Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester

Stockport's old buses make a comeback!

12 May 2008

Buses in Stockport's Mersey Square

Once upon a time, Stockport town centre shook to the sound of red and cream buses, each one with a cheery conductor on the back wearing a leather cash bag and a big silver ticket machine. Those days are long gone, but next week all those vintage Stockport buses will make one last trip back in time – thanks to a unique reunion taking place at Manchester’s Museum of Transport.

The town was once served by Stockport Corporation’s own fleet of red and white double deckers, and by the buses and coaches of North Western who also had their headquarters just south of the town centre. Most of these old-timers of the road made their last journey to the scrapyard many years ago, but a few survivors are still kept in museums. Just for next weekend (17/18 May) they’ll be back on the road, giving rides for young and old – and for free.

“We’re really looking forward to the weekend,” said Museum spokesman Paul Williams. “Anyone who remembers the old North Western or Stockport Corporation buses has fond memories of them, whether it’s travelling to work or taking a coach to Blackpool. There’ll be lots going on to see and do, and most of all families will get the chance to ride on the buses that you would see on the road thirty or forty years ago. Children of today have never seen a bus with the door at the back and the engine at the front or a bus conductor collecting fares, so we hope lots of families will come and take a ride back in time.”

Free vintage buses will shuttle between the Museum of Transport in Boyle Street, Cheetham, Manchester and Manchester’s Victoria railway and Metrolink station all day, with excursions to the Heaton Park tramway happening too, and inside the Museum the memories will carry on with everything from staff outing snapshots to timetables, posters and other reminders of Stockport’s red buses.

“Most of all, North Western and Stockport buses were known as friendly buses,” said Paul. “Their staff were legendary for their courtesy and we hope that many former employees will turn up and share their memories. And if anyone comes who used to work for North Western or Stockport Corporation, they’ll get in free and hopefully they’ll be able to meet old friends and colleagues from thirty or forty years ago.”

Some of the other highlights for the weekend include:

· Two modern buses from the area, Bluebird and Stagecoach, are each painting a bus in traditional red and cream ‘North Western’ colours – they’ll be appearing for the first time at the event· A book on Stockport Corporation buses will be launched at the event by publishers MDS Books

· The Mayors of Manchester and Stockport will be at the Museum on Saturday 17 May, to welcome two long-serving employees, John Hall and Harold Sharp, who worked many years ago for North Western and Stockport and who will be presented with a commemorative scale model bus to commemorate their many years of loyal service

· Free film show of old North Western travel films, with DVD copies on sale

· Stockport bus number 321, a ‘Crossley’ double decker of 1951, will be handed over to the Museum after many years of repair work and will be giving free bus rides

· Free bus rides using vintage buses that once worked in the Stockport area

· Staff who once worked for Stockport Corporation or North Western will be entitled to free entry, but are especially welcome on Saturday 17 May when the Museum hopes old colleagues will come and see old friends and swap memories

The event will be held at the Museum of Transport, Manchester M8 8UW on Saturday and Sunday 17/18 May from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Ends

Notes to Editors

The Museum of Transport is in Boyle Street, Cheetham, Manchester and is open to the public every Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday. An admission charge applies. The Museum is a partnership between the volunteers and the Greater Manchester Transport Society and GMPTE, the public body which supports and co-ordinates public transport in Greater Manchester. Telephone 0161 205 2122 or visit www.gmts.co.uk.