The Large Red Taxi
Northampton's Crossleys arrived in 1946 and were the last non-Daimler buses delivered until the mid 1970s. Crossley began by making cars, then moved into buses and light commercial vehicles. The marque is, perhaps most famous for its vehicles designed for Manchester Corporation.
The company also built a limited number of buses for overseas customers with these unusual single deckers ...
... being for NS, the Dutch State Railways.
But back to Northampton.
fbb never rode on a Northampton Crossley, but saw then a-plenty as they often formed Northampton Grammar School extras taking the kiddies into town on route 8.
The bus was skilfully driven by a member of the Trust ...
... with excellent manipulation of the gearbox! Arrival was early, which gave fbb a chance to observe the vehicle closely. "Proper" rear/stop lights and reflectors had been added ...
... as a necessary adjunct to the original one "stop" light. This had necessitated adding a wooden block to the near side to comply with regulations.
Some fat bus bloke had left his bag on the rear platform, thus spoiling the picture; but that's what you get with old people!
Of course there was a "used tickets" bin ...
... with a little extra receptor to its right. fbb does wonder, even in those more honest halcyon days ...
... how much revenue the "Uncollected Fares" box actually contributed to the bottom line of the town's bus operation.
But the best bit of the Crossley, and all Northampton rear platfrom buses from then until their demise, is the leg room top deck front.
In what modern bus, however "luxurious" does a passenger have the ability to stretch out his legs in consummate comfort?
It was a joy to ride!
After the non service, the bus returned its passengers to town via roads that never carried a Corporation bus. That is because the A45 "by-pass" wasn't built then!
Terminus was Abington Branch Library (once an Anglican church!) where Alan worked occasionally and where fbb was dragged on many a Saturday to accompany granny as she changed her "Mills and Boon" trashy romance.
Mills and Boon are still in business having published over 6,000 titles since 1923.
Back in granny's day, the rumour was that Mills and Boon were wont to re-piblish their novels with a new title and a new picture on the front cover - and nobody ever noticed!
Anyway, here is 146 settled outside the Library.
As very much an outsider compared with the rest of the congregation, fbb felt it would be intrusive to take pictures within. But tea, sandwiches and cake were available in more than adequate quantities!
fbb was invited to speak and was able to fill in details of Alan's life outside of the Library Service and Bus Preservation. He recounted the first witticism that he ever heard Alan utter.
There was some debate after school as to whether we would go to the canteen for a cup of tea and a bun before a rehearsal. One less amenable teen opined thus.
"I am not going there, all the cups have got chips in them!"
Alan simply looked up from his school bag and replied,
"We usually have tea in ours!"
Not a belly laugh by very typical of Alan's ready wit.
And it got a laugh then and at the funeral tea and buns.
Your respectful blogger ended with his own light-hearted bit. He apologised for a hurried getaway (everyone else was local) and went on to say which buses he would catch back to the station.
"It will be a 2 or a 21 into town" he suggested, "followed by a 6, 6A, 12 ot 17 down to the station". fbb went on, "That's the best I can remermber; it may have changed in recent years but without Alan, how could I ever know?"
Another laugh!
But, whisper it quietly, fbb DID mentioned God!
"I would like to think", quoth fbb, "that a gracious and loving God might forgive Alan his occasional sins and welcome a repentant Librarian into the glories of heaven. Assuming that grace also extends to a overweight but repentant blogger, then maybe we might meet again in eternity and have a good long chat about bus timetables?"
There was, as they say, tunultuous applause.
After heart surgery back in January, Alan collapsed on a July visit to Ridgmont station (which is on the line between Bletchley and Bedford). To conclude this memorial to a lifelong friend (well, 70 out of 79 years!) fbb will take a virtual visit to Ridgmont tomorrow.
Final Northampton Alan blog : Sunday 17 Nov
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