Coventry Buses - past and present

There is a dedicated website here.

Hi. The No9 used to travel along the main street in Earlsdon. If for any reason Albany Rd was blocked, Spencer Ave would be an alternative route, but that is the only contribution that I can add. Hope all ok.

I was at KHVIII as well, and usually got a bus into town. The No.1 was preferred because it meant I could change at the Council House straight onto the No.11 for Binley. If the 16 or 17 came first I would have to walk along High St, but in this case I would usually go into the Grosvenor Cafe, one of Broadgate's temporary shops. It housed a sweet shop inside with lots of 2 or 4 for 1d sweets. There were 2 old dears who always served in there. (The Lyons cafe was further down towards the clock.) I also recall that if I got the bus outside the school it was 2d into town, but if I walked down to the stop on the railway bridge it was only 1d. Sometimes I would walk and save the whole 2d for sweets.

Mmm, I often walked down into town, and got the No 11 outside the Council House too - but going the other way. The only temporary shop in Broadgate that I remember in detail was the sewing shop (not that I did any ) ; the name Grosvenor cafe rings a bell, but I never used it. The fare to school was 3d for a long time, and it was doubled at one point. I remember the protest, and the council said that they realised that less people would use the buses, but they had to balance the budget, and less passengers at a higher rate still equalled more income. Typical thinking of the time!

When I was at the prep school, I (my parents) had to pay for my bus fares, but once I was in the senior or main school, I received a free bus pass which started at Coventry station. That was the fare stage. Unless the weather was bad, I liked to walk into town, do my homework in the central (Gulson) library before walking on to my Mum's shop. I love these memories.

You had a free pass?? Blimey, I didn't! I think I lived just a little too close to the school.

Hi, Yes, a green thing, Oh they might have been red one year. They were part of the scholarship funding, providing you lived 3 miles from the school. My grandchildren attend 'Blue Coats'. They live within the limit, so have never been entitled to a free school pass, so I buy a N-bus pass at a current cost of £91 each per term. It gives me some peace of mind, but at a cost of nearly £600 per year now for the two of them.

Because I travelled more than 3 miles to Ullathorne School, I had free transport. It must have been 1955, and we were given packs of free bus tickets worth 1d and 2d. The powers that be, worked out the cheapest route and we were allocated the correct amount of tickets per term. I had to use a 1d ticket from Vernon Street to the station rail bridge (fare stage) and a 2d ticket for the bus to Wainbody Avenue. The problem was that the buses used to fill up at Broadgate and we could never get on at the railway bridge, so I used to change at Broadgate. This meant I had to pay 3d worth of tickets, and consequently ran out of bus tickets towards the end of the term. I can't remember when bus passes came in, I think it may have been 1956/7 but the good thing was that it meant I could change buses in Broadgate without further cost.

Gosh, Tricia. That must have been the same scheme as for elderly people too. I remember my mum buying packs of pre-paid tickets for my Gran'. That would have been the mid fifties. Hey, they were the days, full buses sometimes not stopping. I think it was three or four bells from the conductor for the driver not to stop at the next stop. Can that be you & Mayjan boading the No 16 to Green lane, please? There will always be your favorite seats reserved for you. Hey, imagine a preserved Coventry bus chartered one day for Coventry History Site members, what a pip! On that model, the driver just in picture after changing the blinds round at the terminus, is Mr. Ford, & the conductor is Mr. Tuggy. By the looks of the huge white bag you must have been on a shopping trip from B'ham Other than charter I do not think that B'ham & Coventry buses ever came together, except in my model. I think that it was the Midland Red 159 service to B'ham.

Nope, not possible, but I'll leave it to Tricia to explain why? (I know a lot about Ullathorne girls )

Dont forget everyone, for everything COVENTRY TRANSPORT there are plenty of memories on the Coventry Transport forum at www.cwk205.com PeterW

Unfortunately, no it couldn't have been Jan and I boarding the No.16 bus to school. Jan went to Frederick Bird School, and I would have been wearing a maroon blazer and grey skirt. I'd like to think it was us boarding the bus to Birmingham for some retail therapy though.

Three bells was the emergency stop signal. (I think that's universal to this day on buses in England) I think the 'keep going' was the normal two rings before the driver got to the next stop. And, Peterw, yes, but not all of us want to have to participate in extra forums. For my part, I make use of several technical forums (nowt to do with Coventry directly) and all together, they take up too much time and organising myself.

I will just have to pretend, Tricia. I love your expression of retail therapy. I would sometimes travel with my mum to B'ham, train or bus during school holidays. B'ham half day closing was Wednesday, whereas Coventry was Thursday. She would sometimes conduct business in B'ham on Thursdays. I would enjoy train-spot therapy at Snow Hill station. If I was a really good boy, I would sometmes be treated to dinner in Lewis's upper floor restaurant. Silver service in those days. Was the B'ham bus the 159, Dutchman? I think that I can picture it leaving the old Pool Meadow from the end stop.

All good I hope dutchman. Although some did have a reputation - not me of course.