SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Do not know if this subject has been discussed before.Does anyone remember the Leeds bus strike that was either 1977 or 1978 ? The strike went on for one month which i remember was over a pay dispute.You could still catch buses with the West Yorkshire Road Car Company from their Vicar Lane bus station but they would only stop at outer limits of Leeds.I was given to understand that the Acorn Pub stop on Leeds & Bradford road was the first stop out of Leeds for West Yorkshire buses in that direction.The YEP reported people were finding railway stations they did not know still existed maybe these were Headingley and Morley which must have pleased British Rail.The traffic during this strike was very busy, much worse than current traffic problems that occur with breakdowns,roadworks and accidents.I would dread to think what it would be like if a similar strike took place now given the increased car ownership.Don't you dare First Leeds.

I certainly remember the strike of 1978 because I was part of it, it actually lasted for five and a half weeks before we returned to work.

I was down at the old garage at Stourton on the picket line; strike pay was just a few pounds, certainly not enough to live on. So my wife was doing two jobs to keep our heads above water.

Camaraderie was excellent and many people brought us food and drink etc and drivers from West Riding and South Yorkshire were always dropping things off for us.

There were no freebies from Social Services (not like today huh), any money that was forthcoming from them you had to pay back on return to work.

After a large meeting at the Town Hall we returned to work with just about all we were after. The old garage is long gone, its now a car park for First Direct but every time I pass memories of the times spent there return.

Hello buffaloskinner - I too remember the strike very well, but another major factor in it was the "West Leeds Rationalisation Scheme" which was intended to do do just what the name suggests and save many vehicles and a good bit of mileage for both Metro (former LCT) and West Yorkshire Road Car. There was also to be more One Person Operation but it was promised that there would be no compulsory redundancies and the famous "natural wastage" would take care of it all. It was a sad time with much terrible ill feeling all round. Quite a number of long serving drivers quite simply couldn't handle the loss of income as it dragged on and a fair number gave up all the security, sick pay and pensions etc and went to work for coach firms and other jobs with very long term effects on their fortunes and contentment.
By the way, hope you don't think I'm nit picking which I'm not - but surely Hunslet (Stourton) depot closed in the 1960s when Middleton opened so do you perhaps mean Sovereign Street for the picket line ?? Perhaps the Stourton activity and support from West Riding, South Yorkshire etc was in a previous dispute ??

No Blakey our picket lines at Middleton Garage were at Stourton Thwaite Gate and Dewsbury Road. The reason for Stourton Thwaite Gate was that this was our boundry line as such with the old number 7 terminus close to where the Crooked Clock now stands, and the same for Dewsbury Road at Waincliffe Drive the old 20 terminus. Many of the West Riding drivers would not go past our picket line and turned around at Stourton.

I worked at Yorkshire Imperial Metals at the time & this is how we got home

uncle mick wrote:I worked at Yorkshire Imperial Metals at the time & this is how we got home

Blimey 'elf and safety would have a field day with that these days.

uncle mick wrote:I worked at Yorkshire Imperial Metals at the time & this is how we got home

Nice Charabancs there, don't remember them going past tho

buffaloskinner wrote:

uncle mick wrote:I worked at Yorkshire Imperial Metals at the time & this is how we got home

Nice Charabancs there, don't remember them going past tho

We all laid on the floor

Another photo from I think the 1950's ??? I don't know who was on strike here West Riding or Leeds ?

Those are LCT buses at the back, I don't believe there's any strike just a normal finish at the end of the day. When I used to do the Copper Works Specials there was always plenty of buses going in various directions. I believe the other two pictures could be the same also.
Both pictures are looking in the same direction towards the railway and further afield to Rothwell Haigh.