SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Worked on 28/30 or 33/36 from Lawnswood to city centre. Grey haired, looked a lot like Ted Heath.He used to bellow, 'Fares ready. PASSES ready.' But he was humorous when you got to know him.    

Geordie-exile wrote: Worked on 28/30 or 33/36 from Lawnswood to city centre. Grey haired, looked a lot like Ted Heath.He used to bellow, 'Fares ready. PASSES ready.' But he was humorous when you got to know him.     Those routes were all ouy of Headingley Depot, where I worked from 1969 to 1986 - would those be the years you mean ?? There were a lot of "star turns" among the crews then but I don't recall a particular resemblance to Ted Heath (Prime Minister OR Band leader ??) but would like to try and remember him - any more clues please ?? There was one huge lad, aged in his thirties, who had a slight lisp and who bellowed a running commentary all the time and wore terrifying "bovver boots" If he was upstairs at a stop he would look in the mirror at the platform and bellow " WILL YER USE BOTH THIDES OF THE BAR PLEASE AND BE AS QUICK AS YER POTHIBLY CAN !!."Please let me know what years you mean, and we may get to the bottom of it

Blakey, yes it would have been someone based at Headingley. I remember the crews changing at the depot.Honestly he was the spit of Ted Heath [prime minister] - white hair and everything. He had little patience with us schoochildren but you could tell he was a humorous type. I rather think he was on the routes from Tinshill and Cookridge to the city centre rather than the Ireland Wood route. Around 1967 to 70.    

can anyone tell me when the last conductors were used and the bus route there finshed on

Geordie-exile wrote: Blakey, yes it would have been someone based at Headingley. I remember the crews changing at the depot.Honestly he was the spit of Ted Heath [prime minister] - white hair and everything. He had little patience with us schoochildren but you could tell he was a humorous type. I rather think he was on the routes from Tinshill and Cookridge to the city centre rather than the Ireland Wood route. Around 1967 to 70.     Mmmmmm......... Well in those years if he was perhaps about sixty years old I can think of three straight away - one wore a cap as a rule, one was quite deaf, and one was definitely Scottish and impatient ALL the time - are we getting warm ??Incidentally all the Cookridge, Tinshill, Ireland Wood and Long Causeway (Adel) workings were on one big rota.I always love to think back to those good old days and do so daily with other friends of like mind     

jamesy08 wrote: can anyone tell me when the last conductors were used and the bus route there finshed on I really ought to know this precisely, being actively involved at the time, but as far as I can remember the last conductors would be somewhere around 1980. The routes involved were several, on the very large network of services known to the staff under the blanket nickname of "Dewsbury Road."The routes (all via City Centre) covered Hunslet, Belle Isle, Middleton, Dewsbury Road in the south, and Chapeltoiwn, Moortown, Roundhay and Harehills in the north. They were always extremely busy and "not for the faint hearted."

BLAKEY wrote: Mmmmmm......... Well in those years if he was perhaps about sixty years old I can think of three straight away - one wore a cap as a rule, one was quite deaf, and one was definitely Scottish and impatient ALL the time - are we getting warm ??Incidentally all the Cookridge, Tinshill, Ireland Wood and Long Causeway (Adel) workings were on one big rota.I always love to think back to those good old days and do so daily with other friends of like mind      Yes! He wore a hearing aid now I come to think of it. Well remembered Blakey!

Geordie-exile wrote: BLAKEY wrote: Mmmmmm......... Well in those years if he was perhaps about sixty years old I can think of three straight away - one wore a cap as a rule, one was quite deaf, and one was definitely Scottish and impatient ALL the time - are we getting warm ??Incidentally all the Cookridge, Tinshill, Ireland Wood and Long Causeway (Adel) workings were on one big rota.I always love to think back to those good old days and do so daily with other friends of like mind      Yes! He wore a hearing aid now I come to think of it. Well remembered Blakey! Ah yes - Bill Greenwood for sure - I'd never really noticed it but since you've mentioned it I really can now see the resemblance to Ted Heath - very much so !!    In private life he was a really kind and pleasant chap and worked tirelessly on behalf of the Depot sports and social club. Too tirelessly in fact, because frequently when the bus was waiting at the stop, late and full of disgruntled passengers (and driver), Bill would be in his little storeroom sorting out raffle prizes and football teams - his reply when chased up was always "Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers, just coming luv !!"What a gem of a character, among many other gems

Bill,I remember him well great guy who got a little frustrated at times due to his deafness.

Well remember Bill Greenwood on the 93/96 routes in the mid 70's.I had moved from Bramley depot to Headingley and would often get a late turn working with with Bill as he was on the senior rota, which meant a reasonably early finish.He was a gem to work with but trying to keep to time through the teatime peak was near impossible as he spent more time telling the tale than he did collecting fares.