BACK IN TIME - 3

Nearly sixty years ago and this was the scene at Bispham Library's bus stop. Two almost new Blackpool buses catch the sun with 313 pausing en route to Halfway House from Cleveleys on the 22 Service. The Conductor is getting a momentary break and watching his Driver before punching in the journey card in the red timeclock affixed to the then typical concrete bus shelter.

The laybye allowed shortworkings to stand here before continuing their journey into town. Bispham Endowed School stand just off camera on the lefthand side. An Abbotts coach can be just detected behind the shelter, with new build houses by Fielding Brothers facing on to Red Bank Road.

Number 313 was one of fifty similar double deck buses being delivered to Rigby Road from the Metro Cammell Weymann company. They were all fitted with open rear platforms and devoid of any of the flamboyant paint and chrome trim which marked out Blackpool's centre entrance vehicles of previous years. Below : a similar bus, number 344 is just about to turn into the corner entrance of Talbot Road Bus Station from Cookson Street - below. Hard to believe that today Blackpool's new Council Offices provide the background at this location. Number 344 is on Service 14 from Fleetwood - its route varing little to the present day. These buses typified the town's services up to 1969 when economies dictated the introduction of one man operated single deck vehicles. The open rear entrance fleet would be a long familiar sight up to the 1980s - Blackpool being the very last municipal operator of this classic British bus design. London continued to operate open platform Routemasters, but these too gave way to front entrance one person operated buses. Both Photos by : John Woodman