Hello everyone,
I tried to send this post yesterday but messed it up with oversized images, so if it arrives twice, apologies.
The Midland Red D9 trip on Sunday 18th October went to plan. The 1966 Birmingham built double decker bus ran to a 1969 timetable, only slipping slightly due to photo opportunities.
After leaving Coventry, Pool Meadow at 9.00am we were greeted by photographer Emma from the Birmingham Mail in Stevenson Place (picture and article were in Post on 19th). We were joined there by Birmingham bus enthusiasts for the trip to Malvern.
As we ran along the A38 people were trying to flag the bus down thinking it was a service bus, it looked totally at home on the route, even though it was 30 years since the bus was in service.
The bus was met at Bromsgrove Bus Station by dozens of people taking photographs, this was because of a piece in the Bromsgrove Standard. Several people couldn’t resist joining us for the rest of the day.
A stop at Worcester Bus Station attracted a lot of interest from current bus drivers and inspectors.
After turning the bus in the old turning area at Malvern Wells we had an interesting couple of hours in Great Malvern, quite a few people, including old Midland Red staff, stopping to talk, all with interesting stories of Midland Red.
It was quite a day, the bus covering over 150 miles, arriving back at Stevenson Place at 6.00pm, not bad for a vehicle 43 years old.
The day proved the fondness for a firm that everyone loved and appreciated.
I have attached three images, Coventry, Bromsgrove and Malvern Wells.
Vin T