SAMUEL LEDGARD BUS STAFF MEMORIES

Post by **chameleon** » Sun 16 Nov, 2008 7:26 pm

Sad news today Blakey, the 'vitual underdog' for want of a better way to describe him, associated with your name, Reg Varney, has passed away - age 92 believe it or not.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Mon 17 Nov, 2008 12:21 am

chameleon wrote: Sad news today Blakey, the 'vitual underdog' for want of a better way to describe him, associated with your name, Reg Varney, has passed away - age 92 believe it or not. Yes I heard this on the news tonight and I was truly amazed - I would have put him at mid 70s to 80 maximum. I really liked that series and for my money all the actors were first class in their roles.The buses were all belonging to Eastern National in Essex and were all BRISTOLS which is no doubt why Stan always had a happy grin on his face LOL LOLI seem to remember reading somewhere that Reg Varney had actually passed his PSV driving test, either for the films or perhaps for real earlier in his working life ??Rather sad and poignmant now that his destination was often "Cemetery Gates."

Si · Post by Si » Mon 17 Nov, 2008 11:17 am

Lilysmum wrote: Hi Blakey,you have lots of happy memories of your time "on the buses",you should write a book. I'd buy it!"On The Ledgard Buses" by The Real Blakey!

amber · Post by **amber** » Mon 17 Nov, 2008 3:12 pm

Si wrote: Lilysmum wrote: Hi Blakey,you have lots of happy memories of your time "on the buses",you should write a book. I'd buy it!"On The Ledgard Buses" by The Real Blakey! I have known our Blakey many years having worked with him and I can assure you he is the total opposite of TV Blakey. Although LCT and YR did have a few over the years. Butlers! we had more than our fair share. RIP Reg.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Mon 17 Nov, 2008 11:27 pm

amber wrote: I have known our Blakey many years having worked with him and I can assure you he is the total opposite of TV Blakey. Although LCT and YR did have a few over the years. Butlers! we had more than our fair share. RIP Reg. Thank you Amber - and you're right there, we certainly had plenty of "Stan Butlers" and compared with some of ours poor old Stan was a saint. You and I could mention a hundred names of outrageous "arch dodgers" but I don't fancy defending any libel actions now after all these years. LOL LOL

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Mon 17 Nov, 2008 11:39 pm

Si wrote: Lilysmum wrote: Hi Blakey,you have lots of happy memories of your time "on the buses",you should write a book. I'd buy it!"On The Ledgard Buses" by The Real Blakey! Funny you should say that Lilysmum and Si, because that was something I really wanted and intended to do for forty years or more but, like so many other projects, never got round to it. However my pal Don Bate HAS written the most marvellous book ("Beer and Blue Buses") about the firm in incredible detail - it was published two years ago and took him ten years or maybe more of continuous and accurate research. Don is an engineering man chiefly and I did willingly help him quite a bit with locations and captions for the pictures and with operating references - and there are a few of my own pictures in it.Also I was honoured to have a picture of me as a young conductor incorporated in the illustrated front cover - a step Don regrets as it has reduced sales of the book considerably LOL LOLI have done a good few articles myself for the enthusiast societies' journals - another is due out next month - and when "Sammy's" sold out in October 1967 I wrote the covering piece for "Buses Illustrated" so I have done a bit with pen and paper to keep the Firm's memory and "atmosphere" alive - and I've enjoyed doing it I must confess.

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Tue 18 Nov, 2008 12:40 am

BOOK! BOOK! BOOK! BOOK! come on BLAKEY you have to write one now

gbdlufc · Post by **gbdlufc** » Tue 18 Nov, 2008 10:37 am

Absolutley, a book is whats needed from you Mr Blakey. If some of these "so called tv personality's" can write autobiography's with all their 19/20 years of life expieriences (ha!) then I am sure you can do far better.My dad was on the buses in the 70's (Brian D). unsure of his routes though, I am off to see him this weekend so i will ask.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Tue 18 Nov, 2008 11:36 pm

Brandy wrote: BOOK! BOOK! BOOK! BOOK! come on BLAKEY you have to write one now It IS a nice idea I must admit, but would take an awful lot of time and would be of limited appeal now that Don's book has virtually "said it all." Having said that though, I may someday draft a kind of rough plan of what could be included and see if its a possibility - and many thanks for the encouragement, much appreciated.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Tue 18 Nov, 2008 11:41 pm

gbdlufc wrote: Absolutley, a book is whats needed from you Mr Blakey. If some of these "so called tv personality's" can write autobiography's with all their 19/20 years of life expieriences (ha!) then I am sure you can do far better.My dad was on the buses in the 70's (Brian D). unsure of his routes though, I am off to see him this weekend so i will ask. Most interesting - I shall be fascinated to hear about your Dad's time on the buses - if he was on LCT in the 1970s, especially at Headingley ?? - its odds on that I shall remember him . The initial doesn't immediately ring a bell (oh pardon the inevitable and awful pun LOL LOL) but please let me know more when you can.