Classic Bus Magazine Dec 23/Jan 24 (188) Zurück Ausgabe

50 years ago, Martin Curtis holidayed on the Isle of Wight; he shows and tells us what he saw. 50 years ago was also the end of Blue Bus of Willington, and David Stanier recalls its last days before being sold to Derby Corporation.

We take a brief look at the route 38 running day in London and Bristol's City Centre Circle, are shown more buses and coaches that took people to see the Pope in Coventry in 1982, and observe the prototype Bristol RE coach in Victoria Coach Station. On our ongoing theme of ECW window rubbers, we find that they also came in grey, and we discover a one-off sort-of taxi that was built by Park Royal (for Birch). We also negotiate the Devil's Elbow in Scotland, chase Bristol FLF Lodekkas in Weymouth and Wood Green, and go one-man in Dorset and Wiltshire.

We tell the story of King's Cross coach station in London, Chris Drew recalls help with his O-level project from Bristol and ECW, and Ian Maclean remembers driving the Rolls-Royce gas-engined Fleetline. There is also more on MCW Topaz coaches with East Yorkshire and, from The Bus Archive, a tale of an Essex independent.

Plus there’s our popular, lively and well-illustrated Forum section with topics ranging far and wide, and a look at some new books.