Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Bus timetables

Just bought an old Birkenhead Corporation bus timetable book on e-bay.
The conductor usually had a dog-eared copy in his pocket. It measures 6"x 4 3/4" This one is from 1953, so the year after I left school. Here are a few pages from it. When looking at the fares, remember there were 240 pence to the £1, not 100.
Look at the ferry frequency & the fact they ran all night!

Brilliant Chris ! Thanks for that. A whole pile of memories there. I don't know when he became Gen. Manager, but G.A.Cherry was on the legal lettering (front n/s) on all the Corporation buses I ever remember.

Notice the correct apostrophe in front of 'bus, 'buses etc. Presume the old word "omnibus" still lurked. Maybe shortened version of "motorbus" ? Who knows ?

Remember getting a filthy look from the conductor if I tendered a half-crown (2/6d) for my 1 1/2d to Woodchurch Rd Pri.School.

Was eventually given the money by my folks to buy a stapled pack of a hundred x 1 1/2d pre-paid scholar's tickets to hand to the conductor. Always made me feel superior to the lower-order plebs who had to use cash (how dreadfully common). In reality, this was a ploy to stop me spending my bus fares on chewing gum, cakes etc. and walking home !!

Brought back some memories Chriskay - thanks
If we only had a mile or to to go somewhere we always walked there from Grange Road area of Birkenhead

The main buses I used to get were
1950s 72 right down to Thurstaston Shore to go fishing and I think they stopped after a certain time and only went to Thurstaston Crossroads so if the fishing was going well and we missed the shore bus it was a fairly long walk/run up along the cliff tops and up that road to get to the crossroads
I remember we were fishing one day at Caldy and as it began to get dark we realised we had to hurry to catch the last crossroads bus back to Birkenhead and so we found a path that we had never used before that went that way and started running
By then it was quite dark and when your running in the dark in a strange place you always have the feeling something is chasing you. Suddenly out of the blue a figure stepped in front of us and yelled what are you lot up to [must have been the farmer} Very nearly
sh-t myself just made us run a lot faster

Still managed to catch bus


1960s numbers 10 New Brighton and 21, 28 and 22 to Moreton
I think I could count on the fingers on one hand the number of times I used a Crosville bus {were the fares dearer}

The No 70 bus to the Woodchurch est i got regularly, I noticed its final stop was Orrets Meadow Rd in 1953, it did of course go further as the estate developed, making its final stop at the rounderbout where New Hey rd and Houghton Rd met. I also think it was the first bus off the estate at about 5.20 am ish for shift workers.

Thirteen years later, in 1966, the timetable was still the same price (3d):



But, the fares have almost doubled:



The night sailings of the ferries have ended:



to be replaced by the night buses:

I used to go down to Woodside to buy one of these now and then, usually one of the drivers/conductors would just give you gratis - or sometimes half price

Hmmmm, I paid £7 for mine & I'd previously seen a couple go for up to £16

Might still have one somewhere but it would be about 1970ish and definately dog-eared.

Something strange going on here. Neither the 64 or 70 'buses timetables mentions the Central Library as a 'bus stop, they say Victoria Rd then onto Fire Station. Now I know for sure that both the 64,70,77 Crossville and I think the 6and7(these used to go up Balls Road East.) stopped there.

I can say for sure that from at least the middle sixties the 70 70a 77 78 and Crossvilles F27 stopped at the library, i got on them at the library regularly to go up to the Woodchurch.

Good to see the adverts in the books aswell. Like the one of the Grange in Moreton, my old watering hole, completely different inside now, just been re-decorated as well, so more history covered up!! Notice it also had a wall around it, think i vaugly remember this!

I think all the buses which passed the library stopped there. I think in the timetables they only show the fare stages.

When did they stop workmens concessionary fares
I can't remember them in the 60s
Today they want every penny they can get of you
You can't use a saveway before 9.30am or between 4.00pm and 6.00pm or am I mistaken
Are there any current price lists to compare against

I don't know when they stopped, but even when they were available, they weren't exactly generous, were they? For instance, you had to be going at least from Victoria Rd. to Woodside to get a 1/2p reduction.
Anyone know if the workmen's fares on the trains was any more generous?

Great topic, being able to compare old and current prices!
I occassionally used the 64 but could you say what I paid on the 50 and 58 to Lower Bebington village in 1953?