When Stroud's buses were green (and even red)
Why Stroud?
Three Reasons..
Why Stroud? Operations at Stroud Depot of the Bristol Omnibus Company were unique in the 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s for at least three reasons:
FIRST, Stroud operated largely 100% Bristols until the late seventies and even till the mid-1980s the town remained a Bristol vehicle stronghold long after most others, with the Bristol RE type reigning supreme;
SECONDLY, the drivers were renowned for their service and dedication, being the "gentlemen" (for at that time all the drivers were male) of Bristol Omnibus' Northern Division and latterly of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Omnibus Company; and
THIRDLY, the topography of the area, with its five valleys and settlements atop the high Cotswold scarp edge, lends itself magnificently to memorable operations.
We'd also like to add the romance of the names of the villages and their pubs that adorn Stroud's bus timetables; the fascinating 1950 structural reorganisation; the site of the first Western National operation; and, from 1983-1993, the erstwhile Stroud Valleys brand.
Stroud? Where's that?