Way Back Then
Back in the 1900s the main employer in Barlestoner was the local pit, involving a stroll along the road to Desford.
Two Miners saw an opportunity to enhance their income and in 1919 bought a bus to carry themselves and their mates to and from the pithead. They were Walter and Edward Gibson who often worked a shift at the pit aftet dtiving their bus..
Their first vehicle was nicknamed the "Misery" because it was not particularly comfortable and didn't like going up hills. Rumours were rife that passengers had to get out and push!
To expand their business to carry passengers between the local villages, they bought a somewhat more luxurious vehicle which gained the name "Comfort" which soon became the brand name for the company.
A deep red (maroon) livery was chosen as illustrated in these 'colourised' photos of a selection of older vehicles.
... on Southgate Street in Leicester. The pub is no more.
The brothers appointed a manager (Mr Mills) in 1931 who actually designed a bus, one of only two made and bodies by Willowbrook of Loughborough. It cost £500.
In 1949 the first double decker arrived and the company history reports that it was ex London Transport RT but "bought from a depot in Stratford upon Avon" (would that have been a Stratford Blue RT?). Several RTs joined the fleet in the post WW2 years.
The company's core main line route had become at least hourly running from Market Bosworth via Barlestone to Leicester.
More Recently
Sadly, for their loyal local customers, the company was sold to Leicester City Tranport in 1979. Operations were still based in the Comfort garage in Barlestone and, for a while Leicester City buses carried the former company name ...
... but, oddly, not the much better known Comfort brand!
The end came in 1993, when Leicester City sold the business to Midland Red ...
... Midland Red was to become Arriva blue witth the core route still being numbered 153.
Note certain journeys omit Barlesone on the above Arriva map. Buses now run hourly and have been diverted to serve Kirby Muxlow ...
All journeys now do a loop from Newbold Verdon direct to Market Bosworth then returning via Barlestone which makes for a lengthy journey from Leicester!
How the mighty have fallen.
.. who closed the Barlestine depot - surprise surprise. The core route became 153.
And Now ...
If you go to Barlestone and seek out buses in the Leicester direction from outside the pub ...
... you are treated to a lavish pole and flag plus a timetable frame containing some sort of information.
This is from Streetview which, understandably, is not always up-to-date, so hopefilly the travelling public is better informed by now.
Hmmm? It is Arriva!
What hasn't changed is Leicestershire County's 100% awful network map ...
... so different from that produced for City services. There is the 153 powering into town via Kirby Muxloe c/o 'Leicestersj Buses'.
Is Arriva's on-line route map better than the County's?
NO!
In a convoluted way, we do still have a sort of "Comfort" bus service running in the UK today, of which more tomorrow.
Next Comfort Bus blog : Saturday 29th Nov
