Parcels by bus (1960s)
Discussion
A memory I have from before I started school is that mum locked me and her out of the house one morning, so we went next door and phoned dad at work - he was in Birmingham, about 20 miles away. He parcelled up his key and put it on the bus, we stood at the bus stop and the conductor gave us the parcel.
Does anyone remember if this was a normal thing bus companies did? I've never heard of it anywhere else - this was Midland Red, must have been 1960/1/2.
Does anyone remember if this was a normal thing bus companies did? I've never heard of it anywhere else - this was Midland Red, must have been 1960/1/2.
I dunno if this was a thing, but I remember grandad telling me a few times about how when he cycled to work at the pit, if he forgot his scran/ flask/ bit of kit, putting it on the dedicated bus from the village to the pit, parcel marked with his name on, was a regular occurrence.
Not quite the same as your scenario as this bus would have been put on by the colliery to get all the office 9-5 staff from the surrounding area in. my grandad was a welder and most often working 6-6 shifts, so he would be waiting 2 and 1/2 hours for what was missing.
Not quite the same as your scenario as this bus would have been put on by the colliery to get all the office 9-5 staff from the surrounding area in. my grandad was a welder and most often working 6-6 shifts, so he would be waiting 2 and 1/2 hours for what was missing.
I grew up in Acomb York, not far from a road called Beckfield Lane where there was, perhaps is, a pub callled the Green Tree. I used to travel on the bus along this road and get off at the Green Tree.
About the same time each evening a woman used to stand at the bus stop about a mile away from the pub with a Border Collie, when the bus pulled up she used to say to the dog, 'go on, bring him home'
The dog used to go 2 stops on its own and get off at the pub and go and get his owner.
About the same time each evening a woman used to stand at the bus stop about a mile away from the pub with a Border Collie, when the bus pulled up she used to say to the dog, 'go on, bring him home'
The dog used to go 2 stops on its own and get off at the pub and go and get his owner.
Longer ago than I care to remember, we were on holiday in the north west of Scotland and got a bus from Tobermory right across Mull to get a boat to the isle of Iona. The bus carried several crates of green vegetables and other stuff to drop off at the little shops along the way.
It was quite a memorable drive in other ways. We were puzzled when the driver kept on pointing out red deer. We were looking in the next field, but eventually realised he was indicating towards the hills miles away, where minuscule dark dots were scattered on the slopes.
All this while he was negotiating the bus through lanes barely wider than the vehicle itself. At one point he had to pull up while a party of cyclists edged over into a gate to get out of the way. Nodding thanks at them as he went past, he turned to us and in a lovely softf Hebridean accent said,
"Och, they say they do it for the pleasure, but I ne'er seen one smiling yet ..."
It was quite a memorable drive in other ways. We were puzzled when the driver kept on pointing out red deer. We were looking in the next field, but eventually realised he was indicating towards the hills miles away, where minuscule dark dots were scattered on the slopes.
All this while he was negotiating the bus through lanes barely wider than the vehicle itself. At one point he had to pull up while a party of cyclists edged over into a gate to get out of the way. Nodding thanks at them as he went past, he turned to us and in a lovely softf Hebridean accent said,
"Och, they say they do it for the pleasure, but I ne'er seen one smiling yet ..."
Big-Bo-Beep said:
Very common in rural Scotland, every bus depot had a parcels office, that's the way we distributed the local newspaper to newsagents,
car factors also sent auto parts via bus to local garages, brake pads and oil filters delivered in an hour.
Postbus was also in existence until recently...car factors also sent auto parts via bus to local garages, brake pads and oil filters delivered in an hour.
dirky dirk said:
I think it was called selnec parcels in Manchester
https://mancunian1001.wordpress.com/2018/12/10/whe...Big-Bo-Beep said:
Very common in rural Scotland, every bus depot had a parcels office, that's the way we distributed the local newspaper to newsagents,
car factors also sent auto parts via bus to local garages, brake pads and oil filters delivered in an hour.
Yep, stuff still arrives via the bus here in Harris. car factors also sent auto parts via bus to local garages, brake pads and oil filters delivered in an hour.
Big-Bo-Beep said:
Very common in rural Scotland, every bus depot had a parcels office, that's the way we distributed the local newspaper to newsagents,
car factors also sent auto parts via bus to local garages, brake pads and oil filters delivered in an hour.
I used to drop off car parts at the local bus station (Perth) when I was an apprentice for delivery to Crieff and Aberfeldy. car factors also sent auto parts via bus to local garages, brake pads and oil filters delivered in an hour.
I remember parcels being carried on Lincolnshire Roadcar Buses in the 1970s, they were put in the little alcove under the stairs on double deckers.
I think each village on the route had a shop or business that acted as a collection and delivery point rather like click and collect nowadays.
A work colleague used to be a bus driver in Leicester and mentioned this happening there.
I think each village on the route had a shop or business that acted as a collection and delivery point rather like click and collect nowadays.
A work colleague used to be a bus driver in Leicester and mentioned this happening there.
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