Author Topic: The number 8 bus route  (Read 69980 times)

JudithM

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #198 on: May 09, 2018, 01:07:29 PM »

I wasn't aware  it had ever stopped, living in Gt Barr up until September last year . Everyday was a day of high speed high testosterone and loads of hitting the horn , best days work I ever did was to get away from there . From about 7.00am every day at the lights A N Other AKA Lewis Hamilton revving up at the lights if you were slow on the uptake when green lit up you were the target  for him honking and revving , I used to think I'm  glad I don't drive . Now in hindsight I live in a very quiet village , I often wonder was he that keen on getting to work early, or was it just the roar of the engine he liked to hear
How times have changed. These days if you head out of town on Horsefair/Bristol Street during the evening rush hour you'd be hard pressed to break 5mph ;D  It takes longer to get out of Town as far as the inner ring road some days than it takes me to get the rest if the way home  :P
"I know tomorrow's gonna taste like cake"

Ivor Williams

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #199 on: May 28, 2018, 12:22:54 AM »
Ladywood wasn't on your list.  :o

Saltley3152(tony)

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #200 on: July 18, 2018, 02:57:45 PM »
When I was a child living in Balsall Heath with my grandparents Sunday Morning was a very boring time for us children. To get us from underfoot whilst cooking Sunday Dinner we were sent for a ride around the Inner Circle number 8 bus route. This cost around 4d a child and the year would have been around 1955 when I would have been about 8, I would have been accompanied by one uncle aged 9 and an aunt around 14. Our biggest problem would be deciding if we would travel clockwise or anti- clockwise around the route.

It seems that we always chose the clockwise route more often than not. So for illustration purposes that is the route I will try to reproduce here. The route is basically the same today, though it has changed a little. I will try to reproduce the 1955 route as near as I can remember, but please forgive me if I stray a little off path because it has been a long time. For guidance this is the route today.

Balsall Heath
Lee Bank
Five Ways
Jewellery Quarter
Hockley
Newtown
Nechells
Saltley Gate/ Alum Rock
Bordesley
Small Heath
Sparkbrook
Balsall Heath

Please join me on this journey and add  anything about the route that you wish to be it a memory or a photo.  I ask only one thing, that you keep to each section of the route as I lay it out, as memories  and photos of Sparkbrook for instance would make little sense in the Hockley part of the route. I will give plenty of time for additional comments between each section, though at the end of the route there will be time to comment on any part of the route.
Hi Phil, i did the same thing 10 years after you, 3/4 of us went full round the number 8 many times, both ways.


Saltley3152(tony)

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #201 on: July 18, 2018, 03:03:14 PM »
Hi Phil, i did the same thing 10 years after you, 3/4 of us went full round the number 8 many times, both ways.
we lived in Brookfields, we got the bus by the big railway bridge, on the junction with Pittsford st. we always tried to sit on the top, right at the front, or downstairs behind the driver.
we lived in Heaton st at one time, and i went to school at Ellen rd, and Icknield st , and before we moved out of the area in George Street West.

Saltley3152(tony)

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #202 on: July 18, 2018, 03:13:25 PM »
it was very scary to a child walking through the icknield railway bridge..dark..damp and noisy...i used to think monsters lived there ;D


lyn
Hi Lyn, i use to walk throught there everyday to school in Icknield St, i must admit i found it exciting, not scary. :)

astoness

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #203 on: July 18, 2018, 07:54:08 PM »
hello tony...gosh you were brave ;D  seriously though for the sake of history i do wish the old railway bridge was still there :(


lyn

Saltley3152(tony)

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #204 on: July 19, 2018, 09:32:52 PM »
hello tony...gosh you were brave ;D  seriously though for the sake of history i do wish the old railway bridge was still there :(


lyn
Hi Lyn,
I have not been down there for a few years, it was much smaller last time i saw it.  Did you live in the area?


Tony.


astoness

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #205 on: July 19, 2018, 10:14:40 PM »
hi tony i lived in villa st which was off nursery road..used to cop the no 8 to spring hill rollar rink...happy days O0




lyn

Saltley3152(tony)

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #206 on: July 19, 2018, 10:24:51 PM »
hi tony i lived in villa st which was off nursery road..used to cop the no 8 to spring hill rollar rink...happy days O0
I had an aunt that lived in Villa St.
 :)



lyn

Scipio

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #207 on: July 19, 2018, 10:37:09 PM »
hi tony i lived in villa st which was off nursery road..used to cop the no 8 to spring hill rollar rink...happy days O0




lyn



Did you ever go there when it was the ice rink Lyn ?
If voting made any difference , they wouldn't let us do it.
Mark Twain

astoness

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Re: The number 8 bus route
« Reply #208 on: July 19, 2018, 10:44:47 PM »
no john only when it was rollar...couldnt get on with ice skating..kept falling over ;D i did don on the old rollar boots again a couple of years back just for old times sake ...really enoyed it..not as fast as i was but at least i stayed up right lol


 

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