Meanwhile my first daughter Jane was born in St Edmunds Hospital on July 12th. I decided that there was no future in what I was doing so in September I gave in my notice and started work for Dewhurst Butchers. My first shop was in the Drapery and It was so small that if you had two people working behind the counter, the shop was full. The cutting room was in the basement.
Before long I was being sent out and about as holiday relief to different shops all over the place. One of the first was the Farmers Supplies in the centre of town, opposite the Town Hall, next to Brown's shop. There was plenty of room in the shop but in the middle of the floor was a large trap door down into the basement and you had to be careful you didn't fall down. The manager grew his own tomatoes and used to bring them in to sell but they were so beautiful I was always eating them.
Then I was sent to Bedford where there were three shops. The first, in Silver Street, was very busy. While there, I was amazed at the amount of chitlins they used to sell. At lunch time I often went along to the embankment, where I used to feed the swans and the ducks. The second shop was in St John’s Street and it was there, one Christmas, I took some homemade wine. We finished up sitting on the blocks spearing chicken giblets with our knives. The third shop was in Ampthill Road where my main job was to deliver orders and collect the money.
To get to Bedford I had to catch a train from Bridge Street station at 7.30 and then catch the 6.30 home. On the homeward journey the train used to pass under the Yardley Hastings to Olney Road where there was a slaughter house. Sometimes the train had to wait for the signals to change and the smell was terrible. One of the lads knew the manager of Collins pet store and if we could get up there by six o 'clock he would give us a lift home in the van so we were home by 6.45.
Another shop I used to go to was in the High Street in Market Harborough andI think this was the one I used to enjoy more than any other. I used to catch the 8.30 bus to Market Harborough, which got in at 9.30 and then catch the 6.03 home in the evening. Eventually, I decided to try and hitchhike, so I used to cycle to the Kingsthorpe shop and then walk along the road to Whitehills, where I would eventually get a lift. I was picked up regularly by a van driver from Linnels and I used to get there by just gone 8.30. The manager was very good to his staff. During the week if we weren’t busy, he would let me come home with the delivery driver but I always stayed behind on market day, Fridays and Saturdays. Each lunch time we would steam fry a mutton breast, get a Spanish onion and put them in the fire and go down the pub. That was our lunch, washed down with a glass of cider.
My final shop was the one in Kingsthorpe, where I went as a relief manager. I was there for about three months before I once again finished up working in the cold store, in Far Cotton, behind the old Tivoli cinema.
In 1957 we went to Bruges and on to the World Fair in Brussels, which was very entertaining. In 1958 we went to a small fishing village in Norway called Odda. The only way the village could be supplied was by boat. I met a man who was a school teacher, teaching English there, so when I came home, I went to my old school to get some pen friends for the children in Odda.
In September of 1958 I handed in my notice at Dewhurst's and applied for a job with United Counties as a conductor. I received two weeks training for my job as a bus conductor and when I passed, my first journey was the 302 to Moulton. I remember it well.
My favourite journey was to Aylesbury via Buckingham. We would leave at 10.30 am arriving in Buckingham at 1200 noon where we had half hour break giving us time to go and have a cup of tea. After leaving at 1230 we continued to Aylesbury via Winslow, getting there at about 1.30. We had another wait of an hour before we left Aylesbury at 2.30, getting back into Northampton at 4.30 giving us time to make one more trip, to Harpole and back. That was a good day's work. Sometimes we worked a split shift, perhaps 3 hours early morning and then another 4 hours in the afternoon covering the rush hour but we got paid from the hour we started in the morning to when we finished in the evening, which could run into 12 hours.
We were often met on the road by inspectors, who would travel out in a car, so you didn't know where they would turn up. If you were running early they would report you and you had to go before the manager, Mr Maycock, who would issue you with a warning. This only happened to me once and that was on my favourite run, to Aylesbury. Most of the inspectors were pretty good and helpful if they got on during a busy time especially on the Duston run. Then they would ride on the platform and operate the bell whilst you went round collecting the fares and issuing the tickets. We also had to issue weekly and monthly tickets to workers, especially on the Corby run for the steel workers.
The Company sometimes asked for volunteers to work at Bletchley, which meant you would catch the 6.00 train to Bletchley and come back on the 6.30 at night, so you were paid about 14 hours a day. Due to the low bridges in that town, there were only single deckers available so, when you went to the estates, you would pick up perhaps 50 or more passengers and as you had no chance of collecting the fares, you stood in the doorway and the passengers would drop the money in your bag. As soon as the bus was empty, we had about a quarter of an hour break before making the return journey, so I would reel off 47 or so tickets and on the way back on the train we would work out what went into your bagging up pouch and what didn't. I used to regularly volunteer as I knew that on Market days and Saturdays you were on a good thing.
Right here we go, the first day of my driving lessons.
The bus was an old half cab with all the insides ripped out. My instructor drove it to the bottom of Rushmere Road and I had to practise double de-clutching (where you had to dip the clutch twice to engage the gears) It took nearly all day for me to get the hang of it. I also took a lot of time getting used to letting the clutch out slowly, so that I could pull away into the traffic flow. Once I had mastered that, he would take me half way up Rushmere Road and stop on the hill. There he would put a matchbox behind the rear wheel and I had to pull away without rolling back ward. Once I had mastered that, we went back to the Bedford Road junction with Rushmere Road. Before the junction was altered, there was a fork in the road, left fork to Bedford and right to Northampton. He made me reverse around this for what seemed like all day, telling me "once you can do this, you can reverse around any corner". One day we had had about two inches of snow. My instructor took me out to the Mears Ashby/Sywell cross roads and he told me to reverse round one of the corners without using the mirrors and looking around at the back of the bus. He simply said "watch the kerb". I said " what kerb?" You could not see it for snow; he said "well just guess". He was a bit of a comic. After about six tries, I finally got it right. After two weeks training, I graduated to a double decker and what a difference that was. The only way the instructor could communicate was through a small window behind the driver. There had a special bus which he would train us on, number 713. It had bent clutch plates and you could not change gears the same way twice but once you got used to it was quite easy. He would then take me out around town to get used to the traffic and then onto longer routes i.e. Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby. After that, he would ask "which routes are you not sure of?" So I picked my favourite, which of course was Aylesbury, a lovely drive. Towards the end he would take me out at night to get used to night driving around Walgrave, Hannington and Old. This was a six week course in total.
Then came the day for me to take my test. The examiner told me to turn left out of the bus station turn right into Cheyne Walk, continue to Abington Square, along Kettering Road to the White Elephant, then turn left into Kingsley Road going along to the Cock Hotel where we were to turn left to go back into town and the bus station. There I was to back it on to a bay. While I was carrying out this final manoeuvre, backing onto the bay, he was writing my pink slip out. I HAD PASSED !!!! This had taken place in the morning and I was given overtime in the afternoon. My first journey was to Old via Moulton, Holcot and Walgrave. The only problem I encountered was getting out of York Road into Abington Square with a full load. I quickly realised you needed first gear to get up and around the corner.
I was then put on a rota system whereby I would be on earlies one week then lates the next. Sometimes we were put on a split shift. We had a different conductor each shift but everything worked just fine and after six months, everything was running smoothly and I had got used to everything. I only had one mishap! That was while I was reversing in the dark at Piddington. I was waiting for the conductor to ring the bell telling me when to stop. Unfortunately, he didn't ring the bell until after I had reversed into a garden wall. I had to appear before the manager but got away with a warning.
By this time my youngest daughter had been born, May 20th Jennifer Elizabeth.. . . . . . .
Every now and then we would get a shift where one was on standby, this meant waiting in the canteen until all the scheduled drivers were accounted for. In the event of a driver not turning up, the standby driver took over his shift. One morning, an inspector approached me and asked if I would do an overnight trip to London. Because the coach drivers were separate from the ordinary drivers, I told to the inspector to clear it with them first, which he did. I also told him that I did not know the route and his reply was not to worry as the inspector, who logs the coaches out of London, would be coming with me. I agreed to do it. I was told to go home and to return at 5.30pm to take the 6.00 coach to London via Luton, when I went home, my wife could not believe it.
I packed a bag and returned to the bus station at 5.30 and met the inspector, Lou Chapman who said he would look after the passengers and that all I had to do was drive and so we set off. The first stop was Newport Pagnell, onto Wavendon, Dunstable and Luton. The first passengers alighted at Harpenden and we continued our journey onto St Albans. From there it was Barnet, Finchley, Golders Green and then onto Marlybone Road. I drove down Edgeware Road and in the nearside lane were the red London double decker buses. I was getting a bit close to them so the inspector told me to look out of my window to check that there was plenty of room. We carried on to Hyde Park and onto Victoria Coach Station where we were to drop off the passengers and then parked the coach in Samuels Garage opposite the Coach Station where we met up with other drivers that did the M1 run. Some of them had arrived only an hour earlier.
We took our bags along to our rooms which were only a ten minute walk away before going out for supper. We then went to the West End to one of the Steak Houses where you can't beat a good plate of steak and chips. Then, it was back to the digs. In the morning after a good breakfast, we met up with two colleagues, and together we went and collected our coaches. We all left at 9.00, two of us on the Motorway, which was a 2 hour run and the other, on the route I had travelled the previous evening, which was a 3 hour run.
My Motorway run was uneventful and I arrived back in Northampton at 11.00, when I was sent home and told to return at 5.30 to do a run to Nottingham at 6.00. My job, on this occasion was to follow another coach, which was being driven by Bill Mills a very good driver. We left Northampton and after calling at Market Harborough, continued our journey via Leicester, Loughborough and onto Nottingham. We parked our coaches in the bus garage before going to the pub opposite the depot. This particular establishment was run by an ex- policeman and quite often the police inspector and sergeant would turn up and would come in, take off their hats and have a pint with us.
One morning I was driving towards Northampton along the Newport Pagnell Road approaching Baxter's abattoir. It was very hot and the coaches we drove had got split windscreens which we could unscrew allowing us to push the windscreen outwards.
I had a full load of passengers and as we came down the hill, in the middle of the road was a pheasant which I expected it to fly either right or left, but it didn’t. The next thing I knew was a bang and it came through the windscreen and dropped on to the steering wheel. I stopped the coach and as the bird was still fluttering about so I got out of the bus and wrung its neck! When I arrived at Derngate, the inspector asked me what had happened, so I showed him the pheasant and said “he was to blame not me” I took it home plucked it and prepared it for dinner and It was lovely and it apparently had only had a bruised backside.
During my first year, we often had to do runs to Eastbourne, Hastings and Brighton. These left at Northampton at 3.30am, so we could get down there in time to come back at about 9.30. It seemed quite strange driving through London early in the morning as we went along the A23 to Brighton and along the A22 to Eastbourne and Hastings. One particular Saturday, I was running back empty from Brighton and one of the local Southdown coaches had broken down, they asked if I would do the run to London once it had been cleared by my own inspector. They then gave me a route to follow and information about where to pick up and everything went fine and I reached London on time.
If we were not doing any service runs, we were often asked to do seaside trips during school term time to Skegness and during school holidays, we would take trips to Lowestoft, Yarmouth and Hunstanton.
In September United Counties would take over the Royal Blue service to Portsmouth via Oxford, Swindon, Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth. We would leave at 11 am and get to Portsmouth about 4.30 to 5.00 pm. After leaving the coach at the Southdown bus garage, we would go to the lodgings where we stayed overnight. It was lovely; we’d have a smashing dinner and then out to the cinema. The first time I saw "The Sound of Music" I it was in Portsmouth. When I arrived back at my lodgings there was cheese and biscuits and tea or coffee waiting to be enjoyed before going to bed. There was always an electric blanket warming the bed, and indeed it was luxury at its best. In the morning we would go to collect the coach and make it ready for the return trip.
1962 saw us take delivery of some new coaches which although they were longer, were a lot easier to drive. They had rear mounted engines. The early morning runs were discontinued, meaning we didn't need to leave until about 7.00 and for every two coaches, there were three drivers. This meant we could share the driving and cut our driving hours down. On the A2 going to Ramsgate and Margate, there were some construction works building a new road and our speed was very low. This meant the driver that wasn't driving would jump out and go and get ice lollies for all of us.
Occasionally, if we had done an early Sunday run from London, the inspector would ask for volunteers to take out an evening tour from the Market Square and if I was asked, I agreed. They would let me go and pick my mother up so she could travel with us. There were a few raised eyebrows when I used to take a single decker around Kingsway to Canons Walk. We had some good nights and always finished up at a pub for a quick drink.
1962-1963.When there had been a very heavy fall of snow, I was returning from Nottingham with another driver. We reached Maidwell Hill only to find there was only one lane open and at the bottom of the hill was a lorry and trailer. The other coach driver was in the front coach, so I got out and watched him descend the hill. I was walking backwards when all of a sudden I felt a bump, I had walked into the tow bar of the lorry's trailer! The coach was still coming so I jumped onto the tow bar out of harm’s way. I remained on the tow bar all the way to the top of the hill where the lorry driver stopped to let me off. I then drove down the hill and on to Northampton where we arrived about three quarters of an hour late.
Later that year and again in the snow, I was driving to London and following a lorry laden with bricks, & when we reached the M10 junction we saw a police car facing us with its headlights full on. The brick lorry driver braked and I did the same, but as I touched my brakes my coach started sliding on the icy road surface. I knew there was no way I could miss the lorry so I tried to steer on to the central reservation. Fortunately, immediately before colliding with the lorry, two men who were sitting in the seat behind the door walked to the back of the coach. I say fortunately, because the front near side of the coach was completely demolished and I was winded by the steering wheel. When the Police came to check on everyone, I told them that I needed another coach, they told me they had already radioed to Luton and another coach was on its way. I continued the journey to London and then drove back.
When I arrived back at Northampton, I was informed that I was to go back onto the ordinary rota, driving a double Decker! But after three weeks I was re-instated. The two men who had walked to the back of the coach, had come forward and spoke on my behalf, telling management that there was nothing I could do to prevent a collision. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I had one more mishap. One evening I was scheduled to take the 6pm coach to London when we were 15 minutes late leaving Northampton and unfortunately couldn't make up the lost time. To make up that time, I decided to take a short cut through Belgrave Square to the Kings Road, in Chelsea. It was raining as we approached a set of traffic lights, but the road was wet as the lights changed to Amber and I carried on. Unfortunately these lights did not have a pause on them and a mini cab travelling along Kings Road came across the junction and collided with my coach. The mini cab hit my coach just behind the front door, bounced off and demolished the traffic light junction box. While we were waiting for the police to arrive a taxi driver came up and told me that if I had any problems to get in touch with him.
As a result of the accident I was charged with driving without due care and attention, and I was summoned to appear at Marylbone Magistrates Court. The driver’s Union solicitor appeared for me and the taxi driver came to court to give evidence on my behalf. However! The mini cab driver did not turn up, and when I gave my version of what happened although I was found not guilty. I was given a telling off for going off route because coaches had a set route to follow. When the solicitor asked the taxi driver how much he wanted for appearing, the cabby said he wanted no payment as it was nice to get one over the mini cabs, as at the time there was a war going on between the taxis and the mini cabs .
The day the above accident happened I was waiting to take a coach to London. As I could not turn right I had to turn left and go along Bridge Street.
I remember going out one evening with some other crews for supper to a steak house. After eating my meal I happened to comment that I could eat that again. Next thing I knew the inspector had ordered another meal for me told me that I had to eat it and I just about managed to eat it all. By the end of March I was getting more than a little fed up and I was offered a job with Heep's Coaches at Guilsborough so I tendered my resignation and my work for the United Counties Omnibus Company was at an end...
This brings to an end the third part of my story. . . . .
A good read, Especially the butchery as i was ex Dewhurst myself,
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