Not wishing to cause offence unnecessarily, I have to confess that there was a time (when I was manager of Guildford Bus Station), when I was not at all enamoured with Bus Nuts (as some PSV drivers called them) or Bus Enthusiasts as they would, probably, prefer to call themselves. The main reason for this, by the way, was that some of them would clear the Travel Office shelves of time-tables almost as soon as they had been filled; thus depriving genuine travellers of the service. That really annoyed me. There was one, in particular, who would visit every Saturday to take six copies of every route; and, in so doing, taking an eternity to count them all out before stuffing them into his shopping bag. Heaven knows where he stored them all in the residential home where he lived.
With the benefit of hindsight, I suppose it should have been obvious really; but, it came as something of a surprise, recently, to discover that some my former colleagues were also Bus Enthusiasts; and had been so all their lives. This, no doubt, explains why they chose to enter the industry; however, since I didn't come into that category, I'm intrigued to know if there are any other non-Bus Nuts - and how it came about.
But, first, here's my story........
Soon after I came out of the army, in 1959, I had a hankering to become driving instructor; and, over the next year, I had two or three interviews; but was unsuccessful. Eventually, one of the driving school owners, in what seemed to me to be an attempt to let me down gently, explained, "Well, I might have been able to employ you if you had an HGV license, for example."
Anyway, as it happened, I was walking past the Head Office of The North Western Road Car Company, a few days later, when I saw a blackboard saying (something like) "Drivers wanted. Let us teach you to become a bus driver." ...........and thereafter, I could turn up at the garage at around 9.00 am or 2.00 pm, on any day, and at no expense to myself - and along with two or three others - we would drive around Cheshire and north Derbyshire to our hearts content in a Bristol single-decker (below left) .
With the benefit of hindsight, I suppose it should have been obvious really; but, it came as something of a surprise, recently, to discover that some my former colleagues were also Bus Enthusiasts; and had been so all their lives. This, no doubt, explains why they chose to enter the industry; however, since I didn't come into that category, I'm intrigued to know if there are any other non-Bus Nuts - and how it came about.
But, first, here's my story........
Soon after I came out of the army, in 1959, I had a hankering to become driving instructor; and, over the next year, I had two or three interviews; but was unsuccessful. Eventually, one of the driving school owners, in what seemed to me to be an attempt to let me down gently, explained, "Well, I might have been able to employ you if you had an HGV license, for example."
Anyway, as it happened, I was walking past the Head Office of The North Western Road Car Company, a few days later, when I saw a blackboard saying (something like) "Drivers wanted. Let us teach you to become a bus driver." ...........and thereafter, I could turn up at the garage at around 9.00 am or 2.00 pm, on any day, and at no expense to myself - and along with two or three others - we would drive around Cheshire and north Derbyshire to our hearts content in a Bristol single-decker (below left) .
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Obviously, having driven all sorts of lorries (and amphibious vehicles) in the army, I felt quite comfortable. So, the company put me in for a driving test; and, having passed - in a Leyland double-decker (above right), they offered me a job as a driver. It was a simple as that. In those days (1961), there was nothing to stop someone putting the pink pass-slip in their pocket and walking away from the company; however, I accepted the job offer and stayed with North Western until the autumn and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.
Before leaving, however, I had taken the pecaution of visiting the aforementioned driving school owner to show him my recently acquired, "some sort of driving qualification" and, after a long pause, he shook my hand and offered to teach me to become a driving instructor. A year or so later, I had opened a new office for the school for him and, some time after that, the owner hinted that he wanted to retire; so, my father very honourably offered to buy the new "branch". However (somewhat naively) the owner refused; so, I left and started my own school; later become one of the first MOT Registered Instructors in the UK.
Although, I became involved in some other businesses during the next thirty years, I always took the precaution of offering to do part-time work for local coach operators (thus keeping my PSV license); finally, returning to full-time driving in 1989 with London & Country.
Before leaving, however, I had taken the pecaution of visiting the aforementioned driving school owner to show him my recently acquired, "some sort of driving qualification" and, after a long pause, he shook my hand and offered to teach me to become a driving instructor. A year or so later, I had opened a new office for the school for him and, some time after that, the owner hinted that he wanted to retire; so, my father very honourably offered to buy the new "branch". However (somewhat naively) the owner refused; so, I left and started my own school; later become one of the first MOT Registered Instructors in the UK.
Although, I became involved in some other businesses during the next thirty years, I always took the precaution of offering to do part-time work for local coach operators (thus keeping my PSV license); finally, returning to full-time driving in 1989 with London & Country.
