Notts : (No route numbers)

Loughborough via Wilford, Clifton, Gotham, East Leake.

Kegworth via Wilford, Clifton, Barton, Thrumpton.

W Gash and Sons : (no route numbers)

Newark direct (i.e. Radcliffe by-pass and A52).

(There was also a village service, but IIRC you took the “Direct” service and changed buses at Newton Lane End).

Nottingham City Transport :

25 Thackerays Lane via Carlton Road, Westdale Lane (circular - returning via Mansfield Road)

25A Westdale Lane via Mansfield Road, Breck Hill Road (circular - returning via Carlton Road)

25B Westdale Lane via Carlton Road.

[At one time route 19 Lenton Abbey via Derby Road started from Huntingdon Street bus station - for what reason I do not know.]

[Commo 1,292]

Stephen, thanks for giving me the correct Trent service number to Ruddington which I had wrong in earlier post. You have a pretty definitive route list here, and the only one that I can think of which is not shown is the Barton 54 to Clifton via Ruddington.

[.... 23]

I'd welcome any comments/corrections.

Trent :

62 Mansfield direct (i.e. via Newstead Abbey Gates)

63 (Joint with East Midland 12A) Chesterfield via Hucknall, Mansfield.

Thanks for the information you've provided in the above posts, Stephen. If my memory serves me correctly, the 62 Trent service direct to Mansfield via Newstead Abbey Gates was superseded by a number 63 which did likewise. Maybe they changed the routes around.

An interesting point was that on certain services in the summer months, the bus used to take a tour up the main drive to Newstead Abbey lakeside to drop visitors off, before returning to it's journey to Mansfield.

[StephenFord 866]

Hi Commo - you're right about the Bartons 54, but I wasn't sure whether it started at Huntingdon Street or Broad Marsh, as many of the other Bartons services to the south east of the city did.

[StephenFord 866]

Stu, yes the 63 to Chesterfield via Mansfield absorbed the 62 direct route - not sure when. And although I don't remember actually going up the drive at Newstead Abbey on the bus, I do recall my grandma saying that they did so at bank holidays. I have a memory of waiting in a vast long queue at the Hutt one hot Saturday evening for a bus back to Nottingham, and the first 62 that came along left full and standing, leaving a disconsolate crowd behind. Now, here is how things were different then : two minutes later another double decker appeared from the Mansfield direction, showing "Duplicate" on the indicator, and swept up the rest of the queue.

[ChrisB 150]

Stephen, do you happen to know if the 62 and 63 turned off down Glasshouse Street on inward journeys to Huntingdon Street?

[StephenFord 866]

Sorry, ChrisB, I don't remember that, as I was a fairly infrequent user of those services.

[piggy and babs 544]

i had forgoten that we had so many buses that went through netherfield but i no we never seemed to be waiting long for a bus to come either way until it went to nct and then it always seemed ages between busses when i was going home from my sisters in the seventies and on sunday you could wait up to an hour if you just missed one . i often go up to fox to see if dad was in and have a drink before the next one often there would be someone in i knew who would give me a lift home. so no waiting round in the cold for the bus. when my eldest son was very small took him in there in baby carrier that fitted into a pram put him on the self under the table no one new it was a baby till day took him out to show him to the landlady. he took a few pound coins home for his money box that day must have been april and it was quite cold before the really hot summer of 76 began

[Merthyr Imp 729]

There were three Bartons services running north from Huntingdon Street. The 7 and 7A took the same route as far as Woodborough - i.e. Union Road, York Street, (possibly Mapperley Road, then) Woodborough Road, Plains Road, Mapperley Plains, Spring Lane to Lambley and Woodborough. The 7 then turned right and went to Epperstone. the 7A turned left to Calverton, with a few journeys going on to Oxton. The other route was the 8 which went straight up Mansfield Road, and direct to Oxton.

Here's a photo of Barton 878 (one of their part home-made/part Leyland vehicles) on an Epperstone service in the 1960s.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

As far as I can remember the following "ordinary bus services" ran from Huntingdon Street (omitting long distance express/coach type services). I have included Barton's route 9 to Skegness because it was a proper daily service, and on Summer Saturdays often used double deckers. I'd welcome any comments/corrections.

Trent :

62 Mansfield direct (i.e. via Newstead Abbey Gates)

63 (Joint with East Midland 12A) Chesterfield via Hucknall, Mansfield.

64 (Joint with East Midland 36) Doncaster via Edwinstowe, Worksop.

65 and 66 Loughborough via Ruddington and Bunny, also some via Rempstone and Wymeswold.

67 Arnold via Netherfield, Gedling and Mapperley Plains.

68 Stoke Bardolph via Netherfield.

69, 70, 71 Gedling via Netherfield.

73 and 73A (Joint with Skills) East Bridgford via Radcliffe and Shelford

74 and 75 Carlton, Burton Joyce, Lowdham and Gunthorpe. (Not sure about route numbers)

79 (Joint with Lincolnshire Road Car 33C) Grantham via Radcliffe, Bingham, Bottesford, Aslockton.

79A Bingham via Radcliffe.

80 (Joint with East Midland 37) Retford via Edwinstowe, Ollerton.

84 Sutton in Ashfield via Hucknall.

You perhaps ought to include the Trent/North Western joint service to Manchester - the X2.

Although it was a long distance service you actually bought your ticket from a conductor on the bus in the ordinary way (unlike with Barton's Skegness service where you had to go to the booking office). It was also a regular daily service several times a day.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

I suppose using the same criteria as for including the Skegness service you could also add the United Counties services to London via Loughborough and Leicester (MX1) and London via Northampton (MX5), as they ran several times every day. Although didn't use double deckers of course!

The MX1 was supposed to go via Loughborough and Leicester before joining the M1, but at busy times you;d often find two or three vehicles on the same departure - one calling at Leicester and missing out Loughborough, one doing the opposite, and one going straight to the M1 and missing out both.

[.... 23]

Stephen, do you happen to know if the 62 and 63 turned off down Glasshouse Street on inward journeys to Huntingdon Street?

Chris

I was taken regularly on the 62/63 as a youngster and if my memory serves, the bus was indeed rerouted from originally heading straight down Huntingdon Street to the bus station to taking a dog leg down Glasshouse Street. Couldn't say when but if so it would probably be mid/late sixties.

[StephenFord 866]

I suppose using the same criteria as for including the Skegness service you could also add the United Counties services to London via Loughborough and Leicester (MX1) and London via Northampton (MX5), as they ran several times every day. Although didn't use double deckers of course!

The MX1 was supposed to go via Loughborough and Leicester before joining the M1, but at busy times you;d often find two or three vehicles on the same departure - one calling at Leicester and missing out Loughborough, one doing the opposite, and one going straight to the M1 and missing out both.

You are quite right - both with this and the X2 - I really should have remembered the X2, which I think was extended to Blackpool on Summer Saturdays, and brought in Ribble as another partner, whose buses might turn up at Huntingdon Street. Perhaps also the "Yorkshire Services" joint operation between the West Yorkshire conurbation and Birmingham, and of course the Black and White to Cheltenham with Associated Motorways connections to everywhere. The truth is that I was never very familiar with long distance coach travel, since my dad worked for the railway. So long distance journeys were invariably made by train - either on free passes (four a year) or an unlimited number of "PTs" (employees' quarter fare privilege tickets). The difference in times weren't all that impressive in the 1950s, but the availability of toilets on the train and the freedom to walk up and down the corridor were a huge advantage.

[.... 23]

brought in Ribble as another partner,

I recall catching a Ribble bus in Manchester as a change service on the route back to Scotland from Nottingham with my parents as a lad. The bus was a double decker and seemed the height of sophistication at the time (mid-sixties) as they served teas on there which you could pop on the little pull-out table in front of you! The name 'Ribble' has always conjured up the though 'luxury bus' to me since.