Coventry Buses - past and present

A really fine picture. My favourite bus route because it dropped me off at the top of Lydgate Hill when I went to see my gran. The shop on the left hand corner was a men's outfitters in the 60s. I bought a full outfit of clothes once when I was on leave. Buying clothes then was a pleasure, not a chore.

A 1948 Daimler CVA6 here, seen standing in Pool Meadow bus station circa 1967, while on Driver Training duty! (You'll notice the big "DRIVER UNDER INSTRUCTION" "L" Plate attached to its radiator grill!).

It is carrying a "fleet number" 00, as opposed to the original 19. It also briefly carried 419 towards the end of its life

As a child for an occasional treat on a Sunday afternoon in the summer I would be taken on a ride on a bus around the outer circle route. I think it began and ended at Pool Meadow but I can't remember where it went. Can anyone remember the route please?

Traffic notice 1952 shows the route as: Wheatley Street Grammar School Memorial Park Finham Canley Crematorium Westwood Heath Cromwell Cottage Standard Works Jaguar Works Brownshill Green Keresley Foleshill Gasworks Wyken Slough Longford Generating Station Lentons Lane Walsgrave Humber Works, Stoke Ryton Swimming Pool & Humber Works Baginton Airport Broadgate Wheatley Street Sunday to Thursday of each Coventry Holiday Week, and every Sunday until September 14th 2.30pm and 6.30pm 30 miles Adults 2/6 Children 1/3

A 1951 Maudslay Regent III, seen here in Pool Meadow Bus Station circa 1960 -1962? It was withdrawn from service in May 1965 and sold for scrap to a dealer in South Yorkshire in July of that very same year. There were only nine of these particular Maudslays in the "Coventry Transport" fleet (numbered 117 -125) and sadly not one of them survive today? (I personally would give anything to be able to travel on one of these, or even just to be able to see one up close, but I just have to accept that it's never ever going to happen?).

It may be possible - almost. The Maudslay Regent III's were rebadged AEC Regent III's (London Transport 'RT' bus) built at Parkside. AEC brought out Maudslay in 1948. There is an AEC Regent III preserved at the London Bus Museum at the old Brooklands Racing Circuit near Weybridge, Surrey and they have occasional running days. Closer to home the Severn Valley Railways "On The Buses" event on September 10th has a London Transport theme this year. Peter.

Call me an old sentimentalist if you like but the days are long gone when it was a thrill for the family on an outing on the buses - big sigh!!!! If we missed one there would always be another.

Yes, it is "almost", Peter - since I don't think any had MCCW bodywork similar to Coventry's Maudslays, so any preserved Regent IIIs (Maudslay or AEC) won't look like them Here is information on the CCT Maudslays There's some AEC Regent IIIs here