Three Towns Forum
The Local => Times Past => Topic started by: DaveR on October 23, 2010, 07:23:39 pm
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Saw this photo from 1972 over on Flickr, of the Coach park in Llandudno back then:
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1061/5105821168_7004b29e42_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36759493@N07/5105821168/)
Llandudno Coach Station about 1972 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36759493@N07/5105821168/#) by Eagle142 (http://www.flickr.com/people/36759493@N07/), on Flickr
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That's a good find Dave. *&(
Just been trying to fathom out where it was taken. It looks to me as if it was taken near the old Crosville depot on Mostyn Broadway. I remember those allotments across the road.
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Double-decker outside the Kings Arms in Mostyn Street.
The advert on the side of the bus always makes me chuckle....Invicta A front briefs for Men and Boys
I've worn Y front's before, but never heard of A front's. L0L
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Crosville Bristol bus in Clonmel Street
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Another Bristol in Argyll Road
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You can still see them today at Llandudno Transport Festival
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A Bristol Lodekka
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Open-topped bus on Mostyn Broadway
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A Great Orme Guy Tour bus at the old Conway Road Coach Park
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And one in Lloyd Street
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That's a good find Dave. *&(
Just been trying to fathom out where it was taken. It looks to me as if it was taken near the old Crosville depot on Mostyn Broadway. I remember those allotments across the road.
I was thinking it was taken from the Prom, looking down that unpaved road towards the LSP garage on the left, and the allotments where Mostyn Champneys is now across the road.
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Its hard enough geting over Llanrwst bridge as it is
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Trains at Conwy Station
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Looking at Llandudno Station's Sidings in 1938 (taken from Maesdu Bridge):
[smg id=831]
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(http://www.swissitalianpaddlesteamers.com/lcbtramsoc/images/loop-grand-llandudno.jpg)
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That last picture looks like Hiroshima ...Circa August 1945
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That's a good find Dave. *&(
Just been trying to fathom out where it was taken. It looks to me as if it was taken near the old Crosville depot on Mostyn Broadway. I remember those allotments across the road.
I was thinking it was taken from the Prom, looking down that unpaved road towards the LSP garage on the left, and the allotments where Mostyn Champneys is now across the road.
Yes, that's the unpaved road, however I'm sure it was still the Crosville depot in '72. You can see the entrance where the buses went in on the left, with the white hoarding above. I remember when LSP Motors were there in '80 the road had been tarmaced, and the entrance led into their workshop.
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That last picture looks like Hiroshima ...Circa August 1945
L0L
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1970s - a British Rail van in, I think, Llandudno Junction where the old Goods Yard was (where Lidl is now):
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5171211915_45f412e08e_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/merf29/5171211915/)
ORR365W (http://www.flickr.com/photos/merf29/5171211915/#) by merf292002 (http://www.flickr.com/people/merf29/), on Flickr
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Llandudno Station sometime in the 1980s:
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5206882792_7aa7b94394_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bogbrush6666/5206882792/)
LLANDUDNO JUNCTION (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bogbrush6666/5206882792/#) by mike ware (http://www.flickr.com/people/bogbrush6666/), on Flickr
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A Plaxton Great Orme Tours bus from the 1980s:
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5209506149_5af1b8ed74_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/keith-v/5209506149/)
A 609 XFM (http://www.flickr.com/photos/keith-v/5209506149/#) by keith-v (http://www.flickr.com/people/keith-v/), on Flickr
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9 June 1979. Outside what is now Nigel Roberts Newsagents on Gloddaeth Street:
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5380779766_2c764d72fa_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/28083135@N06/5380779766/)
A little bit of posh at the sea-side (http://www.flickr.com/photos/28083135@N06/5380779766/#) by Lost-Albion (http://www.flickr.com/people/28083135@N06/), on Flickr
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Interesting photo from 1970, showing not just three of the Guy Wolf buses on Mostyn Street but also a glimpse at the Clock Vaults pub in the background, complete with sign saying Lounge Bar pointing down the side street:
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5367272124_2535bf8b1b_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/5367272124/)
LlandudnoWolf Pack in 1970. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/5367272124/#) by David Christie 14 (http://www.flickr.com/people/david_christie/), on Flickr
Larger version can be seen here:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5367272124_2535bf8b1b_b.jpg (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5367272124_2535bf8b1b_b.jpg)
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9 June 1979. Outside what is now Nigel Roberts Newsagents on Gloddaeth Street:
Fabulous to see, as a teenager when we stopped at 5 York Road in the morning I used to walk past the Clarence, look in the window for the day's weather forcast and into the newsagents for my parent's newspaper. I used to save my pocket money through the year and would buy Matchbox models in that newsagents D) Now when I walk past the Clarence I look at it and feel sad at how it is now! :(
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Paddle Steamer La Marguerite Approaching The Pier:
[smg id=1160]
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Llandudno Guy Wolf Coach JC 9736 at Prince Edward Square in the 1960s
[smg id=1161]
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As I've said in another post I used to be a regular on those trips (Marine Drive and the Circular Tour) thats one of my favourites along with JC 5313
The enquiry is complete
The vehicle details for JC 9736 are:
Date of Liability 01 03 2011
Date of First Registration 11 04 1949
Year of Manufacture Not Available
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 4500CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Licence Due to Expire
Vehicle Colour ORANGE
Vehicle Type Approval
Still exists, but is orange! I'm hoping to be reunited with JC 5313 in May at the Extravaganza, must be about 35 years since I saw that bus!
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Here's another view:
(The Vauxhall Viva wasn't included in the tour) ;D
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Here's another view:
(The Vauxhall Viva wasn't included in the tour) ;D
fabulous D) Do you have a high res version of that pic? it brings back some happy memories D)
I learnt to drive in a Vauxhall Viva HC like that, passed my test in it in 73!
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Here's another view:
(The Vauxhall Viva wasn't included in the tour) ;D
fabulous D) Do you have a high res version of that pic? it brings back some happy memories D)
I learnt to drive in a Vauxhall Viva HC like that, passed my test in it in 73!
Unfortunately I don't Merddyn. :(
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December 1937: Alongside the snowbound and dangerous Standedge Road in Yorkshire is a well-located advertisement for "Sunny Llandudno"
Anyone know the make of car?
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The 100 year-old steam locomotive 'Lion' on a run between Colwyn Bay and Llandudno to commemorate 100 years of Coronation trains, 19th June 1937:
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1932: The Conway - Llandudno railway line.
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Circa 1900: Passengers sitting in the observation car at Llandudno Junction.
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1953. Poster produced for British Railways (BR) to promote holiday rail travel to Llandudno. The poster is illustrated with a pictorial map of the town and surrounding area showing areas of interest. Artwork by E W Fenton.
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Circa 1900: Passengers sitting in the observation car at Llandudno Junction.
They need an up-to-date version of that for the Llandudno - Ffestiniog run. If they served a lunch on board, or even a buffet, it could be a winner in tourist terms.
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December 1937: Alongside the snowbound and dangerous Standedge Road in Yorkshire is a well-located advertisement for "Sunny Llandudno"
Anyone know the make of car?
I'm no car buff.... but there is just a chance that being in Yorkshire, it could have been a ''Jowett''
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December 1937: Alongside the snowbound and dangerous Standedge Road in Yorkshire is a well-located advertisement for "Sunny Llandudno"
Anyone know the make of car?
I'm no car buff.... but there is just a chance that being in Yorkshire, it could have been a ''Jowett''
Possibly.
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A Singer 10 driven by G N Brown beats the Irish Mail train from a standing start during a speed trial held on the promenade at Colwyn Bay. 1912
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An official flags down the Sunbeam car driven by Eric Myers during a speed trial held on the promenade at Colwyn Bay, 1912.
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Royal Scot class 4-6-0 locomotive number 6116 'Irish Guardsman' with the Irish Mail passing Conwy Castle, 1936. The Irish Mail is the oldest named train in the world and has been running since 1848. It runs between London Euston and Holyhead where it connects to a ferry which takes the mail to Dublin. Four services ran every day at this time. The train also carried passengers wishing to travel from London to Dublin.
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A Talbot 25/50 driven by Leslie Handson on the way to setting the fastest time of the day during a speed trial held at Colwyn Bay, 1912.
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Mail train picking up a mail pouch at Colwyn Bay, 1909.
London & North Western Railway (LNWR) steam locomotive en route from London's Euston Station to Holyhead with the Irish Mail service. This express passenger service included a Travelling Post Office carriage, where Royal Mail workers sorted mail during the journey.
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just received this after finding it on Ebay, on the back is written 5/69 JC 5313 Guy Wolf, 1938 CFB 13451 waveney B20F
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That looks like the rear of a Bedford van on the right. :)
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it's a Bedford CA, looks like it has windows and a stripe down the side, so it's probably a Dormobile .
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not a postcard, but I can't see where else to put this link, some good pics on this website...
http://www.focustransport.org.uk/focusllan1.aspx (http://www.focustransport.org.uk/focusllan1.aspx)
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not a postcard, but I can't see where else to put this link, some good pics on this website...
http://www.focustransport.org.uk/focusllan1.aspx (http://www.focustransport.org.uk/focusllan1.aspx)
I agree, some excellent pics there.
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Railway disaster at Penmaenmawr, January 13th 1899. The accident happened the previous day on the North Wales Coast Line on. A storm had washed away part of the track ballast, causing the train, pulled by a London & North Western Railway (L&NWR) 0-6-0 locomotive, to derail.
The two crewmen sadly fell into the sea and drowned.
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The old Goods Warehouse at Llandudno Railway Station, in 2001:
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5486075508_e36ec487d3_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/58042074@N05/5486075508/)
Llandudno (http://www.flickr.com/photos/58042074@N05/5486075508/#) by Frogowski (http://www.flickr.com/people/58042074@N05/), on Flickr
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Llandudno Station in 1988 - is it really the same sad place we see today?!
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5477257630_c6bbd7890b_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5477257630/)
19.9 Llandudno with green DMU July 1988 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5477257630/#) by Rail_Archive (http://www.flickr.com/people/rail_archive/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/5477210054_b6822d021d_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5477210054/)
8.4 Llandudno July 1986 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5477210054/#) by Rail_Archive (http://www.flickr.com/people/rail_archive/), on Flickr
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How the area of the Llandudno Junction Flyover looked in 1969. Original Maelgwyn Hotel can be seen to the side of the bridge:
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5298/5476658759_1b8108af62_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5476658759/)
19.29 Near Llandudno Junction 1969 query (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5476658759/#) by Rail_Archive (http://www.flickr.com/people/rail_archive/), on Flickr
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Lloyd Street, Llandudno, in 1973:
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5223/5602634468_2fea1daa3b_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23207961@N07/5602634468/)
Llandudno UDC FJC737F (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23207961@N07/5602634468/#) by bkp550 (http://www.flickr.com/people/23207961@N07/), on Flickr
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Wow, that brings back memories. I used to use that bus every day to get to Lloyd Street school from my home up the orme. Dave & Mickey are two of the drivers I recall. I'll never forget the day Dave went to light a cigarette whilst parked opposite the town hall & he must have knocked the lighter when he got it out of his pocket. All I saw was the big yellow flash from his cab as a massive flame lit not only his fag but his eyebrows and most of his fringe too! Happy days. lol
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It always feels a bit odd looking back at photos like that. I was around back then (as a small child), so everything in it seems familiar (my parents once had a mini like that), yet it must appear as as old to some people as a Victorian image on a postcard. ???
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I was only 6 myself in 1973 & if that picture was taken mid-afternoon I might even be one of the passengers on it as I make my way home from school. We never had a Mini but we had a similarly small car as my dad had a Hillman Imp.
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I was 17 in 73 so it's great for me to see these pics of how it was, I remember regularly seeing someone driving about in a wartime Jeep with the roof down, wonder who he was? Good memories 8)
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Quite a few of the old UDC buses can be seen on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=rec&w=all&q=llandudno+udc&m=text (http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=rec&w=all&q=llandudno+udc&m=text)
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Just seen the photo on this thread, Dave, of your photo of the junction railway crossing. But, the date. l969? I doubt it. The original flyover was under construction around 1967 and I am fairly sure the Pub was pulled down even earlier. I dont suppose its important but I would date it more around 1962 or so. Mike
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I was 17 in 73 so it's great for me to see these pics of how it was, I remember regularly seeing someone driving about in a wartime Jeep with the roof down, wonder who he was? Good memories 8)
It wasn't an Austin Champ by any chance was it? :)
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It always feels a bit odd looking back at photos like that. I was around back then (as a small child), so everything in it seems familiar (my parents once had a mini like that), yet it must appear as as old to some people as a Victorian image on a postcard. ???
The Mini in the photo is a Mini Clubman. :)
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Just seen the photo on this thread, Dave, of your photo of the junction railway crossing. But, the date. l969? I doubt it. The original flyover was under construction around 1967 and I am fairly sure the Pub was pulled down even earlier. I dont suppose its important but I would date it more around 1962 or so. Mike
I would tend to agree with you here Mike.
The clue for me is the colour of the British Rail DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) about to pass over the crossing - it's livery is green.
With the reorganisation of British Railways in the mid 1960s, a complete break with the past was signalled by the introduction of a dark blue-based livery which dominated all passenger rolling stock until the later 1980s, when a new red-banded Intercity livery was introduced along with a number of regional colour schemes.
Additionally, I thought the hotel on the right, on the other side of the crossing was the Ferry Farm Hotel.
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I was 17 in 73 so it's great for me to see these pics of how it was, I remember regularly seeing someone driving about in a wartime Jeep with the roof down, wonder who he was? Good memories 8)
It wasn't an Austin Champ by any chance was it? :)
No it was the Willys / Ford Jeep and it sparked an interest in 4 x 4 vehicles, I later owned several Landrovers and a Range Rover. I always liked the Champ with it's Rolls Royce engine but never found one at the right price!
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On the original photo, it does say '1969 query', so maybe the photographer couldn't remember the year. Thinking about it, it must be more like early/mid 60s. I see the hotel has had its signage removed, maybe ready for demolition?
The hotel was definitely the Maelgwyn:
[smg id=443]
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re the "Jeep" in 1973 I remember about the same time there being a "Mini Moke" around town causing a lot of interest which looked like a small open top jeep, beige in colour also known as "the beach buggy"
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It was like this
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/2908551674_74a94e8d7c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kunin/2908551674/)
Jeep Willys (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kunin/2908551674/#) by überkenny (http://www.flickr.com/people/kunin/), on Flickr
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The hotel was definitely the Maelgwyn:
*&( It must have originally been the Junction Hotel then? Judging by this map the Ferry Farm Hotel was on the other side.
There's still a Ferry Farm Road in the Junction today.
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I've superimposed the locations of the Maelgwyn Hotel (red dot) and the Ferry Farm Hotel (blue dot) onto this modern day aerial view:
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the police had 2 mini mokes late 60s early 70s nifty things
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the police had 2 mini mokes late 60s early 70s nifty things
They were used as taxis at Portmeirion at one time too. :D
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Voel Coaches at their Dyserth depot in 1978:
L-R :-
DDM750J - Bedford YRQ - Duple Viceroy; RXD742L - AEC Reliance - Van Hool; ODU772P - Volvo B58 - Duple Dominant; OEY520S - Bedford YMT Duple Dominant 2; WLG551R - Bedford YMT - Duple Dominant 2; GLS684N - Leyland Leopard - Plaxton Elite; JDM200K - Ford R226 - Duple Viceroy.
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Guy Otter Great Orme Tour bus in Prince Edward Square.
The world famous Baytree Hotel can be seen in the background.
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Guy Wolf Great Orme Tour bus in Prince Edward Square:
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Foden Great Orme Tour bus near St Tudno's Church bus stop:
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A Creams coach in 1952:
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A Midland Scottish Leyland Leopard in the Junction:
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A National Express Bristol:
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Who remembers the Happy Dragon?
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Crosville Bristol LL6B, Llandudno, June 1960:
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A Llandudno bound Crosville double-decker:
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Excellent pics, T. Very evocative.
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$cool$
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The world famous Baytree Hotel can be seen in the background.
Famous for what? 8) A Google reveals only the TripAdvisor reviews...
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The world famous Baytree Hotel can be seen in the background.
Famous for what? 8) A Google reveals only the TripAdvisor reviews...
$angry1$
:D
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Who remembers the Happy Dragon?
Remember? I've actually driven that bus as well as the open-top one (DFG 27) on the Happy Dragon service!
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Who remembers the Happy Dragon?
Remember? I've actually driven that bus as well as the open-top one (DFG 27) on the Happy Dragon service!
I remember I went on of the current open top ones to Rhyl last year (think it was an old Leyland one) and it was absolutely clapped out. The Driver had to rev it right up every time he stopped at a bus stop to (I assume) prevent it stalling. Talk about noise!
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They don't make 'em like they used to! lol
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They don't make 'em like they used to! lol
The Atlantean is a classic SDQ. :)
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Never driven an Atlantean, the only one they had at Crosville was too high to fit through the arches at Conwy as someone forgot to check the height when they bought it. The Lodekkas, Olympians and VRs were all 13ft 9in but the Atlantean was 14ft 6in so it was just used to serve one school run every day driven by Old Mr Pugh (Ex Manager) on a run which avoided Conwy & the Morfa.
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Never driven an Atlantean, the only one they had at Crosville was too high to fit through the arches at Conwy as someone forgot to check the height when they bought it. The Lodekkas, Olympians and VRs were all 13ft 9in but the Atlantean was 14ft 6in so it was just used to serve one school run every day driven by Old Mr Pugh (Ex Manager) on a run which avoided Conwy & the Morfa.
The Conwy arches....don't know how some vehicles squeezed through them.
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It always feels a bit odd looking back at photos like that. I was around back then (as a small child), so everything in it seems familiar (my parents once had a mini like that), yet it must appear as as old to some people as a Victorian image on a postcard. ???
The Mini in the photo is a Mini Clubman. :)
I thought someone might be interested in this photo my dad took of his mini countryman complete with running in sticker. You don't see many of those these days! My parents had three of these cars, a red, blue and green one. We think this was taken about 1967 but does anyone know for sure?
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It's an "E Reg" so yes, if it was new - 1967.
In August 1962, an attempt was made to create a national scheme to alleviate the problem of registrations running out. This used the scheme introduced in 1932, of a three-letter combination followed by a sequence number from 1 to 999, but also added a letter suffix, which initially changed on 1 January each year. An "A" suffix was thus used for 1963, "B" for 1964, etc. Middlesex was the first authority to adopt this scheme when it issued AHX 1A in February 1963. Most other areas followed suit during 1964, but some chose to stick to their own schemes up until 1 January 1965, when the letter suffix was made compulsory.
As well as yielding many more available numbers, it was a handy way for vehicle buyers to know the age of the vehicle immediately. However, the year letter changing on 1 January each year meant that car retailers soon started to notice that buyers would tend to wait until the New Year for the new letter to be issued, so that they could get a "newer" car. This led to major peaks and troughs in sales over the year, and to help flatten this out somewhat the industry lobbied to get the scheme changed, so that the change of year letter occurred on 1 August rather than 1 January. This was done in 1967, when "E" suffixes ran only from 1 January to 31 July, before "F" suffixes commenced on 1 August.
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And then came personalised number plates which ruined the whole system.
Seen outside a Police Station. 8)
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The hotel was definitely the Maelgwyn:
*&( It must have originally been the Junction Hotel then?
I found this photo which confirms that - it must have changed its name at some point but when?
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Aerial photo of Llandudno Railway Station - a hive of activity back then!
[smg id=2441]
(Click photo to view full size)
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It's a shame that they've allowed it to become a shadow of it's former self.
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Billington Bros' Mack wrecker truck.
Does anyone know why Billingtons closed down?
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One for Merddin Emrys, maybe?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130553798611&clk_rvr_id=253100985141 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130553798611&clk_rvr_id=253100985141)
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Photo from Flickr of a Crosville Wales 'Little Dragon' bus outside the Palladium in 1996. 'Muppet Treasure island' is showing. :laugh:
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6200/6110112946_7bce80ded9_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dickdapre/6110112946/)
CC MMM171 T351-04 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dickdapre/6110112946/#) by RLD52 (http://www.flickr.com/people/dickdapre/), on Flickr
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It always feels a bit odd looking back at photos like that. I was around back then (as a small child), so everything in it seems familiar (my parents once had a mini like that), yet it must appear as as old to some people as a Victorian image on a postcard. ???
The Mini in the photo is a Mini Clubman. :)
Your pic gave me quite a jolt Hollins, we had one just like that, same colour too, BUT I think it was a Friday afternoon car. It was bought brand new and within a month the side window just fell out and the clutch master cylinder went. Over the years we have had quite a few minis, but never another like that !
I thought someone might be interested in this photo my dad took of his mini countryman complete with running in sticker. You don't see many of those these days! My parents had three of these cars, a red, blue and green one. We think this was taken about 1967 but does anyone know for sure?
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(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6083/6113572649_9db8d4031e_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/crisparmour/6113572649/)
scan4170 Crosville DVG503 at Llandudno January 1986 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/crisparmour/6113572649/#) by ɹnoɯɹɐdsıɹɔ (http://www.flickr.com/people/crisparmour/), on Flickr
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Tour buses on the Marine Drive.
Looks like they had two-way traffic around the Orme in those days, or was that just for the buses?
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No, it wasn't just buses. In this postcard posted in 1963 there's a car going clockwise. I've also got a copy of Trojan's postcard which was posted in 1961.
As two toll gates were built, I'd assume that Marine Drive was intended for two way traffic. Does anyone know any more about it?
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I've also got a copy of Trojan's postcard which was posted in 1961.
It’s his own fault, Blodyn, for not sending it by air mail.
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Ah, I wondered what had happened, Bri!
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i drove from west shore and turned up past st tudnoes church to the summit in 1964 in my morris 1000,just after my first wedding anniversary.
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Reply to Blodyn question.
In 1950s Marine drive was 2 way from Happy valley to St Tudnos turn off, and from West Shore to llys Hellig Drive.
From St Tudnos to Llys Hellig Drive was one way towards West Shore.
Does anyone know what year it was altered ?
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Thanks, Mull and Snowcap. That certainly makes sense of the postcards. Does anyone know whether in the dim and distant past Marine Drive was two-way all the way round?
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Marine Drive was opened just as a path in 1858 and turned into a drive for carriages in 1872, and became a toll road some years later with even the pedestrians having to pay!
I have not seen any evidence that it has ever been two way for traffic all the way round.
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(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6052/6319269801_5853b14a98_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6319269801/)
gwynedd - aberconwy dc gjh249l llandudno JL (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6319269801/#) by johnmightycat1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/johnmightycat/), on Flickr
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Couple of nice photos from 1970 on Flickr:
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6097/6353738753_7eea6b2395.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353738753/)
Llandudno Guy Wolf & Otter parked in the Town Centre, 1970. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353738753/#) by David Christie 14 (http://www.flickr.com/people/david_christie/), on Flickr
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6047/6353735505_b8bf9ba166.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353735505/)
Llandudno Wolf AJC551 in the Main Street 1970. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353735505/#) by David Christie 14 (http://www.flickr.com/people/david_christie/), on Flickr
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6045/6353725853_6420b8f02b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353725853/)
Gt.Orme Car No.4 climbing past houses,Llandudno 1970. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353725853/#) by David Christie 14 (http://www.flickr.com/people/david_christie/), on Flickr
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6053/6353744145_0901658324.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353744145/)
Gt.Orme Tramway Car No.5 above Llandudno, 1965. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353744145/#) by David Christie 14 (http://www.flickr.com/people/david_christie/), on Flickr
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6099/6353723121_62a0156b36.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353723121/)
Llandudno Wolf JC9735 descends the Gt.Orme hill, 1970. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353723121/#) by David Christie 14 (http://www.flickr.com/people/david_christie/), on Flickr
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Horse & Carriage outside the Parade in Church Walks (then a Hotel). Not dated but has to be late 1800s?
[smg id=2622]
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I love the bus pics, just how I remember it from my hols here in the late sixties / early seventies D)
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How different it looked back then - Llandudno Station in 1989:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6714987715_b070ab14d8_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24954888@N07/6714987715/)
31455 Llandudno 2D59 280889 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24954888@N07/6714987715/#) by dlc456 (http://www.flickr.com/people/24954888@N07/), on Flickr
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Horse & Carriage outside the Parade in Church Walks (then a Hotel). Not dated but has to be late 1800s?
[smg id=2622]
That horse is going the wrong way!
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That horse is going the wrong way!
Actually he is reversing uphill! ;)
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Tram at Gloddaeth Street in 1955:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6757307895_b6d8e968b4_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/6757307895/)
Llandudno tramcar number 15 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/6757307895/#) by geoff7918 (http://www.flickr.com/people/geoffsimages/), on Flickr
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1949 Guy Wolf seen in Prince Edward Square in 1970:
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6049/6353732379_554aafd21d_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353732379/)
Llandudno 1949 Wolf at the Tour Stance 1970. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353732379/#) by David Christie 14 (http://www.flickr.com/people/david_christie/), on Flickr
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Great Orme Tram in 1965:
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6048/6353741423_318a252d78_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353741423/)
Gt.Orme Tramway No.5 descends - Llandudno,1965. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6353741423/#) by David Christie 14 (http://www.flickr.com/people/david_christie/), on Flickr
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1949 Guy Wolf seen in Prince Edward Square in 1970:
I spent a lot of time on that bus, just how I remember it D)
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Just found these pics that I took, probably on a Kodak Instamatic, around 1970 ish
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN0787.jpg)
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN0786.jpg)
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN0788.jpg)
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the last photo, is that were they swap over to the other tram now?
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The last photo is the halfway point of the top section where the trams pass each other. If you follow the track into the distance you can see it leads into the shed at the halfway station where the passengers change trams.
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yes iv,e got it now thanks SDQ
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Who remembers the Happy Dragon?
Hello Trojan (and everyone else!),
I have some interesting stuff regarding the Dragon services - including the original sketches and final drawing for the dragon itself!. How? I hear you ask, well, because I designed it!. I worked for Crosville in Crane Wharf, Chester up to the moment when Maggie's axe fell on the bus industry. I'll dig up some interesting stuff - old photos, sketches, advertising materials badges and other nerdily fascinating schwag and post it here when I get a chance. The image below was a magazine 'teaser advert' prior to the launch of the service. The 3Ts forum gets more and more interesting by the week - I was in Llandudno four weeks ago after a break of nearly ten years. It was great to be back!.
Back soon,
LD.
(http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/4558/l1coastlinerservice.jpg)
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Ok - so I have found some of the stuff I mentioned earlier. I will look for some of the original drawings when I have some time - I have some rather nice bus photos and Crosville posters somewhere too. Anyway, continuing with the L1 Coastliner - the new Dragon service was put into service on New Year's day 1985 (I think). I secretly loved the idea that the name could be read in two ways - anyone who ever used the service all the way between Caernarfon and Chester I am sure would agree that it would DRAG-ON and on and on... I remember the day I first presented the ideas to the Traffic Manager (the head honcho), he said he liked it, but the dragon's neck reminded him of his mother in law's neck! - very un-PC eh?.
We had a hell of a job getting all the timetables delivered to the depots on time as I recall, and the Union nearly refused to implement the service. But all was well in the end and the following images are of said timetable and two shots of the beast in Shotton on a rather miserable New Year's Day:
(http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/566/coastlinertimetable.jpg)
Passing through Shotton on her maiden voyage:
(http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/7813/licoastlinermaidenrunja.jpg)
On her way back to Delamere Street bus station, Chester:
(http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/7813/licoastlinermaidenrunja.jpg)
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A few years later, Corgi issued a die-cast model of the Dragon bus, but AAARRRGH!!! they beheaded my Dragon!. Someone saw the model in the National Transport Museum in London and bought it for me. I have kept it all these years and still have the original box:
(http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/2551/l1coastlinercorgimodel.jpg)
(http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/8734/l1coastlinercorgimodel2.jpg)
(http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/2677/l1coastlinercorgimodel3.jpg)
(http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9314/l1coastlinercorgimodel5.jpg)
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The other stuff I found is more general. I am surprised that I still have so much Crosville stuff actually - it's nearly 30 years ago now. I also designed a fleet of Open Toppers for seaside duty named after the Castles of North Wales. They incorporated the name of the Castle and a graphic on the front into the National Express livery which had just been launched nationwide to great fanfare. This is the only record I have of them now - the photo is of a very much younger me preparing the publicity materials for the Caernarfon Castle variant:
(http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4853/castleclassbusonpmtmach.jpg)
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Some interesting stuff here Ludo. I seem to recall the original L1 was introduced in 1966 as a sort of rail replacement when Beeching closed all of the intermediate stations between Chester and Prestatyn (except Flint) together with Conway (as it was!).
Crane Wharf seems to have all but disappeared now - lots of new housing on the site.
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I also found assorted old/antique letterpress printing blocks. Some of assorted bus types and logos and some typographical in nature.
(http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/23/crosvilleletterpressbus.jpg)
There were also tunic buttons, ties, badges and all kinds of stuff - god knows where it all came from!
(http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/1325/sbadge.jpg)
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It is interesting to note the Corgi model was solely supplied by Chester Toy Wholesalers, 449 Abergele Road, Old Colwyn, Clwyd LL29 9PR.
Of course, that business is still trading today in Old Colwyn.
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Excellent stuff, Ludo, please keep it coming. $good$
I also recall that Crosville had a fleet of small Mercedes buses with a Dragon livery in the late 80s/early 90s?
The Cymru Coastliner name was recently revived for Arriva's new fleet of double decker buses for the Rhyl-Chester service. Leather seats and free wi-fi - how times have changed!
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Crane Wharf seems to have all but disappeared now - lots of new housing on the site.
Yes indeed. I witnessed it being knocked down actually - a really strange feeling really having worked there for a few years and had so many memories of it. Even back then, there was no such thing as a safe job!.
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Another of my projects was a series of route maps for the entire Crosville operating area. They were colour coded for each location and were really well received iirc. I always tried to fight to get the publicity and signage produced bilingually for the Welsh operations areas and even had a commendation from Cymdeithas i'r iaith for some work - something I was always very proud of!.
(http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/896/routefinderroutemaps.jpg)
I also illustrated the company Christmas card for a few years, this one was from 1986 I think:
(http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2348/crosvillechristmascard.jpg)
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And finally.... for now at least!. I have a paper cut-out-and-make model of a Crosville liveried Lodekka. I made it years ago and found to my delight today that there is still a ten quid note 'on board' which I put in it after winning a pub quiz one night ages ago. A safer investment than the banks these days I think - certainly earned about the same interest ;D
If anyone would like a copy of the model, let me know and I'll see if I can find it - it's really easy to make and great fun to customise.. maybe we could have an online competition for the best bus! anyway this is what it looks like (a bit the worse for wear these days after 22 years):
(http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/6522/xvillelodekkabusblock.jpg)
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Excellent stuff, Ludo, please keep it coming. $good$
...Leather seats and free wi-fi - how times have changed!
:o Unbelievable! a real 21st century service then - I hope it helps in some small way to make Rhyl feel proud of itself again. It's really sad what has happened there, It used to be a magical place when I was a kid.
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Me again! - if I can work out how to do it, I will use that Crosville button as my avatar for a bit - cool eh?.
HOORAY!! - it worked!
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I never thought I would be so interested in Crosville buses but your personal insight on the subject is fascinating. I love your xmas card and models. Crosville were my school buses in Northwich in the sixties.
Thank you so much for sharing these. $good$
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I never thought I would be so interested in Crosville buses but your personal insight on the subject is fascinating. I love your xmas card and models. Crosville were my school buses in Northwich in the sixties.
Thank you so much for sharing these. $good$
You are very welcome Hollins - it is a real pleasure to share isn't it?. Crosville has such a place in all our lives who can remember them. I had a company bus pass for all the time I worked there in Chester so even at the weekends I would be 'on the buses' up and down the length and breadth of their patch. It was great fun in the summer, I had such a laugh with the crews sometimes. I ended up being a bit of an anorak (as you can probably tell ;) ) - I am just about recovered now though...
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I also recall that Crosville had a fleet of small Mercedes buses with a Dragon livery in the late 80s/early 90s?
The small Mercedes buses were branded as 'Little Dragons'
to follow the same theme. They had 20 seats except for two
which had 19 coach seats (MMM99 & MMM173 were their
fleet numbers). Originally given a life span of 2 or 3 years
they proved such a good work-horse they lasted many more.
The 'Happy Dragon' mentioned in Trojan's original post
wasn't the Coastliner but the 100 service from Conwy
to Talacre operated primarily by open-top double deckers
one of which was an old Bristol Lodekka (DFG 27) and a
closed top version (DFG 234) which was in the original pic.
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Ludo: your contribution to this place is amazing and extremely valuable. Thanks for digging the stuff out, and we'll be happy to see whatever else you can find.
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I also designed a fleet of Open Toppers for seaside duty named after the Castles of North Wales. They incorporated the name of the Castle and a graphic on the front into the National Express livery which had just been launched nationwide to great fanfare. This is the only record I have of them now - the photo is of a very much younger me preparing the publicity materials for the Caernarfon Castle variant:
I still have the original drawings for these somewhere, I'll dig them out and post them here if I can find them. I just found this great colour photo of the Criccieth Castle Class open topper - good to see it again after all these years:
(http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/6307/castleclasscriccieth.jpg)
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It maybe of interest but a couple of long-standing retired Crosville bus drivers, Maldwyn and Barry, had a table on Bodafon Fields during last year's Llandudno Extravaganza selling Crosville memorabilia including timetables etc.
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Ludo: your contribution to this place is amazing and extremely valuable. Thanks for digging the stuff out, and we'll be happy to see whatever else you can find.
Thanks Ian. I actually think the whole site is fantastic - I have spent many a dreamy hour already lost in the nostalgia of past times and fascinated by the developments of today and the possibilities for the future. Well done to all involved and a huge thank you for all your time and effort. I am really happy to contribute in some small way to this great site, and to hear that members find it interesting is reward enough. $good$
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It maybe of interest but a couple of long-standing retired Crosville bus drivers, Maldwyn and Barry, had a table on Bodafon Fields during last year's Llandudno Extravaganza selling Crosville memorabilia including timetables etc.
It is of great interest - thanks. It's a bit far away for me to go at the moment as I live in Nijmegen, Holland - but who knows, I might make it this year!.
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Thanks Bri, I feel motivated to spend the rest of the afternoon rooting around in my basement storeroom downstairs to see what else I can find now... I'll report back later.
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Thank you Ludo, I've really enjoyed looking at your pics, $thanx$
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Me too. In my younger days I used buses extensively in South Cheshire - Crosville, North Western and PMT (Potteries Motor Traction).
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Aha! thanks everyone - I am really happy to hear you enjoyed looking at these things. As there seems to be no objection to me cluttering up this fascinating thread I will post a few more gems in due course. I have just been scrambling about in my store room humping boxes around trying to find more Crosville history - with some success I must say!.
For example, speaking of the North Western Road Car Company, I have just found a poster I designed to celebrate 60 years of service between Crosville and NW - between 1923 to 1983. It is a bit big to go on my diminutive scanner so I will photograph it later and post it. I need a rest and a nice cool Dutch beer now though after all that exertion...
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I'm loving all of this Crossville history, as a lad I loved the green buses when we came to llandudno on holiday D)
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So, a few more odds and ends then - this one is the 60 Years of Service Poster. There was a big week of events in Macclesfield to mark the anniversary and special fare deals and promotional activities throughout the year. It worked quite well and generated a lot of positive publicity for the company in general - until the axe fell...
(http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/9550/60yearsofserviceposter.jpg)
The company had a culture of tie wearing - quite the norm in those days, and I found myself regularly haggling with the weavers to find a compromise between detail and the constraints of the weaving process. Here are three examples, Town Lynx, EuroLynx International (very sought after this one), and of course the 60 years of service commemorative tie:
(http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/9030/tiesw.jpg)
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I also found the original visuals for the dragon coastliner service designs. These were the actual drawings presented to the then General Manager David Meredith who I learned today sadly died far too young at the age of sixty in 2002. He was a thorough gentleman and was well liked and respected by the whole company. These were also the very same drawings which reminded Traffic Manager Tony Harrison of his mother in law!. As you can see, they were accepted pretty much as is:
(http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/9479/coastlinervisuals.jpg)
This article in the week of the launch of the service was from no less than the respected authority 'National Bus News' ;)
(http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/4732/nationalbusnews.jpg)
I'll try and post a bigger one so it is easier to read...
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Bigger version of the 'National Bus News' article:
(http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/3993/nationalbusnewsdetail.jpg)
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and... these are the original drawings of the castles used on the Castle Class open toppers and the corresponding timetable books etc:
(http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/7848/sringg.jpg)
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Network Rail have just launched their online archive of railway drawings, designs etc:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/VirtualArchive/ (http://www.networkrail.co.uk/VirtualArchive/)
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Wish they hadn't done away with the Cymru Coastliner it was such a good service all the way to Chester and then onwards if necessary. Now you have to faff around in Rhyl.
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Not too difficult, you get the 12 to Rhyl and then get the X11 to Chester.
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Yeah but why should you have to when the Coastliner had limited stops and was so much faster and more comfortable. Grrr
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Ludo, I worked for Crosville in the 1980's and drove the coastliner and the 'castle series' open toppers , your drawings brought back some great memories.
The open top you pictured was the only one in the Crosville fleet with a tachograph fitted , so it often went out on private hire to Chester races .
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Prynhawn dda Taff,
I remember the Open Toppers at Chester Races. I used to walk past the Roodee on my way to and from work every day. We had a single decker Bristol RE (two door variant) converted as a sort of mobile exhibition/publicity bus and most seasons we trundled that into the Roodee for the races as a publicity campaign.
I am sure you already know about these websites, but for all who don't - they may be of interest:
Crosville reborn: http://www.crosvillemotorservices.co.uk/index.php (http://www.crosvillemotorservices.co.uk/index.php)
Crosville enthusiasts club website: http://www.crosville-ec.org.uk/index.html (http://www.crosville-ec.org.uk/index.html)
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Ludo, I've only just caught up with this thread and your fascinating contributions - I love your dragon design. Like Hollins, I never thought I'd be so interested in buses, so many thanks for posting all this.
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A new photo of an old car. Was Inspector Morse in Llandudno today?
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Very nice, that's the Daimler with the 2.5 litre V8. Many years ago I had the Jaguar mk 2 with the 3.4
6 cylinder XK engine. I sold it for £300! A year or so later they became fashionable and the price shot up! Jaguar ownership is calling me again at the moment! ^*^0
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The L1 Coastliner - the new Dragon service was put into service on New Year's day 1985 (I think).
I'm enjoying reading through this thread, Ludo. Around the time you were designing publicity material for the Crosville I was eagerly lapping it up as a card-carrying enthusiast, travelling the length and breadth of the company on the "Explorer" and "Rideabout" tickets and capturing the scenes with my camera for posterity.
Many of those scenes can be seen today on my flickr account. http://www.flickr.com/photos/crisparmour/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/crisparmour/)
I have a special Crosville collection at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crisparmour/sets/72157608061467854/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/crisparmour/sets/72157608061467854/)
and a "Buses in Wales" collection at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crisparmour/sets/72157611167557674/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/crisparmour/sets/72157611167557674/)
At the specific time you mention the Dragon-liveried Olympian deckers going into service on the Coastliner I was training to be a driver with the company and I rode out of Chester on the first bus on the new service which was actually on the first Sunday of the New Year. It was the 5th of January 1986, not 1985. It was a long time ago but I remember it well for those specific reasons.
Now you get the benefit of me photting one of your buses at your end on the big day while you were off gallivanting down the other....
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6166/6134276582_327c4121aa_z.jpg)
Another taken the same day...
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6083/6113572649_9db8d4031e_z.jpg)
As for your cut-out Lodekka, I think that a high resolution scan would be appreciated by the enthusiast fraternity. I've never seen such like before and its appearance would cause a bit of a stir I think. Keep your illustrations coming, they are of real historic significance to transport enthusiasts.
Thanks!
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That nasty, simplified Coastliner livery upon which the model bus was based [sorry if location is a few miles off topic] - why couldn't they go for the more characterful one which would have been much more attractive and sold more IMHO. Or would it have been too hard to reproduce?(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2492/4101854150_aa9eae89cd_z.jpg)
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Tramway crossing Bodafon Fields:
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5312/7045185637_7f41e15333_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/aceanorak/7045185637/)
Llandudno...... (http://www.flickr.com/photos/aceanorak/7045185637/#) by colinfpickett (http://www.flickr.com/people/aceanorak/), on Flickr
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That's an excellent one.
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That photo brings back happy memories.
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A new photo of an old car. Was Inspector Morse in Llandudno today?
Hi Dave, I have just seen your post - and realised that someone has had the same type of Jag parked in our car park beneath our apartment block here in Nijmegen for the last two years - same colour, although a little dusty. British detective series are really well loved over here - especially Morse!. I will take a shot of it in the next couple of days and post it here...
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I'm enjoying reading through this thread, Ludo. Around the time you were designing publicity material for the Crosville I was eagerly lapping it up as a card-carrying enthusiast, travelling the length and breadth of the company on the "Explorer" and "Rideabout" tickets and capturing the scenes with my camera for posterity.
At the specific time you mention the Dragon-liveried Olympian deckers going into service on the Coastliner I was training to be a driver with the company and I rode out of Chester on the first bus on the new service which was actually on the first Sunday of the New Year. It was the 5th of January 1986, not 1985. It was a long time ago but I remember it well for those specific reasons.
Now you get the benefit of me photting one of your buses at your end on the big day while you were off gallivanting down the other....
As for your cut-out Lodekka, I think that a high resolution scan would be appreciated by the enthusiast fraternity. I've never seen such like before and its appearance would cause a bit of a stir I think. Keep your illustrations coming, they are of real historic significance to transport enthusiasts.
Thanks!
Thanks to everyone who replied to the stuff I posted - what an interesting place this is!. You know, this is one of the very best things about the interwebs for me - that an event from the past can be brought to life from so many different perspectives by photos, experiences artifacts from the people who were there - truly amazing. Thanks Crisparmour for all the interesting images, I have already spent many nostalgic moments Flickr-ing through them!.
Amazing that you were also there taking shots of my Dragon bus on the same day, and that you took the first one out! - now that deserves some sort of prize I think. You are right about the dates too - how the memory plays tricks after so long. I agree about the 'dumbed down' version of the Dragon livery. I was not very happy with it, but it was done after I left the company to work for an ad agency so it was out of my hands by then. All of the staff in our department jumped ship around then as we could see the great axe of privatisation coming tearing up all before it. Good that we did too - within two years of my departure, the Crosville Crane Wharf Headquarters was a barely discernable bump in the ground with only weeds left to tell the tale of the building's 80 years of successful and trusted public service. I remember watching herons on the river Dee out of my office window during moments of wistful hiatus between designing Divisional Manager's monthly return form pads and the latest Setright stats reports. Ho hum - happy days...
I did find the Lodekka model recently (and then promptly lost it again) but I will scan it and post it here asap. There is lots of other stuff from my Crosville/NBC days too - I haven't posted it yet as I didn't really want to clog up your fantastic forum with a lot of stuff about buses - but hey, if there is some interest - why not eh?
ding ding - here we go... no talking to the driver while the vehicle is in motion please!
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Ludo, just in case you didn't see this, there were some great photos of old Crosville buses posted recently by Merddin Emrys.
They are in the Llandudno Extravaganza thread under Local News and Discussion. Reply numbers 316 and 319, page 13.
I can only speak for myself but I did find your posts about Crosville very interesting and would love to see more!
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Ludo, just in case you didn't see this, there were some great photos of old Crosville buses posted recently by Merddin Emrys.
They are in the Llandudno Extravaganza thread under Local News and Discussion. Reply numbers 316 and 319, page 13.
I can only speak for myself but I did find your posts about Crosville very interesting and would love to see more!
Thanks Hollins - good to hear there is interest in these things!. Thanks for the link to Merddin Emrys' photos too, he is really handy with a camera I see. They are really nostalgic and very good quality - well done Merddin if you are listening!. Continuing the saga of the Coastliner Dragon, not many enthusiasts will know this feature of the story, but rather like the surprise of finding out that Darth Vader was actually Luke Skywalker's father - the L1 Dragon actually started his life in exile in the frozen wastes of mid Wales as the X52 Dyfed Dragon - flying regularly at break-neck speeds between Machynlleth and Swansea. This is my original artwork for the first incarnation of the dragon - seen here waiting expectantly at the bus stop waiting for the call from the 'dark side' of the force....
(http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/6913/dyfeddragongwyrdd.jpg)
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...and here is the final advert on the back page of the 1984 Aberystwyth (revised) timetable:
(http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/4218/aberystwythtimetable.jpg)
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We produced a range of coffee mugs (very important piece of equipment in Crane Wharf) for various publicity events, and I see that the Dyfed Dragon made it on to one of these. Amazing that I still carry these things around the world with me - I really must learn to let things go.....
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/7718/crosvillemugs1.jpg)
(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2839/crosvillemugs2.jpg)
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$thanx$ Ludo and Hollins Cheers! and I love all of the Crosville pics from Ludo too! some more pics of the bus that we fell in love with, nothing modern has all the fine details that this bus has!
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN1426.jpg)
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN1410.jpg)
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN1418.jpg)
Now that's a heater!
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN1419.jpg)
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN1420.jpg)
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN1421-1.jpg)
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN1423.jpg)
(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/penrhynpigeons/DSCN1422.jpg)
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What a lovely story and what a good job that there are enthusiasts like that who are prepared to go to such lengths to restore things.
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Fantastic stuff Merddin! - She really is a time capsule, and how reassuring it is that there are people who care enough about our heritage to preserve it so well. I remember taking a bus exactly like this one from Llandudno to Conwy Morfa when I was a nipper - ah... nostalgia - the keynote of the age!.
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Yes fantastic ME.
I have a nostalgic liking for Crosville buses having been a regular user in my school days in the Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach areas. I also regularly rode PMT buses between Crewe and the Potteries.
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is that a Chester registration number ?
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is that a Chester registration number ?
Yes, FM denotes Chester.
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thought so
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I remember watching herons on the river Dee out of my office window during moments of wistful hiatus between designing Divisional Manager's monthly return form pads and the latest Setright stats reports. Ho hum - happy days...
While searching for more stuff from my Crosville days, I came across this scene - exactly the view of the Dee from my office window I was describing above - no herons that day though....
(http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/3074/cranewharfoffice1984p.jpg)
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I agree with Hollins, what a nice story about the Crossville bus. Thanks for posting that and the other pictures, ME.
Ludo, the Dyfed Dragon is lovely! I'm very glad you've kept all those things and are now sharing them with us.
$thanx$
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Ludo, the Dyfed Dragon is lovely! I'm very glad you've kept all those things and are now sharing them with us.
$thanx$
Thanks Blodyn (and everyone else who replied) - I'll post more soon when I can find the time to search through the storeroom...
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A new photo of an old car. Was Inspector Morse in Llandudno today?
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Hi Dave, I have just seen your post - and realised that someone has had the same type of Jag parked in our car park beneath our apartment block here in Nijmegen for the last two years - same colour, although a little dusty. British detective series are really well loved over here - especially Morse!. I will take a shot of it in the next couple of days and post it here...
...and here is the said Jag in our parking garage!. Note the graffiti written in the dust on the bonnet - now I wonder what heartless vandal could be responsible for such sacrilege....
(http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/1603/jaguarn.jpg)
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Yes fantastic ME.
I have a nostalgic liking for Crosville buses having been a regular user in my school days in the Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach areas. I also regularly rode PMT buses between Crewe and the Potteries.
And especially for Bellringer, the Crewe and Northwich timetable from March 1993:
(http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/6600/crewenorthwichtimetable.jpg)
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....There is lots of other stuff from my Crosville/NBC days too - I haven't posted it yet as I didn't really want to clog up your fantastic forum with a lot of stuff about buses - but hey, if there is some interest - why not eh?
I have found this original newspaper advert from the week before the launch of the Dragon Coastliner service - the dates confirm Crisparmour's correction of my earlier post:
(http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/7351/l1dragonadvert.jpg)
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Yes fantastic ME.
I have a nostalgic liking for Crosville buses having been a regular user in my school days in the Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach areas. I also regularly rode PMT buses between Crewe and the Potteries.
And especially for Bellringer, the Crewe and Northwich timetable from March 1993:
Thanks Ludo, that's great. I never went beyond Sandbach so no trips to or from Northwich or points in between. I went to school in Sandbach, caught a Crosville from there to Haslington and then PMT home to near Alsager. It was a bit of a roundabout trip but there was no "as the crow flies" route.
PS I should point out that this was in the 50s - the 1950s that is!
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Ok Bellringer - thanks!. I'll have a look and see if I can home-in a little bit closer to your route in my box of Crosville paraphernalia and report back....
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Found at last!
The Lodekka model was lurking at the bottom of a box in my storeroom and having had a good look at it again, I saw it was in need of a good touch-up. So I have replaced the windows (the original blacked out windows were a bit depressing), and other bits and bobs, edited out scratches and wear and tear and I post the restored model here. If anyone has any other requests/suggestions for bus-side adverts, let me have them and I'll paste them on and post a 'custom' version for you. Maybe it would be a good idea to have a competition for the best/funniest bus, and then put them all together for a small exhibition during the VE - just a thought...
anyway, here it is (a high res version is also attached in a separate post):
(http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/3405/lodekkakit.jpg)
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Lodekka Kit - Hi-Res attached - (although the forum software will only allow a file size of 400KB, so it's not very high res). I could put a high res .tiff up on Sendspace if anyone would like one - that way you would be sure of the highest quality print...
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I traveled by crosville from Wrexham to StHelens nearly every weekend for three years when i was courting my good lady, it was a tanner (two and a half pence) from Wrexham to Chester, then a shilling (five pence) from Chester to Runcorn, a penny ( 1/2 P) over the tranceporter from Runcorn to Widnes and a tanner from Widnes to StHelens . I Can,t recall ever waiting for a connection, if it gave a time that was the time it left and arrived. Good old days.
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By the way the year was 1960 to 1963 and i don,t recall the prices ever going up in that time.
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Found at last!
The Lodekka model was lurking at the bottom of a box in my storeroom and having had a good look at it again, I saw it was in need of a good touch-up. So I have replaced the windows (the original blacked out windows were a bit depressing), and other bits and bobs, edited out scratches and wear and tear and I post the restored model here. If anyone has any other requests/suggestions for bus-side adverts, let me have them and I'll paste them on and post a 'custom' version for you. Maybe it would be a good idea to have a competition for the best/funniest bus, and then put them all together for a small exhibition during the VE - just a thought...
anyway, here it is (a high res version is also attached in a separate post):
Excellent! I've printed one out, just need to make it now D) $good$
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Excellent! I've printed one out, just need to make it now D) $good$
Great! well done ME - don't forget to post a photo of it when it is ready.....
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Noticed a Crosville badge and a few National Express badges for sale in the display case outside Collectors Corner in Vaughan Street today.
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Crosville 'Leyland National' at St Tudnos Church back in 1986:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7251550064_7f0b14a5ba_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/philtonks/7251550064/)
On Top Of The Orme (http://www.flickr.com/photos/philtonks/7251550064/#) by Phil Tonks (http://www.flickr.com/people/philtonks/), on Flickr
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Creams tours office at the Astra/Odeon:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7155633857_f61991d7fb_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/63164772@N05/7155633857/)
Creams Coaches at their Llandudno office (http://www.flickr.com/photos/63164772@N05/7155633857/#) by Martin Pritchard (http://www.flickr.com/people/63164772@N05/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7101/7340835584_e0d5767c41_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/63164772@N05/7340835584/)
Creams coaches at their Llandudno office (http://www.flickr.com/photos/63164772@N05/7340835584/#) by Martin Pritchard (http://www.flickr.com/people/63164772@N05/), on Flickr
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A few interesting shots of 60s steam trains in the local area:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/holycorner/sets/72157632592069525/with/8404985967/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/holycorner/sets/72157632592069525/with/8404985967/)
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A rather nice shot of a Colwyn Bay Prom Bus outside the Pier in the 1950s(?):
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8369/8536643094_9ab85c7f41_o.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/88869872@N06/8536643094/)
Colwyn Bay Corporation (http://www.flickr.com/photos/88869872@N06/8536643094/#) by King-Arfur (http://www.flickr.com/people/88869872@N06/), on Flickr
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Some interesting photos of the construction of the Great Orme Tramway in 1900-1902 have recently been added to Conwy Archives:
http://www.conwy.gov.uk/doc.asp?cat=142&doc=33520&Language=1 (http://www.conwy.gov.uk/doc.asp?cat=142&doc=33520&Language=1)
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Fascinating never seen these before, thanks.
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if that had been a northerly yesterday mostyn st may well have had water, not seen it that high, went over to the west shore took pics towards pen and it was black, took a pic of the orme side it was like summer, mad weather
Your Dad and my Mother would have seen it worse than that when they lived in the Penmorfa Cottages in 1924. The other photo is of the North Shore some years later.
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One hell of a good artist created that North Shore postcard Hugo! Never seen that one before.
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That is a wonderful image Hugo. Is it your postcard?
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If the water had come over on the North Shore then Clonmel Street and Mostyn Street may have looked like this.
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That is a wonderful image Hugo. Is it your postcard?
I haven't got the postcard Hollins and can't quite remember where I first saw it. It's pretty rough there though and the water looks like it was coming over the Promenade too.
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That is a wonderful image Hugo. Is it your postcard?
I haven't got the postcard Hollins and can't quite remember where I first saw it. It's pretty rough there though and the water looks like it was coming over the Promenade too.
It looks more like an artists view of a storm, than an actual photo to me.
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That is a wonderful image Hugo. Is it your postcard?
I haven't got the postcard Hollins and can't quite remember where I first saw it. It's pretty rough there though and the water looks like it was coming over the Promenade too.
It looks more like an artists view of a storm, than an actual photo to me.
Obviously Dave. Do we have this one on file anywhere?.... I think it's great.
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sad to hear that one of the Everly Brothers has passed on, what a duo,they must have been the best there was in their day, Another one joins the quire in the sky
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This is where I saw the photo/painting of the 1907
Old Photos of Llandudno (Page 5) in Caernarfonshire in North Wales, United Kingdom of Great Britain.
http://www.oldukphotos.com/caernarfonshirellandudno.htm (http://www.oldukphotos.com/caernarfonshirellandudno.htm)
If the link doesn't work just type into Google " Old photos etc " and then click on it.
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I've fixed the link Hugo. Invaluable site, that.
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Thanks for putting that link on here Hugo. There are some great views on there and very interesting that so many have the dates on too.
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I've fixed the link Hugo. Invaluable site, that.
Thanks very much for that Ian. $good$
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Thanks for putting that link on here Hugo. There are some great views on there and very interesting that so many have the dates on too.
You're very welcome Hollins, that photo/ painting of the North Shore has a name on the bottom left hand side that I can't make out.
It looks like the surname is Keane and there was a photographer round in the late 1800's who had 4 sons, some of whom were photographers but one was an artist in watercolour paintings.
Perhaps Dave may be correct as he has an eye for these things but in any event it's very impressive scene as storms go.
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I'll be doing a bit of housekeeping in here, shortly, as we seem to have wandered a little - albeit delightfully - off topic.
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That's a remarkable picture. Here's another I found (on the web) by the same artist, Elmer Keene.
(http://i39.tinypic.com/2iqg3n8.jpg)
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Another very good picture BMD. I'm glad that you could make out the artist's full name.
I've just looked him up on Google and what a talented family he has come from.
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Can anyone on the Forum help me with this one ?
Back in the 1950s some of the Single Deck Crosville buses had small Royal Mail post box outside on the rear of the bus. I can recall one parked up on waste ground by the old Police station.
Does anyone have know of the routes these buses ran on, the collection times and the arrangements for emptying the post boxes ?
&shake&
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Yes may be able shed some light, Mull.
The red-painted wooden post boxes were the property of the GPO and affixed to some of the single-deckers operating out of the Llandudno Town Depot. I seem to recall that even in the early 1960s they still had GVI's royal cypher on an enamelled white plate on the door but without posting times.
They used to provide a late posting facility for places on the old M11 route on its 1900 service from Eglwysbach to Llandudno. Letters and small packets could be inserted into the box by the poster at whatever bus stop on the route they signalled for the bus to stop.
I once asked a conductor who emptied the box and where - as us youngsters constantly debated whether it was at the Junction or Llandudno. The answer was that a postman met the bus on arrival at Llandudno and emptied the box (in those days there was a stop in Vaughan Street outside Lee's antique shop which would be the most convenient for the GPO).
When the single deckers were changed to one-man operation in the late 1960s or early 1970s, a new box somewhat smaller in size was provided by the driver's cab inside the vehicle. This didn't last long as, I expect, people not seeing the box on the rear assumed the facility was no longer available and use declined.
According to R C Anderson's History of Crosville Motor Services (1981), a Leyland single decker, fleet number KA27, "had a detachable post box fitted on the nearside rear panel and for years operated the Llandudno - Eglwysbach". KA27 was delivered in a batch during 1937/38. The local one was not unique as there area couple of photos in the 1987 edition of "State Owned without Tears" one showing a bus with the box visible and the other a small ceremony of a boy posting a letter in the box on the circular service in Rhyl in 1931 - said to be the first instance of such a service.
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Thanks for that Cambrian, very interesting.
Glad you confirmed it was real and my memory was not playing tricks.
Interesting how Royal Mail in those days probably gave a better service than now.
Last week up here on Mull we had no post from Thursday until Wednesday this week . Excuse rough weather Oban Craignure ferry cancelled. There was a way round it via Lochaline Fishnish but no initiative to come round that way.
Seems to be the way of things these days nobody cares.