Buses feature in all 3 of these city centre pictures from the 80's.
Starting with the top one of the High Street and the Dryburgh bus outside McColl's.
This was taken on 2nd June 1986, just as World Cup fever was kicking in. You can see on the news board on the pavement, The Scottish Daily Express had the headline "Mexico 86 - We're Shouting For Scotland!" As usual, Scotland never made it past the first round in a group containing Denmark, Uruguay and West Germany.
The bus heading for Fintry seems to be popular in the middle shot which was taken in Reform Street on 25th July 1985.
These blue local buses were Volvo-Ailsas.
Back to the High Street for the third image, snapped from the city square on 23rd April 1988.
The bus in the Jaffa Cake colours is a recycled London Routemaster operated by Strathtay Scottish.
The board in the square was reminding folk that there was an Antique Fair going on at the Caird Hall that day.
Now, all 3 buses themselves have become an antique fare!
Photos by Neale Elder.
I loved the Routemasters when they were introduced. Being able to literally jump on and off; a clippy to take your fares (and offer you change and a bit of chat) and a cord for dinging the bell. What more could you ask for? Plus, they seemed much quicker getting from A t B, no doubt because of those very things I just mentioned. I used to get the bus from Broughty Ferry to Kingoodie, just to see where Kingoodie was...
ReplyDeleteA day oot for us was on the number 8 or 13 circular,never got off till we got back to where we started, thoughts of the movie "The Warriors" spring to mind:)
ReplyDeleteA little side note - that "Stop The Bus" title I used was referring to us being familiar with the phrase in our school days.
ReplyDeleteFirst, in the 60's, when we used to play a game of cards called "Stop The Bus".
Secondly from the late 60s/eary 70s when there was a kids tv show on Saturday mornings called The Banana Splits. They had "Stop The Bus" as a wee catch phrase they'd repeat. It meant "wait a minute/wait for me" kind of thing. Kids would shout out the phrase when they were trying to catch up with their mates, wanting them to hold on!
Correct, also used when one of your mates got overexcited or was bragging , used like "whoa whoa, stop the bus" or "hud yir beans " or "cool/calm yir jets, "steady black watch" wtc etc :)
ReplyDeleteEven though the blue Travel Dundee buses haven't been used for fifteen years or more, I still expect to see them when I nip into town. Anyone else remember the replica of the front of the bus on the storefront of the Travel Dundee shop on Commercial Street? Every time I passed it, I always did a bit of a double take, as I was convinced I was about to be run over...
ReplyDeleteTo Marky, there are still clippies on the Strathtay/Stagecoach buses on the 73 route between the city centre and Monifieth/Carnoustie/Arbroath - I still get this bus every day into town. I think I'm right in saying it's the only "local" service which still employs conductors, although I may be wrong.
Oh, and with regards to that Scottish Daily Express headline - given the current state of Scottish football, I'd be grateful for actually *getting* to a tournament (scratch that, even winning a game would do me) these days...
Was the front lower end of the "Tayside Buses" as they where at that time..not in the Keiller Forum Shopping Centre as you walk in?? remember passing it a few times seeing the lights on etc...
ReplyDeleteThe blue Volvo Ailsas may have long gone,but i have restored one and it can be seen if you go to flickr and enter the vehicles reg number, WTS273T. if your interested.
ReplyDelete