When Stroud's buses were green (and even red)
Stroud's Buses
The Bristol SU
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The tiny and indeed rather quaint Bristol SU is associated more with Western and Southern National bus companies than it is with Bristol Omnibus. Between them, Western & Southern National operated over a hundred of these vehicles and most were the "longer" SULs. Bristol Omnibus, on the other hand, found homes for just nine short versions, designated SUS.
Two batches were delivered to Bristol Omnibus: 300 to 306 and 1962 and the remaining two followed two years later. Of these vehicles, three were based at Stroud and replaced the only non-Bristol vehicles in the town at the time, Bedford OBs. While the SUs were withdrawn elsewhere, two of Stroud's three lingered on as unique to Bristol Omnibus until 1978. The reasons for this were the vehicles' short wheelbase, short overall length and restricted width made them ideal for a number of routes in the Five Valleys.
When the SUSs were new in 1962 and throughout the sixties, Stroud operated 56 and 58 seat Ks, 60 seat LDs, 68 seat FLFs, 53 seat REs and 45 seat MWs. Compared to all these, the tiny SUs with their narrow body and 30 seats seemed out of place. However, compare their capacity with the more recent mainstay of Stroud's rural services, the 25 and 33 seat minibuses!
The ECW bodied four cylinder Albion engined SUSs could see work on any service upon which the passenger might expect an MW but in reality they spent their lives mostly on the Nailsworth local services, 430A to Ruscombe, 563 to Cheltenham, 452 to Cranham, 446 to Kingscourt and 438 to Uplands, although latterly they would tend to appear solely at Nailsworth, Uplands and to Cheltenham.
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Service 563 - the scenic route to Cheltenham
Seen in 2001 on the 2nd Stroud Classic Running Day is this ex-Southern National example. As an SUL rather than SUS, it seated 36 but other than increased length and seats was the same as those operating in Stroud including the string pull passenger bell system similar to the two earlier Stroud examples.
The above SUL on 12 August 2001 travelled between Stroud and Sheepscombe on a short working of the 563 between Stroud and Cheltenham and proved popular with enthusiasts. This route converted itself briefly to LH operation following the withdrawal in 1978 of the SUs but would also see MWs throughout the sixties and seventies.
The indirect route to Cheltenham meandered scenically through villages such as Slad, Sheepscombe, Miserden, Whiteway and Birdlip before descending down the impressive Leckhampton Hill into Cheltenham. This route was therefore a real treat for enthusiasts: the struggle up and down the Slad Valley, ascent from Leckhampton, impressive views from many points including at Sheepscombe and Birdlip plus unspoiled Cotswold villages such as Miserden and Birdlip.
During its history, the route has seen many vehicle types including Ls, LSs, MWs, SUs and Bedford OBs. In partnership with Gloucestershire County Council, Bristol Omnibus purchased in 1979 two Ford Transit minibuses with Reeve Burgess DP17F bodies, one of which operated consistently on the 563. Nevertheless, at peak times on Mondays to Fridays, the company would (generally!) schedule REs on the peak journeys between Stroud and Whiteway to accommodate school loadings.
563 has seen significant cut backs over the years. Villages along its length are classic examples of settlements where for decades the private car has held sway. With many twists and turns to accommodate villages on the routes and confusing short or special workings, even buses in the 1960s could not compete with the car. Even so, by 1975, there were sill seven departures per day from Stroud (some of them short workings). This was half the 1960 departures and figure halved again in 1981 and reduced further - if that were possible - during the 80s and 90s.
After the advent of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Omnibus Company in 1983, the one remaining Saturday short between Stroud and Whiteway was operated directly by Gloucestershire County Council in 1984. Monday to Friday journeys at peak times and off-peak on Thursdays and Fridays only were operated by Cheltenham and Gloucester's locally branded Stroud Valleys buses. The peak arrivals and departures were maintained for many years, coinciding with school movements.
Upon its retender, the current level is a twice weekly service, operated as service 23, in the early years of this decade by Cotswold Experience, through running to Cheltenham once a week only.
Nailsworth Locals
One of Stroud's Bristol SUs would invariably spend a day in Nailsworth working on the Nailsworth Locals. Perhaps it is harsh to say that even in the sixties, it was doubtful whether anything more than a motor car would have been required for most trips, let alone the SU's 30 seats, though there were connections at Nailsworth with buses to and from Stroud. The highest loads were taken up the hill between Nailsworth Bus Station and Forest Green, before and during the days of the 564 extensions beyond Nailsworth.
Nailsworth Local Services were always very much a friendly affair. The same group of drivers would tend to be responsible for them. The few passengers there tended to be regular in their travelling habits and relationships would therefore build.
During the fifties and sixties there was quite an extensive network of services radiating to settlements from Nailsworth each with reasonable frequencies - reasonable, at least, for the populations being served. Even in the mid-60s, Shortwood (455) and Newmarket (456) enjoyed at least six return trips to Nailsworth Mondays to Saturdays and Windsoredge (449) five. Forest Green, at that time served by stand alone local service 454, held down nine return trips on Mondays to Saturdays (two of which extended on Fridays and Saturdays to Nympsfield) and also a Sunday and bank holiday service as well. Five buses a day - one as late as 2000 hrs - operated between Nailsworth and Minchinhampton 467 with an extension to Cherrington on three days a week. Minchinhampton also saw Sunday services from Nailsworth.
 An evocative picture taken by Stephen Dowle and used with his permission is of SUS4A no. 303 at Tiltups End, near Nailsworth, in 1977. The service's previous number had been 457. This was one service that operated twice weekly in the sixties and seventies but sadly the delightfully named Tiltups End on the A46 Bath Road two miles from Nailsworth is no longer served. In the early 1970s, Tiltups End was amalgamated into the Stroud - Tetbury - Malmesbury service 424 |
The seventies saw a gradual erosion of service levels from Nailsworth to its smaller fringe settlements. Further decline was inevitable and by the 1981's Market Analysis Project, Nailsworth locals saw just 53 departures per week from Nailsworth with none at all on Saturdays. By this time, certain routes had been withdrawn altogether and others merged.
The SUs were withdrawn in 1978. 1979 brought with it one of two regular minibus services on the Nailsworth locals, in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council. Painted green and yellow and with Bristol and Gloucestershire names on the sides, the B17F Ford Transits with Reeve Burgess Reebur DP17F bodywork were the first minibuses in the area and were also available during evenings and weekends for hire, to offset costs.
Further decline followed in the 1990s, though by then the pace had slowed. Services passed to Cotswold Experience (or Ebley Coaches to Minchinhampton from April 2003) under contract to Gloucestershire County Council, and in the early years of this decade saw just 30 departures per week from Nailsworth bus station, equivalent to six departures per day Mondays to Fridays. All services save for that to and from Minchinhampton operate less than five days a week.
 Part of an SU's typical duties were shorts workings between Nailsworth and Horsley on the 400. The same vehicle, 303, is seen at Nailsworth Bus Station in 1977. Picture by Stephen Dowle, used with permission. In spite of more descriptive blinds, Nailsworth locals tended to appear simply with the word "Service", as here |