SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Has anyone any memories or photos of Sammy ledgards buses that packed in sometime in the early sixties I think. they seemed to run every other bus companies cast off vehicles but were more reliable than most. they had some real characters Walter ( fat and jovial), Peggy (man/woman???) to name just two. Would love to here more from others.

HA ! ledgard buses, my mates a decendent of the family so i can always ask him doubt hel hav owt though id have to ask his dad.

A mate of ours was a bus driver and I'm sure he had some dealings with Sammy Legards. I'll have to ask him about it next time we see him. Funny, he was only on about it recently, but as usual, my brain was only half listening!!!

My dear old uncle billy, or Willy as he was known to his mates on Sammy Ledgard buses, he was a conductor in the early 60`s, in school hols he used to take me with him, i would sit downstairs at the back while we went to ilkley and otley. He ended up as a driver on Leeds city transport, great days.

For nostalgics of Ledgard buses, Corgi have an AEC Regent V with Roe body as a limited edition. I have nothing to do with Corgi, but bought one for nostalgic reasons, since I lived for 21 years near the Roe Works in Crossgates.

Have a look at this link for a few pics of Sammy Ledgard buses and coacheshttp://www.sct61.org.uk/~wr.htmA selection of photos of Samuel Ledgard vehicles, all except one taken by John Kaye in and around Leeds and Bradford during the 1950s

excellent link buffaloskinner

Loinerpete wrote: My dear old uncle billy, or Willy as he was known to his mates on Sammy Ledgard buses, he was a conductor in the early 60`s, in school hols he used to take me with him, i would sit downstairs at the back while we went to ilkley and otley. He ended up as a driver on Leeds city transport, great days. I hope you don't mind me asking, but would that be Willy Smith ??I enjoyed practically every minute of my 44 years "on the buses" but without doubt the happiest times of all were from 1957 - 1963 with "Sammy's", where the comradeship was really great and the service we provided WAS second to none in reliability and punctuality - it would be welcomed back I'm sure by today's long suffering passengers (me included) who are sick of uncomfortable modern buses and far too many cases of terrible unwarranted rudeness and bad driving.     Contrary to what many think and wrongly recall Sammy's ran very few "cast offs" in that derogatory sense, Yes of financial necessity in the latter years they bought many many second hand vehicles - but had an uncanny knack of picking good serviceable machines with many years of quality life left in them - plus, again contrary to legend and rumour, maintenance was extremely good and thorough. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and how often was a Sammy's bus broken down ?? Any missed mileage, and it was very very rare and always completely unavoidable, was viewed extremely seriously by the Company.I had the sad job of writng the article in "Buses Illustrated February 1968" giving details of the final week of "Sammy's" and the early arrangements by West Yorkshire/Leeds City Transport/Bradford City Transport to run the services from 15th October 1967.        

buffaloskinner wrote: Have a look at this link for a few pics of Sammy Ledgard buses and coacheshttp://www.sct61.org.uk/~wr.htmA selection of photos of Samuel Ledgard vehicles, all except one taken by John Kaye in and around Leeds and Bradford during the 1950s What an excellent link. I remember T Burrows buses I also remember Ideal Motor Services which ran from through Hemsworth, where my mother's family lived. And at last a picture of an AEC central entrance - I wonder is he has any pictures of the old United Services that operated from Doncaster to Wakefield via Hemsworth.

Had a pleasant afternoon yesterday at Pudsey Civic Centre.Samuel Ledgard society meeting. Had a couple of rides around Thornbury/Pudsey on an old Wigan corporation double decker and some other Lancastrian bus. Bought a model Leeds bus to go in my collection ,the old 77 Bramley Town End in the blue livery.Also got a couple of photos of my old bus route the 62 East End Park circular