CORITANI CAPERS
Leicester area members have again been treated to a wide variety of slide (and PowerPoint) shows and events during 2007, brief highlights being as follows.
Our February show is now the traditional Trevor Follows update of local happenings, bus-wise, over the last year, together with a brief look at notable rail events. This year we looked another varied selection, plus also a feature on Yorkshire Traction, appropriate after the then recent takeover by Stagecoach.
In March we again welcomed back Peter Cordwell to dip into his collection of views, mainly from the 1970s, from the West Riding area of Yorkshire. This might have been "part 3", but again we were treated to a really good cross selection of slides.
In April, members had to endure my offering (and commentary); on this occasion I had been very fortunate in having just returned from a trip to New Zealand. My own specialist subject, so to speak, are UK built buses, both new and second hand, that can be found overseas. Given that UK built buses are diminishing all the while in the UK, I was pleasantly surprised at what I managed to find. This show concentrated on the North Island and included the charismatic Foxton Trolleybus Museum, together with shots of the Wellington trolleybus system (the most southerly such system in the world?).
The May show was hosted by Paul Roberts entitled Midland Memories and co-coincided with the publication of Paul's first photo album of the same name. There was a good all round selection of nostalgic shots, including many LCT vehicles - maroon liveried PD2, AEC Reliance and Bridgemasters to name but a few.
In June we welcomed guest Barry Ridge and again down memory lane, we were in Cheltenham at the heyday of when the Coach Station was at the hub of the National Express network. How many of us vividly remember the 3pm mass departure. Of more fascination to some members was the old bakery that on slides had "bread" on bold letters along a large brick wall. "Didn't remember that being there" amongst general comments from the audience. The answer was revealed a few slides later when an offending coach had departed and the buildings name had changed to "Whitbread". "Ah, so not a bakery, it was a brewery then!"
July is now our traditional "Bring an Artefact" meeting and again, the Newfoundpool centre looked like "Aladdin's Cave". Peter Newland brought in a most comprehensive collection of London Transport bus stops imaginable and as such, was able to identify where they would have been located. Steve Gray brought in a BMMO grille badge and Adrian Rodgers bought in a wide variety of local timetables and leaflets from services that had "come and gone". Mike Greenwood bought in, amongst other items, the Leicester Tramways accounting records from the 1880s - such was the detail therein that daily weather reports were recorded, as if to exemplify why patronage on certain days were better than others. Despite the warnings of global warming, Mike read out the weather conditions for the corresponding week in July 1880, along the lines of Monday - rain; Tuesday - showers, Wednesday - mainly cloudy, patchy light rain. Some things do not change!
August was our annual Study Tour and we fortunate to travel on the last Leyland Leopard currently in service with our good friend Ken Williams' Confidence Coaches to see the new buildings and work at Wythall. Many thanks go to all at the Museum for such a nice day and to the tremendous effort and achievements made over the last couple of years in conjunction with the lottery funding. My own favourite of the day was the ride on S15 5073, it bought back such fond memories of why the BMMO ride was arguably much superior to its contemporaries.
In September, we welcomed back Chris Aston on his not too local jaunt from Bournemouth, this time showing municipals A-W. Again, views dating back to the 1960s and early 1970s, what more could one ask for?
And so to October 2007, and without realising, it is 25 years to the month that Leicester said farewell to the rear loading double decker and poignantly, the Leyland PD3. Mike Greenwood treated us to the latest technology with a PowerPoint show of Leicester PD3s after withdrawal by Leicester. A surprising number have found new lives overseas, with an unusually high number going to France.
November represented another milestone in the group's meetings, Mike Greenwood clocking up his 300th attendance. Truly remarkable to think that the inaugural meeting was held back in 1981, and testimony to Mike that he has missed only thirteen of the monthly meetings since then. As recognition, a card duly signed by those attending was presented to Mike as a "Welcome to the 300 club". The meeting saw the return of Mike Fenton, with another really good show, this time with views of East and North East England operators taken in the 1970s.
December saw Brian Dicks give an insight into the South Island of New Zealand. Apart from the two main cities of Christchurch and Dunedin, buses (and roads!) are quite scarce, but there was much of interest, particularly at the large numbers of Bedfords either lovingly still in service or now being used as mobile caravans. If only the GM hierarchy realised what a market they were throwing away when ceasing Bedford production!!
Many thanks go to Rob Pike for the continuing arrangements at the Newfoundpool centre. We seem to be an established group there now, even if the only down side is the tap dancing in the upstairs room that appears to actually being performed by plumbers!!
Brian Dicks
Chapel Lane, Wythall, Worcs B47 6JX
Tel : 01564 826471 e-mail us
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