When Stroud's buses were green (and even red)
8th Stroud Bus Running Day
Running Day Report Page 1
Go to Page 2
Sunday's Stroud Classic Bus Running Day has once again exceeded expectations.
It's now acknowledged as probably the west's premier bus event. With a mix of vehicles almost all with some sort of connection with the area on routes and services covering a range of lanes, main roads and Stroud's famous ascents, it's little wonder.
How do you do justice to an event such as this? Alongside the type of images you might expect, we've chosen some of the more unusual photographs to illustrate this report (given that, by now, there will be plenty of others shots on Fotopic sites).
 The rural ramble that was the Stroud - Cheltenham 563 was a continual financial thorn in Bristol Omnibus' side. The preserve of SUs, MWs, LHs and minibuses, 36 footers such as this would only usually ever be seen at school times. It would have been unusual indeed to see a dual door Bristol RELL6L in Cheltenham District colours on the 563. Cheltenham garage did, however, operate a small part of this service with limited shorts, albeit in green livery. In the above shot, RELL6L 1003 is seen negotiating the lanes of Sheepscombe. At the wheel is retired long-serving Stroud driver Winston Cooper  The 'new' Stroud College premises were a considerable improvement on the previous arrangements at the site in almost every particular, save one. Here, former long-term resident dual purpose Bristol RELH6L/ECW 2073 newly in Tilling green and cream is seen exiting the site - in danger of grounding owing to the adverse camber at the exit. Freshly painted 2073 also featured its authentic period-style seat trim and as such was an all-round winner on the day  Resplendent in their period-style Bristol Omnibus summer uniforms including seamed uniform trousers is this authentic trio of chaps   Of three period advertisements on Bristol MW5G 2939, two had connections with Stroud. One was for the erstwhile Hillier's of Newmarket nr Nailsworth, company once very familiar in Stroud and the west, with their blue Morris commercials, and indeed a firm that made the most of bus advertising; the other was for Wicliffe Motors, now recently closed but serving the area for, what, decades, when it held town centre and later Cainscross premises  Ex-Western National Bristol SUS no. 603 has been finished off inside by with trim Thamesdown Transport. Three similar vehicles once operated at Stroud and all with the typical though unusual longitudinal seating at both the rear, seen here, and front. Former Stroud no. 301, the film star, is still believed to be in existence - somewhere - as owned by veteran collector William Staniforth  We're not sure whether any National Express coaches ever ventured through Minchinhampton's West End but this view of rebuilt Bristol RELH VHK 177L makes an excellent study of a Cotswold town and its architecture. This vehicle is believed to carry the prototype ECW B51 body |
Go to Page 2