Page 10 - HB- Bus History

Redditch Heritage Bus History

Onwards and Upwards

From February 1928 the service was renumbered again, to 147. Road improvements
enabled the journey time between Alvechurch and Birmingham to be reduced to 40
minutes. Some 18 buses a day ran in each direction with more on Saturdays.

Initially, all buses were based at Tennent Street, Birmingham, but in November 1914
Midland Red moved to new premises in Bearwood and this garage was responsible for the
bulk of the Redditch service until July 1931 when Redditch garage was opened.

One notable survivor of the Bearwood operation until the 1960’s was the "newspaper bus"
which left Birmingham at about 5.45am and worked through to Astwood Bank and, later,
to CookhilL

During the Second World War the times were annotated "approximate only" and its
appearance in Redditch at the time of the Blitz was greeted as a sure sign that
Birmingham was still there.

For most of its life this bus was manned by regular crews and their stand time at Cookhill
generally allowed for a cooked breakfast provided by one of the residents.

By 1953 the basic frequency of service 147 was every 20 minutes. Demand during the
morning peak was so great, however, that a number of coaches were hired to make up a
five-minute headway.

To cover fare collection, Mr EH Thompson, the Midland Red Fares Officer, who lived in
Alvechurch, acted as a "flying conductor", meeting each coach and issuing tickets before
sending it off to Birmingham on a "set down only" basis.

It is estimated that well over 300 passengers travelled into Birmingham during the
morning peak hour on the service.

In 1954 there was some dissatisfaction with the rail service, especially as by no means
all trains called at Bournville and Selly Oak.

Barnt Green was already linked to Birmingham with bus services 145 via West Heath, but
it was felt an additional service was required. As a result, Midland Red introduced the 142
on June 12 1954, running every hour through Barnt Green and along the Bristol Road.

As the first bus nosed its way along Bittell Road a startled householder was heard to yell:
"Oi, you can't come along here!" Yet Service 142 was to last 30 years.

December 1966 saw the introduction of the first "limited stop" services, initially running
between Redditch and Walsall. Through operation had been made easier by the opening
of the convenient but Stygian Birmingham Bus Station in November 1963.

The zenith of the Midland Red service through Alvechurch was 1976, with two stopping
journeys, the 147, two limited-stop journeys, the X7, and one hourly service, the 142,
linking the area with Birmingham during the working day.

Service X7 was, in fact, considerably quicker than the train on the, by then, infrequent
rail service.

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