Last bus whistle

[menaj]

ps they were not called inspectors in those days by the drivers, but insects, sorry lads no insult intended, just the truth as remembered.

[Darkoak]

Remember the Campo Lane vividly.

 

At around 11pm every Friday and Saturday night, it seemed like everyone from Stannington and Oughtibridge were in The Golden Ball, opposite the bus stops waiting for services 7 and 65 to the above named villages.

 

We used to position ourselves near the door overlooking the stops, keeping an eye out for the buses filling up, hoping our watches read the same time as the Inspectors.

 

Missed the last 'un a couple of times and in those days it was a 'double-whammy' if you did. No late night buses and 'time' had already been called!

[Angus Prune]

Does anyone know if the same practice took place in Rotherham? I don't remember ever hearing a whistle, but a few people I know are adamant that there was one.

 

The last buses always left at 10:45 PM (even after they put closing time back to 11, annoyingly enough) and I often found myself staggering rapidly for one of the last buses to Wickersley. A handy trick to know was that if you missed it by a gnat's, if you turned round and legged it back up Howard Street, past the Tec and onto Donny Gate, you would usually get to the first stop on Wellgate before the bus did thanks to the one-way system and its abundance of traffic lights:thumbsup:

[tatty dumps]

Can anybody remember the old Pond Street bus station ( I am talking late 70's and into the 80's) and the 11.15 pm whistle.

 

It was quite bizarre thinking about it now. The last bus on all the routes was 11.15 and all the buses would have revving engines from about 11.10pm. The inspector would stroll out and blow the whistle at 11.15 after which there was a stampede to see which bus could get out of Pond Street first.

 

I could be wrong but think that this continued until deregulation in 1986.

 

I was a "clippie" 1951-1963 and can remember the last whistle. It always reminded me of the Grand National

Tatty Dumps

[pensionipper]

I was another 'whistle blower' and.......still got that whistle!

[Joanl]

I can remember the "last bus race" even in 59/60....Running down the steps that ran from the corner of Fitzalan Square down to Pond Street and breathing a sigh of relief, if you had managed to catch the bus before it went...