Bus crashes

That picture was taken in the mid 1930s Foxcote when George Mason is still occupying the corner shop! Smith's was at No16

The Bon Bon. Is that the shop that is now a Pharmacy? Was The Alma Tavern almost opposite? Les

Hi Les. The shop is now an opticians, and the pub is The Rose and Woodbine

Well. Two wrong out of two, so I wasn't far off. I remember Bates motorcycle shop just inside Harnall Lane that I used to visit quite often and I think Bretts Stamping works was just a little further up the road. Very noisy and smelly. Les

Ah! I've got it now. I was thinking that the hospital would be towards the top of the map on right hand side. I got a badge in the scouts for map reading. Silly Billy as Mags Thatcher would say. I spotted the Alma Tavern bottom left of the map although the map says Alma Inn. The Gloucester pub was almost opposite the Alma. Les

That's funny Les Mac, I was just looking at some photos and found this one, it says 'Bates' on the shop. Harnall Lane

Thanks for the photograph Foxcote. Yes that Bates shop ok, most called him Banger Bates. Small as the shop was it appeared to stock just about everything a motorcyclist could need. He had an unfortunate accident concerning one of my bikes and broke his right ankle. When he recovered from that incident he had nasty accident in his garden. Bending down quite sharply he had a standing garden cane enter his right eye blinding him on that side. Can't keep a good man down and he was soon back in his shop. When he died there was a lengthy article about about him in the Telegraph. Les

It was definitely the Alma Inn at the time the map was made: Picture Proof

What an interesting photograph Dutchman, have you any information on it?

None at all I'm afraid

Yes Dutchman, I noticed that it was Alma Inn on the map but it was certainly Tavern when I lived a few doors away in the early 50s. I bet the licensee was busy the day that photograph taken. Les

"Foxcote" posted a picture of bus no.126 (KVC 126), which is seen when brand new, but I can tell you that this bus was involved in an accident in January 1962, while out on a "Private Hire" over in Birmingham!!! It had the top of its roof crushed after an unfortunate encounter with a low bridge. I've got some photo's of it taken at the Keresley Works afterwards that show all the damage, especially all the rippled panels along its roof. The bus was later repaired though and went on to give a further 6 and a half years service!!! >>>>>>> I've got a note here of bus 126 being involved in an accident in December 1952, but then another note saying it was at the Keresley Works once with some rear end damage, so I wonder whether Colin (Col Cov) might be able to confirm this or add anything to it??? Did 126 somehow have its rear end accidentally damaged at the Keresley Works itself??? >>>>>>> Due to the bad weather and treacherous road conditions in the winter of 1952, I've read that a lot of vehicles were involved in collisions / minor accidents of some sort on the city's roads and one involved a Corporation bus in Acacia Avenue! It happened on Saturday November 29th, 1952, when a bus ended up sliding backwards down Acacia Avenue and crashing into some railings at the bottom. It had started to skid on its way down and unfortunatly the driver (Sidney Swatman) broke his wrist while trying to pull the bus out of the skid!!! The bus itself was reported as receiving only superficial damage, but any idea Colin as to which bus it might have been??? If it was superficial rear end damage (which I assume it was?), this could well have been bus 126 involved here for all we know, as it happened only two days short of December and it was once seen parked at the Keresley Works with some rear end damage on it???

lt was bus number 118 (JKV118) a Maudslay that crashed into the Bon Bon in 1953, by coincidence, bus number 118 (KV7118) crashed into a house just past St Paul's Church on the Foleshill Road Oct 1943 when the front axle beam broke. I was 9 yrs old at the time and watched all day to see it recovered and towed away.

Just had to edit my posting I put on yesterday regarding the Corporation bus accident in Acacia Avenue, as what I was meant to have written is: "The bus ended up "SLIDING" backwards down Acacia Avenue and it started to go into a skid, which is when while trying to pull it out of the skid, the driver unfortunately broke his wrist"!!!

I can remember another bus crash in the early 1950's. This took place in The Moorfield, Stoke Aldermoor, just past the junction with Michell Close. A double-decker bus going towards town left the road and ended up in the front garden of a house. I don't think any actual damage was caused to the building. The only "casualty" was one of the trees that lined the road, which was uprooted. This probably slowed the bus down, and stopped it crashing into the house.