SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Not sure if Blakey will like this given his dislike of advertising liveries, however Arriva are celebrating 110 years by running a specially liveried bus on their flagship 110 route        

Wow have Arriva really been going 110 years awesome.

Apparently Arriva Yorkshire have although changing names/owners a bit down the years.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Ridin ... panyNormal "health warning" for information on Wikipedia

I thought for a minute that someone had been waiting for a 110 years at a stop.... Seriously though, could they not have just painted the entire bus in the retro livery? It would have looked so much better...

raveydavey wrote: I thought for a minute that someone had been waiting for a 110 years at a stop.... Seriously though, could they not have just painted the entire bus in the retro livery? It would have looked so much better... Tykebhoy and raveydavey - spot on there as I have no time at all for advertising "liveries" and Goodness knows what some marketing guru will have been paid for the brainwave of a "zip" opening to reveal the past. To be fair though, the Arriva livery and the obligatory red Transport for London version, are amongst the least offensive these days, and their interior decor is pleasing in various blues.The famous 110 route (formerly tram and later bus number 10 route) is quite an institution and has always been a very good service indeed. I always greatly enjoyed my occasional duties on there, usually on voluntary overtime as I was at Pontefract depot.Actually Arriva (Cowie Group) only came into existence in the late 1990s. The operator was originally the West Riding Tramways Company and later West Riding Automobile Company Liimited. Remaining a private Company concern until the late 1960s it eventually joined the Tilling/British Transport Corporation, in some measure at least being because of the utter financial disaster of the famous Guy Wulfrunian "all singing, all dancing" ill fated buses which also helped to scuttle Guy Motors as well - both concerns having invested heavily in the unconventional model. When privatisation arrived in the l980s West Riding was sold to a management etc buyout and became the Caldaire Group with Yorkshire Woollen and Selby and District (and a new but short lived operation "Sheffield and District") - this in turn sold out to British Bus (a much larger consortium) which was eventually bought by the Cowie Group and the name "Arriva" was developed to cover all the latter's European aspirations, being an approximation of several languages versions of "To arrive."Sorry to ramble folks, but as many will know someone only has to light the blue touch paper on this subject and I can prattle for ever !!     

Please continue to prattle on Blakey, as I look forward to your excellent posts.

Leodian wrote: Please continue to prattle on Blakey, as I look forward to your excellent posts. Seconded

[quotenick="tyke bhoy"] Leodian wrote: Please continue to prattle on Blakey, as I look forward to your excellent posts. SecondedDitto

Blakey, your wonderful memories of your working life on the buses are a pleasure to read for us younger members.    

.............and for us older ones too!