SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

majorhoundii wrote: I've just finished Wallace Arnold - "Glory Days." It's brilliant. Really informative. I hadn't realised until I read this that they operated two standards of coaches, one for tours and one for day trips and excursions. The "two standards" aspect is largely true, but there was quite a flexible "grey area" between the two. It was not unknown for a nearly new coach to do a local excursion between major tours or servicing, and likewise for an elderly, or fairly basic, one to undertake a long express service journey. I have driven the 600 miles plus night service to Torquay and Paignton and back with some very elderly machines - it all depends on "pressure of business" at the time.

Very interesting reading nobody seems to have mentioned the WA Booking Office which was down an almost vertical staircase at the front of the Corn Exchange ,or have I missed it , if I remember right there was another staircase leading to a toilet . In the noughties WA used to park their coaches on the Gelderd Road end of Nab Lane Birstall .

BLAKEY wrote: majorhoundii wrote: I've just finished Wallace Arnold - "Glory Days." It's brilliant. Really informative. I hadn't realised until I read this that they operated two standards of coaches, one for tours and one for day trips and excursions. The "two standards" aspect is largely true, but there was quite a flexible "grey area" between the two. It was not unknown for a nearly new coach to do a local excursion between major tours or servicing, and likewise for an elderly, or fairly basic, one to undertake a long express service journey. I have driven the 600 miles plus night service to Torquay and Paignton and back with some very elderly machines - it all depends on "pressure of business" at the time. What I also didn't appreciate, and I suppose most people wouldn't was that they ran special narrow buses for the narrow lanes in Devon and Cornwall - these buses lived there, also shorter buses for the winding roads in Scotland. Opens your eyes to the intricacies of coaching.

majorhoundii wrote: I've just finished Wallace Arnold - "Glory Days." It's brilliant. Really informative. I hadn't realised until I read this that they operated two standards of coaches, one for tours and one for day trips and excursions. There was a coach firm on Elland Road opp. the ground that was bought out by W.A. but can't remember the name, this was in the late 50s i think.

j.c.d. wrote: majorhoundii wrote: I've just finished Wallace Arnold - "Glory Days." It's brilliant. Really informative. I hadn't realised until I read this that they operated two standards of coaches, one for tours and one for day trips and excursions. There was a coach firm on Elland Road opp. the ground that was bought out by W.A. but can't remember the name, this was in the late 50s i think. R. Barr rings a bell JCD. Dunno if they were on Elland Rd though.

WA also had a garage in Scarborough on Columbus Ravine from where they ran excursions.

jdbythesea wrote: [There was a coach firm on Elland Road opp. the ground that was bought out by W.A. but can't remember the name, this was in the late 50s i think. R. Barr rings a bell JCD. Dunno if they were on Elland Rd though. R. Barr (Robert) was the very early founder of the Wallace Arnold Empire so was not bought out from Elland Road in the 1950s.I can only think of Midgleys of Meadow Lane about that time - the proprietors of that firm had some connection by marriage with the Barr family. The coaches were a rich red with nice gold name lettering.    

Sorry have probably got it the wrong way round. the name Barr does ring a bell but this coach firm was certainly on Elland Rd where the Garage was (Now Subway) i do know that W.A. coaches were there at one time. Sorry for being so vauge.

j.c.d. wrote: Sorry have probably got it the wrong way round. the name Barr does ring a bell but this coach firm was certainly on Elland Rd where the Garage was (Now Subway) i do know that W.A. coaches were there at one time. Sorry for being so vauge. Fallas coaches were on Elland Rd I belive at one time. Some pictures to be found here....http://www.flickr.com/groups/2153394@N2 ... 7@N05/Copy the link to address bar to see site.    EDIT for some strange reason the following seems to be tagged on to the URL when copied no doubt someone will know why.."- See more at: http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... 125??"Just delete from the above URL and all should be well.    

j.c.d. wrote: Sorry have probably got it the wrong way round. the name Barr does ring a bell but this coach firm was certainly on Elland Rd where the Garage was (Now Subway) i do know that W.A. coaches were there at one time. Sorry for being so vauge. I remember them being there but not their name. Did they run the National Express service at one time?