Peterborough-Stamford

[ramon hefford]

Is anybody old enough to remember a single deck service Peterborough-Stamford which I used as a boy on holiday? some took a direct route others via what I think was an army camp? I know it terminated at Stamford "George"

 

[Andy Pacer]

Was it a Delaine service?

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Before my time - but it could have been the Cream Bus service: http://www.countrybus.com/cream.htm see the timetable pages.
They were bought out via Barton Transport PLC who continued the routes via both Wittering & Barnack. The former is now in the hands of Centrebus, the latter with Delaine.

 

[MedwayValiant]

Cream Bus sold out to Barton in 1961, and Barton in turn withdrew from the Peterborough area in 1988. As stated the route via Barnack then passed to Delaine who operate it to this day.

If I remember rightly, when Barton pulled out the route via the A1 and Wittering went mainly to R Kime (Folkingham), but with some journeys operated by what was then Cambus. That route went through RAF Wittering, which was perhaps the Army camp that ramon recalls. Kime sold out to Centrebus in 2011.

 

[overthewater]

Didn't Trentbarton still operated route 2/22? from Nottingham to Peterborough until the turn of 00s?

 

[Hophead]

Is anybody old enough to remember a single deck service Peterborough-Stamford which I used as a boy on holiday? some took a direct route others via what I think was an army camp? I know it terminated at Stamford "George"

Without wanting you to divulge too much personal detail, perhaps it would help if you could give us some sort of clue as to when you were a boy (or an approximate year when you travelled on these services)?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Didn't Trentbarton still operated route 2/22? from Nottingham to Peterborough until the turn of 00s?

Wasn’t it the 2 from Nottingham to Melton with every other one running to Oakham?

I’m sure that I travelled on it c2000/1 on a Delta, there and back. Seem to recall it was a lovely run.

 

[overthewater]

Had to go and look out the timetable, it's a no2 Nottingham - Melton Melton - Oakham - Stamford. TT is dated Sept 00. Im surpursed the 2 last that long. ( 22 I was thinking off was 23 Nether broughton - Melton Mowbray)
From 2001: https://web.archive.org/web/20010803091548/http://www.rutnet.co.uk:80/transport/bus.asp

At least it would explain why Trent went so far south if Barton brought out that company.

 

[Robertj21a]

Had to go and look out the timetable, it's a no2 Nottingham - Melton Melton - Oakham - Stamford. TT is dated Sept 00. Im surpursed the 2 last that long. ( 22 I was thinking off was 23 Nether broughton - Melton Mowbray)
From 2001: https://web.archive.org/web/20010803091548/http://www.rutnet.co.uk:80/transport/bus.asp

At least it would explain why Trent went so far south if Barton brought out that company.

Still running (by Centrebus) and only recently split from a Nottingham - Melton Mowbray - Oakham - Stamford - Peterborough through service.

 

[ag51ruk]

Had to go and look out the timetable, it's a no2 Nottingham - Melton Melton - Oakham - Stamford. TT is dated Sept 00. Im surpursed the 2 last that long. ( 22 I was thinking off was 23 Nether broughton - Melton Mowbray)
From 2001: https://web.archive.org/web/20010803091548/http://www.rutnet.co.uk:80/transport/bus.asp

At least it would explain why Trent went so far south if Barton brought out that company.

Barton were purchased by Trent (A larger, ex NBC company)

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Had to go and look out the timetable, it's a no2 Nottingham - Melton Melton - Oakham - Stamford. TT is dated Sept 00. Im surpursed the 2 last that long. ( 22 I was thinking off was 23 Nether broughton - Melton Mowbray)
From 2001: https://web.archive.org/web/20010803091548/http://www.rutnet.co.uk:80/transport/bus.asp

At least it would explain why Trent went so far south if Barton brought out that company.

Barton were purchased by Trent (A larger, ex NBC company)

Indeed they were!

Barton were the incumbent operator with a depot in central Melton (as well as Ilkeston, Chilwell and even South Shields) and operated throughout the Vale of Belvoir. After failing to adapt to the post deregulation world, they sold out to Wellglade (Trent) in 1989.

I was sure that the 2 went to Oakham rather than Stamford but the years do affect the memory.

 

[MedwayValiant]

They do, but services did change frequently in the early days of deregulation. I've only ever been to Oakham once and I didn't go by bus, but my memory is that the only bus I saw in Oakham was a Transit in Cambus two tone blue. Did Cambus have a Leicestershire contract for Stamford - Oakham, and their runs between Peterborough and Stamford were - at least in part - vehicle positioning for this? (This must have been before 1989, when the Peterborough end of Cambus became Viscount and the buses turned yellow.)

A year or two later I was bus bashing in the Peterborough area. That day included bygone names like Elsey's (Gosberton), W H Fowler (Holbeach Drove), and J R Morley (Whittlesey), and whoever was operating March - Wisbech at that time. Might that have been Emblings Coaches (Guyhirn)? Coming back to the point, I saw a vehicle from Bland (Stamford) at Peterborough Bus Station and it was heading to Stamford for a connection to Oakham. Who operated the connecting service by now I'm not sure.

 

[Robertj21a]

They do, but services did change frequently in the early days of deregulation. I've only ever been to Oakham once and I didn't go by bus, but my memory is that the only bus I saw in Oakham was a Transit in Cambus two tone blue. Did Cambus have a Leicestershire contract for Stamford - Oakham, and their runs between Peterborough and Stamford were - at least in part - vehicle positioning for this? (This must have been before 1989, when the Peterborough end of Cambus became Viscount and the buses turned yellow.)

A year or two later I was bus bashing in the Peterborough area. That day included bygone names like Elsey's (Gosberton), W H Fowler (Holbeach Drove), and J R Morley (Whittlesey), and whoever was operating March - Wisbech at that time. Might that have been Emblings Coaches (Guyhirn)? Coming back to the point, I saw a vehicle from Bland (Stamford) at Peterborough Bus Station and it was heading to Stamford for a connection to Oakham. Who operated the connecting service by now I'm not sure.

Fowler of Holbeach Drove is still running. A newer generation Bland is still in evidence around the Stamford area (Mark Bland) and it's quite likely that the old Bland's service from Peterborough would have connected at Oakham with another Bland's service.
I guess any contract for Stamford to Oakham would have come under Lincolnshire or Rutland councils.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Fowler of Holbeach Drove is still running. A newer generation Bland is still in evidence around the Stamford area (Mark Bland) and it's quite likely that the old Bland's service from Peterborough would have connected at Oakham with another Bland's service.
I guess any contract for Stamford to Oakham would have come under Lincolnshire or Rutland councils.

If Cambus is being mentioned in that area then we’re talking late 80s - Rutland wasn’t reconstituted until the mid 90s so may have Leics CC and/or Lincs.

(Crawls back under Pedants Pebble)

 

[Lostin Transit]

Barton withdrew their 117 Nottm - Peterborough service in 1988 when they closed their Stamford garage,they retained their 2 service Nottm -Melton -Oakham until they closed their Melton operations around 2005 approx.Centrebus took over their services and reinstated the Nottm - Peterborough service as the five counties express.
There also used to be a Nottm -Corby service run by Barton and also Corby - Glasgow expresses.
I remember their smart red and maroon coaches certainly added variety to the endless stream of leaf green United Counties buses in Corbys beautiful but now demolished bus station.

 

[Robertj21a]

Barton withdrew their 117 Nottm - Peterborough service in 1988 when they closed their Stamford garage,they retained their 2 service Nottm -Melton -Oakham until they closed their Melton operations around 2005 approx.Centrebus took over their services and reinstated the Nottm - Peterborough service as the five counties express.
There also used to be a Nottm -Corby service run by Barton and also Corby - Glasgow expresses.
I remember their smart red and maroon coaches certainly added variety to the endless stream of leaf green United Counties buses in Corbys beautiful but now demolished bus station.

That Corby to Glasgow service (now NatExp) only finished a few months ago.

 

[Lostin Transit]

I didn't know that national express had taken it on and that it has only just finished,I suppose many third generation corbyites don't feel such an affinity with the old country,I do remember Barton falling out with whoever ran Buchanannan st coach station in Glasgow and there coaches stopping/starting in some god forsaken suburban lay bye.

 

[overthewater]

I didn't know that national express had taken it on and that it has only just finished,I suppose many third generation corbyites don't feel such an affinity with the old country,I do remember Barton falling out with whoever ran Buchanannan st coach station in Glasgow and there coaches stopping/starting in some god forsaken suburban lay bye.

National Express has operated 538? or was it 537? for donkey years. SPT that run that bus station, before that it was parks coach station.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

National Express has operated 538? or was it 537? for donkey years. SPT that run that bus station, before that it was parks coach station.

Was the 738 before the 538. This may be of interest from 1980/1 https://www.flickr.com/photos/leon4...rcv-wk5diQ-wkbXvt-wCsuhx-zgenAq-Mow25g-piikJg

 

[overthewater]

Interesting.

 

[MedwayValiant]

If Cambus is being mentioned in that area then we’re talking late 80s - Rutland wasn’t reconstituted until the mid 90s so may have Leics CC and/or Lincs. (Crawls back under Pedants Pebble)

It must have been Cambus because I remember the vehicle being two tone blue rather than the yellow and white adopted by Viscount. I suspect the contract would have been issued by Leicestershire, since the main users of the route would have been Leicestershire/Rutland people. I doubt that people from Stamford go for a day out in Oakham all that often, but people probably do do the opposite thing, and none of the intermediate villages are in Lincolnshire.

Meanwhile, yet another Peterborough - Stamford service: Cavalier Small Party Travel (Long Sutton) used to run a Sunday service between Peterborough and Stamford. It was only three return journeys, and I think Northamptonshire must have put up some of the funding because one journey in each direction went via Collyweston instead of Wittering.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

In April 1988 Loughborough Bus & Coach Co were running the 138 Loughborough-Melton-Oakham-Stamford every 2-3hours (with one through journey from Ashby de la Zouch!). I have no idea what vehicles they used but that was around the time you are mentioning.

 

[ramon hefford]

In April 1988 Loughborough Bus & Coach Co were running the 138 Loughborough-Melton-Oakham-Stamford every 2-3hours (with one through journey from Ashby de la Zouch!). I have no idea what vehicles they used but that was around the time you are mentioning.

Thank you for your reply.

 

[A0]

I remember their smart red and maroon coaches certainly added variety to the endless stream of leaf green United Counties buses in Corbys beautiful but now demolished bus station.

You are, I take it, being ironic about Corby's old bus station being 'beautiful'......

Not much in the centre of Corby deserves the accolade "beautiful".....

 

[Robertj21a]

All the Exit signs are beautiful.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

All the Exit signs are beautiful.

To quote Tim Vine “Exit signs? They’re on their way out”

For younger viewers, this is Blade Runner inspiring nihilistic Corby bus station https://flic.kr/p/r47nmP

I remember it in use though never had to use it. Seem to recall it was like a 1980s time capsule with United Counties, NBC and Scottish Citylink signage - edit: so it was til the end https://flic.kr/p/nFiMTt

My old geography teacher studied in Leicester Uni and Corby was the place they went to see how town planning shouldn’t be done!

 

[ramon hefford]

Before my time - but it could have been the Cream Bus service: http://www.countrybus.com/cream.htm see the timetable pages.
They were bought out via Barton Transport PLC who continued the routes via both Wittering & Barnack. The former is now in the hands of Centrebus, the latter with Delaine.

Before my time - but it could have been the Cream Bus service: http://www.countrybus.com/cream.htm see the timetable pages.
They were bought out via Barton Transport PLC who continued the routes via both Wittering & Barnack. The former is now in the hands of Centrebus, the latter with Delaine.

gggggggggggggttttt

Before my time - but it could have been the Cream Bus service: http://www.countrybus.com/cream.htm see the timetable pages.
They were bought out via Barton Transport PLC who continued the routes via both Wittering & Barnack. The former is now in the hands of Centrebus, the latter with Delaine.

 

[ramon hefford]

Before my time - but it could have been the Cream Bus service: http://www.countrybus.com/cream.htm see the timetable pages.
They were bought out via Barton Transport PLC who continued the routes via both Wittering & Barnack. The former is now in the hands of Centrebus, the latter with Delaine.

Very good of you and medway valiant to post all the info.the link to cream bus is excellent history and lovely to see the photos of buses I have not seen for 60odd years Thanks

 

[Lostin Transit]

I was being a tad ironic but I know it was a cold draughty Stalinist lump of concrete but it's where my interest and enthusiasm for all things bus related was kindled and until I was old enough to head out to more exotic climes i.e Leicester and Peterborough mainly then it was all we had.
As for Corbys other charms don't forget it was a new town built around a single industry and must have looked good on the planners board.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

Had to go and look out the timetable, it's a no2 Nottingham - Melton Melton - Oakham - Stamford. TT is dated Sept 00. Im surpursed the 2 last that long. ( 22 I was thinking off was 23 Nether broughton - Melton Mowbray)
From 2001: https://web.archive.org/web/20010803091548/http://www.rutnet.co.uk:80/transport/bus.asp

At least it would explain why Trent went so far south if Barton brought out that company.

the Barton 23 I remember was Long Clawson- Nottingham but I am going back more years than I care to admit lol