Coventry Buses - past and present

G'day all. Today I'm calling on all you Coventry Transport experts and those who remember Timothy White's chemist's shop. I'm currently putting together another "now and then" page for our Steve using a postcard image that I'd previously labelled as 1950s, but I have the feeling that it's slightly more recent than that - more likely 60s I would think. It's a lovely clear old black & white photo, so I've put a couple of close-up scans below, so you can see the bus registration (FHP 21) and the sign-writing on the shops. Even if nobody knows the exact year, I'm sure these images will bring on some nostalgia for you to chat about ! My thanks in advance to anyone who can help. Cheers, Rob

The Coventry Theatre looks big in that photo. It seems such a long time ago that was demolished to make way for that empty space. I remember that mock tudor building being a jewellers and a burger place (Star burger?)

Not a lot of help,Sir, but I can tell you that FHP21 was withdrawn in 1966

The fashions and hairstyles are typical of 1958.

I agree it looks late 1950s, though could be early 60s. I had a look in Roger Bailey's Coventry Transport (1940-1974) book and FHP21 seems to have been introduced in 1948/49 and withdrawn in 1966 as already noted. Superb book BTW, not just for the buses but also the street scenes from that time.

The 16 went past the station on Warwick Road on its way to Green Lane, in the same way that the 1 to Chapelfields and the 17 to Baginton Village did The 20 from Bedworth went to the station (in Eaton Road) as shown in the photograph

Silly me! Of course it did. So, what was the full route for the 16 bus after it left Keresley End?

Have a look at this page for the information

Thanks MR!

Hi all, During the fifties & sixties, the No 2 Radford to Cheylesmore, the No 16, Keresley Rd to Green Lane, the No 16a Keresley Village to Green Lane & the No 17, Broadgate to Baginton Village all stopped at the row of bus stops adjacent to Timothy Whites. In our picture, the No 16 to Green Lane is in front of a re-routed No 2 to Cheylesmore near to the Shepherd & Shepherdess Pub. I have always hoped that the two ladies awaiting to board the No 16 are Tricia & Mayjan. The driver changing the blind is Mr Ford & the conductor is Mr R Tuggey. ps. Ron always enjoyed chatting with the nice ladies.

My word, what fantastic response - and so quick! And how on earth do so many of you remember so many bus numbers and their stops??? So, where does that leave us then..... perhaps between around 1954 to '58 ? Maybe my original dating of the 50s was about right then, and I shouldn't have revised the date forward a decade. For those interested, the "now and then" in question is on our Steve's part of the site here - Trinity Street & Timothy White's.

In my living memory, from about 1959, the 16 to Keresley End stopped outside Owens, or is that a false memory?!

From what I remember, it depended which direction the bus was going. The No.9 which I used regularly in the 50s and 60s, left outside the temporary shops (Trinity end) going towards Earlsdon, but from Earlsdon called outside Owen Owens. Thanks for the link to the Broadgate photos MR. Very interesting. I'm probably not alone in thinking Broadgate looked better and worked better in those days?

Being a 16/16a user up to passing my driving test in 1962, the buses to Keresley/Shepherd & Shepherdess stopped outside Owens whilst those from that part of the world for City/Green Lane stopped outside the prefab shops.

The no-entry sign and other clues suggest 1962 or later as that is when the lower part of Trinity Street became one-way only.