Coventry Buses - past and present

Hi all, Conductor Ron Tuggey, was known for his outspoken comments. His widow lives near to me. On the subject of the No51 route issue, I've spoken to the head of the hospital volunteers today. I'm very grateful for the warm welcome given to me. Thank you Kristine.

A very rare Booklet called "TO THE COUNTRYSIDE" By Bus is currently for sale on eBay at the moment (£19.99 starting price !) and bidding for it ends at 10.02am this coming Saturday (April 8th). For anyone who collects any Coventry related publications at all, this Booklet is well worth buying and comes complete with a free Map to of the "INNER CIRCLE" route ! Here's the sellers own description of the Booklet, as advertised on eBay: AN ORIGINAL BOOKLET WITH 36 PAGES AND A MAP SHOWING CITY CIRCLE SERVICE DETAILING COVENTRY CORPORATION TRANSPORT ESCAPES " TO THE COUNTRYSIDE BY BUS " FULL ITINERARIES OF RAMBLES AROUND COVENTRY ARE SHOWN. THE ITEM IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION AND IT IS UNDATED BUT ADVERTS WOULD SUGGEST 1930 ish !. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I personally would say the Booklet dates from sometime between 1937 - 1949, but it's something that I myself waited a long time to find and fortunately I did find one a few years ago now. Like I say though, "A VERY RARE BOOKLET" it is and one certainly well worth buying, if you collect local publications that is ! Post copied from topic Books on Coventry on 6th Apr 2023 9:03 am

Bid but was outbid! v. interested in Inner Circle route. Am sure it included Eagle St.

1935 Prof

And 1934

Thank you Anne. We took 9 bus to Gosford Green, then chnanged to Inner Circle to Barkers Butts Lane to visit grandparents in Malvern Road, just short walk up Holyhead Road.

It was a useful bus, There was a stop just at tge end if our roaf Poole Road.I used to get to Livingstone Road swimming baths although I had to walk the last bit. Dad used to go to Highfield Road. I was a shame when they stopoed it.

Hi all, Loved reading this discussion. It's nice going around in circles, hey. I remember the 14 & 14a, very well. Terminating at the railway station, close proximity to school. Yes Eagle street was covered. One of the conditions of school bus pass use in the fifties & early sixties was "Via the shortest available route". 14, clockwise was operated out of Harnall Lane garage, whilst the contra route, 14a was Sandy Lane, the odd fleet number garage. Coventry's unique London style bus 99, was often on the anti-clockwise service, which from my end of Coventry was the long way round. I was chipped off by the conductors several times for such shameful behaviour. As well as travelling the long way, I was cheeky asking the conduct if the bus went to Putney Bridge! If our Coventry transport experts are around, I believe bus No 99 was the first to have a string operated ding. That then reappeared on the fleet numbers 166 onwards, about 1956.

I do believe that there are people on this forum that are expert in our Public transport system? Can anyone tell me when the No 22 bus service started, please? I believe that it was mid 1950's? It started off going from by the Wheel pub, at the junction of Sewall Highway with Purcell Road, where the Newsagents (Underwoods, I think?). After a while, maybe a year or so, it was extended down Profit Avenue at the junction with Old Church Road? That was very useful to me, as I lived in Sewall Highway, halfway between the Devon and Dennis Road. My best friend lived on the corner of Old Church Road quite close to Profit Avenue. Of course, In those days we would have done a lot of walking, anyway.

Hi Sir, I'm no expert, but I used public transport extensively going to school, two buses in each direction. The No 22, from Purcell Rd, travelled along Sewall Highway, to Willenhall, where one of my mum's shops was, in the fifties. The full journey service started in July 1956. but a part route started in January 1955. There are other details for enthusiasts, but will leave that for now.

Slash, You are correct about Underwoods newsagents on the corner of Sewell Highway and Purcell Rd, they also had one on Henley Rd and another on Brixham Drive IIRC? I've seen maps of the routes and the 22 was undoubtedly running by 1958. I have a vague idea that the extended route to Old Church Rd occurred in the early 60s. If you search for CWK 205 on the internet you will come across a forum dedicated to Coventry Transport. I have no doubt that they will have the exact answer to your question.

Myself and my friends delivered papers for Underwoods, 1957/58/59 time, from the main shop on the corner of Purcell Road. The shop in Brixham drive opened in this time, with the development of Brixham Drive, then a little later, down Blackberry lane, towards Sewall Highway. Happy days. 15 shillings a week. Felt very rich.

Service 22; It started on the 16th January 1955, running between Broadgate - Purcell Road: 1st July 1955, it became a cross-city route by running to Willenhall (Remembrance Road), 1st March 1959, route alteration via Mile Lane & The Mount, 19th March 1959, route alteration in the Willenhall area, now St James Lane instead of Robin Hood Road, 9th June 1963, route extended to end of Proffitt Avenue from Purcell Road, 9th December 1968, with the closure of Jesson Street, it ran outbound White Street-Bird Street-Stoney Stanton Road and inbound Stoney Stanton Road-Swanswell Street-White Street, 19th March 1978, became a one-man operated service and changed at Little Heath, running Proffitt Avenue-Gayer Street-Old Church Road to the terminus on Proffitt Avenue, that was to change again later running counter clockwise, 21st April 1985, major change. Service number 22 was dropped and it became crossed linked with services 35 now Keresley Road-Little Heath and 36 now Kersesley Village-Little Heath, with a service 36C added later: Then to 2004, with the Tesco Arena open, the 36 was extented along Old Church Road & Foleshill Road popping in to Tesco. Service numbers 35 & 36C had been dropped by now. Going to Tesco only lasted a short time. 24th February 2012, all change again, the 36 became, 6 Tile Hill-Little Heath & 6A Tile Hill-Victoria Farm, I finally conclude this post at January 2022, when this happend:

Hi Helen, Even before I was old enough to travel by my own on buses, mum would ask me to tell her when the bus we were waiting for was coming. So, when I started kindergarten at age five, I new what numbers were, the order in which we count them, as well as basic alphabet words, like Sewall Highway, No 7. From age 7, I was travelling on four buses daily, so they were a huge part of my growing up. From age 12, I sometimes went on the train from Foleshill, if my mum was sorting stuff out in her shop off Durbar Ave.