Chronicles of a 1960s bus conductor . Chapter 3.
Part 7.
One day when I was in the paint shop a bloke from the Traffic Dept. came looking for me. "Here you are Lynn" he said handing me a blue form (A blue one was for overtime requesting) "Can you do us last part of a late shift tonight on the B7s." he continued. Being a grabber I did'nt want to dissapoint him "Yes I'll do it" I replied.
The B7 was Ripley to Mansfield
He informed me that my driver was also garage staff and when he told me who it was I was very pleased for like me he enjoyed a drink while on the job.
At 4-30 after we clocked out we had to make our way to Ripley Market for changeover, but as the B1 terminated at Beighton St we had put ourselves out and walk the 400 yards or so to the Market.Being that this was prehistoric times the pubs didn't open untill six pm. So we had to do without a drink.
We took the bus over at 4-55pm and off we went. The bus was a BristolFLF 6G being a front entrance the journey was boring and uneventful.Arriving in Mansfield in good time I changed the destination blind, checking that there was not an Inspector lurking in the shadows we made our way to the pub. We had 10 minuets to down a pint.
Break over, next stop Ripley, we had a good load for Sutton-In-Ashfield Bingo, when you had a load on is was not that boring. No time for a drink in Ripley, in at 7-15 out at 7:25 for C4 Pinxton we where a bit behind. Out of Pinxton at 8-05 arriving in Ripley in time for a quick one before setting off back to Mansfield at 8-55. On the next run to Ripley we where not due out untill 10-20 so that we could pick the afternoon shift up at Bentinck Pit so that meant we could get two pints in. When we arrived at Mansfield terminus at 9-55 (a bit early) before the Sutton Bingon crowd were getting off a cretin was trying to get on "Wait till they get off " I yawped "We've got plenty of time for you to get on". He looked about sixteen and looked weird.
The B7 route went via Sutton- in- Ashfield, Kirkbey-in-Ashfield, Selston, Jacksdale, Leabrooks, Swanick, then Ripley.
Duly refreshed off we went with a good load of passengers I whiped round the lower deck and then set about getting the fares in on the top deck ripping tickets off as if they where going out of fashion. The last fare to be collected was the weirdo,who had settled in on the back seat."Fares please" I said. "Can I have a 1 and 6 pence single please" he replied, ripping a ticket off, the brat started teasing me with his money, offering first to the left then the right and so on. " Don't piss me about this time of night" I informed him and a paid his fare.
Arriving at Bentinck Pit we had to wait a few minutes for the last of the miners to clock out that gave me plenty of time to get the fares in. Whilst collecting the fares the weird boy wonder shouted "Have you got such a thing as a portable potty on this bus" "There's 30 foot of mobile potty I replied" Barmy sod I thought to myself and continued getting the fares in.Going downhill before the M1 bridge I saw something move on the floor,it was p--s the dirty little sod had p---d on the floor he took me at my word and done it. Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding! That was six bells the emergancy stop signal. "You" I yelled "Get off and finish p-----g on the fast lane of the M1.
Waiting for him to get off his seat the top deck passengers started on me "Shame on you" a woman said " "You are a heartless bleeder" one of the miners shouted. It appeared he was not all there in the head department and I had to leave him be. I rang the bell for the driver to proceed. The brat got off at Selston I said goodnight to him and hoped that he had put his Doo Dah away else that would have been another incident for me to cope with.
When any mess had been made on a bus wether it be a drunk bringing his or her nights pleasure up you had to make a report out and sign the bus off at the first opportunity and make a report addressed to the chief engineer on the proper form and this had to be as accurate as possible just in case any of the other passengers made a complaint.
The form I made out read something like this;
Bus No xxx.
Bus Route B7.
Driver Mr xxxxxxx. Clock No xxxx.
Conductor L Pestell Clock No 2126. Time 10 55.
Dear sir.
On the last run from Mansfield a passenger requested the use of a portable potty and I sarcasticly informed him that the bus was a 30 foot mobile potty not realising he would take me at my word and do it.
Word got round Langley Mill depot about the incident and for a while after crews would walk pass the paint shop and shout "Are you there Lynn are you painting a portable potty!."
Part 7.
One day when I was in the paint shop a bloke from the Traffic Dept. came looking for me. "Here you are Lynn" he said handing me a blue form (A blue one was for overtime requesting) "Can you do us last part of a late shift tonight on the B7s." he continued. Being a grabber I did'nt want to dissapoint him "Yes I'll do it" I replied.
The B7 was Ripley to Mansfield
He informed me that my driver was also garage staff and when he told me who it was I was very pleased for like me he enjoyed a drink while on the job.
At 4-30 after we clocked out we had to make our way to Ripley Market for changeover, but as the B1 terminated at Beighton St we had put ourselves out and walk the 400 yards or so to the Market.Being that this was prehistoric times the pubs didn't open untill six pm. So we had to do without a drink.
We took the bus over at 4-55pm and off we went. The bus was a BristolFLF 6G being a front entrance the journey was boring and uneventful.Arriving in Mansfield in good time I changed the destination blind, checking that there was not an Inspector lurking in the shadows we made our way to the pub. We had 10 minuets to down a pint.
Break over, next stop Ripley, we had a good load for Sutton-In-Ashfield Bingo, when you had a load on is was not that boring. No time for a drink in Ripley, in at 7-15 out at 7:25 for C4 Pinxton we where a bit behind. Out of Pinxton at 8-05 arriving in Ripley in time for a quick one before setting off back to Mansfield at 8-55. On the next run to Ripley we where not due out untill 10-20 so that we could pick the afternoon shift up at Bentinck Pit so that meant we could get two pints in. When we arrived at Mansfield terminus at 9-55 (a bit early) before the Sutton Bingon crowd were getting off a cretin was trying to get on "Wait till they get off " I yawped "We've got plenty of time for you to get on". He looked about sixteen and looked weird.
The B7 route went via Sutton- in- Ashfield, Kirkbey-in-Ashfield, Selston, Jacksdale, Leabrooks, Swanick, then Ripley.
Duly refreshed off we went with a good load of passengers I whiped round the lower deck and then set about getting the fares in on the top deck ripping tickets off as if they where going out of fashion. The last fare to be collected was the weirdo,who had settled in on the back seat."Fares please" I said. "Can I have a 1 and 6 pence single please" he replied, ripping a ticket off, the brat started teasing me with his money, offering first to the left then the right and so on. " Don't piss me about this time of night" I informed him and a paid his fare.
Arriving at Bentinck Pit we had to wait a few minutes for the last of the miners to clock out that gave me plenty of time to get the fares in. Whilst collecting the fares the weird boy wonder shouted "Have you got such a thing as a portable potty on this bus" "There's 30 foot of mobile potty I replied" Barmy sod I thought to myself and continued getting the fares in.Going downhill before the M1 bridge I saw something move on the floor,it was p--s the dirty little sod had p---d on the floor he took me at my word and done it. Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding! That was six bells the emergancy stop signal. "You" I yelled "Get off and finish p-----g on the fast lane of the M1.
Waiting for him to get off his seat the top deck passengers started on me "Shame on you" a woman said " "You are a heartless bleeder" one of the miners shouted. It appeared he was not all there in the head department and I had to leave him be. I rang the bell for the driver to proceed. The brat got off at Selston I said goodnight to him and hoped that he had put his Doo Dah away else that would have been another incident for me to cope with.
When any mess had been made on a bus wether it be a drunk bringing his or her nights pleasure up you had to make a report out and sign the bus off at the first opportunity and make a report addressed to the chief engineer on the proper form and this had to be as accurate as possible just in case any of the other passengers made a complaint.
The form I made out read something like this;
Bus No xxx.
Bus Route B7.
Driver Mr xxxxxxx. Clock No xxxx.
Conductor L Pestell Clock No 2126. Time 10 55.
Dear sir.
On the last run from Mansfield a passenger requested the use of a portable potty and I sarcasticly informed him that the bus was a 30 foot mobile potty not realising he would take me at my word and do it.
Word got round Langley Mill depot about the incident and for a while after crews would walk pass the paint shop and shout "Are you there Lynn are you painting a portable potty!."
Part 8.
In an earlier chapter I described how some passengers would try to get off without paying by tendering a ten bob or pound note hoping that the conductor would be short of change thus hoping for a free ride. Grown ups were not alone in their quest for a free ride, school kids were good at the same thing.
I was on earlies on one of the short Wollaton runs from Nottingham ie: F5. E8. or E1. Coming down Ilkeston Road at Radford several school kids were at the bus stop. On they got and off we went to the short run to Eaton Grove, the location of their school. It had got to happen! one one of them tendered a ten bob note for a penny ticket, but I was ready for him as I had got loads of pennies. I gave him his ticket and counted out 119 pennies for his change. "Mest you give me all pennies". The toffee nosed posh brat asked. " Not if you don't want them " I replied. "Give them back to me" He did as I asked, and I went into my box and took out two cash bags containing ten bob each all of them halfpennies, I took two halfpennies from one bag and handed him 9/11 pence change consisting of 238 halfpennies. "Now you have got plenty of change and you can keep the bags the company will not mind". I said politely.
Meanwhile the bus arrived at Eaton Grove and the brats got off,but because of giving Lord Snooty plenty of change one or two of them got off without paying but I did'nt mind as I had the satisfaction of giving his Lordship plenty of change, but my only regret was giving him the cash bags he could have had plenty of loose change bursting a hole in his pocket.
After that if I was conducting their bus all the little brats would tender smaller coins or they would have got the same treatment as Lord Snooty.
In an earlier chapter I described how some passengers would try to get off without paying by tendering a ten bob or pound note hoping that the conductor would be short of change thus hoping for a free ride. Grown ups were not alone in their quest for a free ride, school kids were good at the same thing.
I was on earlies on one of the short Wollaton runs from Nottingham ie: F5. E8. or E1. Coming down Ilkeston Road at Radford several school kids were at the bus stop. On they got and off we went to the short run to Eaton Grove, the location of their school. It had got to happen! one one of them tendered a ten bob note for a penny ticket, but I was ready for him as I had got loads of pennies. I gave him his ticket and counted out 119 pennies for his change. "Mest you give me all pennies". The toffee nosed posh brat asked. " Not if you don't want them " I replied. "Give them back to me" He did as I asked, and I went into my box and took out two cash bags containing ten bob each all of them halfpennies, I took two halfpennies from one bag and handed him 9/11 pence change consisting of 238 halfpennies. "Now you have got plenty of change and you can keep the bags the company will not mind". I said politely.
Meanwhile the bus arrived at Eaton Grove and the brats got off,but because of giving Lord Snooty plenty of change one or two of them got off without paying but I did'nt mind as I had the satisfaction of giving his Lordship plenty of change, but my only regret was giving him the cash bags he could have had plenty of loose change bursting a hole in his pocket.
After that if I was conducting their bus all the little brats would tender smaller coins or they would have got the same treatment as Lord Snooty.
Updated on 15th January 2014.
Part 9.
Lost property was a slight bit of income for a conductor in the 60s. If the conductor or conductress found anything left on the bus it was their duty to hand it in to the lost property office.
If a passenger claimed any lost property a small reward was passed onto the conductor, but if after a few weeks it had not been claimed it was passed on to whoever found it,but you did not want a house full of umbrellas. Find sufficient stuff in a week could pay for a couple of pints.
One thing I would never do is inform a passenger that they had left anything on the bus, I would put that through the lost property office and claim a reward.
One occasion that I can remember was on the C9 route Hucknal bound, the bus was a Bristol FLF front entrance. Getting the fares in on the top deck I spotted a lad and his girlfriend trying to lick each others tonsils out, and as I approached them to collect their fares the girls watch slipped off her wrist. Shillings and pence lit up in my eyes lost watches carried good reward. As it lay on the floor unnoticed by them I gave it a slight tap with my foot sending it under their seat, I gave them a ticket each and carried on doing my job.
When they got off the bus I shot off upstairs to see if she had noticed that she had lost her watch, and behold it was still there where I had kicked it. That was another two pint reward because she claimed it , so everyone was happy all round.
Updated 15th January 2014.
Part 9.
Lost property was a slight bit of income for a conductor in the 60s. If the conductor or conductress found anything left on the bus it was their duty to hand it in to the lost property office.
If a passenger claimed any lost property a small reward was passed onto the conductor, but if after a few weeks it had not been claimed it was passed on to whoever found it,but you did not want a house full of umbrellas. Find sufficient stuff in a week could pay for a couple of pints.
One thing I would never do is inform a passenger that they had left anything on the bus, I would put that through the lost property office and claim a reward.
One occasion that I can remember was on the C9 route Hucknal bound, the bus was a Bristol FLF front entrance. Getting the fares in on the top deck I spotted a lad and his girlfriend trying to lick each others tonsils out, and as I approached them to collect their fares the girls watch slipped off her wrist. Shillings and pence lit up in my eyes lost watches carried good reward. As it lay on the floor unnoticed by them I gave it a slight tap with my foot sending it under their seat, I gave them a ticket each and carried on doing my job.
When they got off the bus I shot off upstairs to see if she had noticed that she had lost her watch, and behold it was still there where I had kicked it. That was another two pint reward because she claimed it , so everyone was happy all round.
Updated 15th January 2014.