How my interest in transport developed

Some blame my aunt, I was told when I was very young, to keep me quiet while she was babysitting me, my aunt would walk me down the hill on Derby Road, then come back on the bus.



Then my parents moved to the Clifton estate, the house backed on to the A453 and I would spent alot of my time watching the traffic out of the window. I would spend hours watching the many cars and trucks pass the house.



The same would happen at my Grannys, but there was the added attraction of the railway too, I can remember one of the first intercity 125 trains coming though Grantham. the entire market stopped to look, or so it seemed.



I was bought lots of Matchbox and corgi toy cars,(and buses and trucks), and drove them many miles round the living room floor. it is funny none of my brothers share my interest, oh well.

Then I must move on to the variety of buses that served Nottingham, there were the Green Nottingham City Transport ones, the blue south notts ones, these both served clifton. Then there were the red Barton buses, which I loved and pretended to be driving one on the school play ground, I was to later purchase a Barton bus for preservation.

Then there were the other red Trent ones which took us to my aunts house, along with the green ones.

all this variety made an impression, but the event that sparked it all was a trip to a bus depot.

later I was to work on buses gaining several years experience, volunteer and help restore the things, this was fun although emotional at times.

Then I worked in the industry full time, now that was a culture shock, I had to learn how to separate my enthusiast side from the professional side, although both generally went hand in hand, although I would come home not wanting to see another bus.