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My second day started
in the afternoon. I met the conductor who
was going to take me out on my first shift.
We started with the 14:40 number 69 to Fareham
and back, had a 56 minute meal break, then
did the 18:30 number 47 to Southampton and
finished with the 21:40 to Fareham getting
back to the depot at 23:34. I then had to
count the money and pay it in.
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Matching the fare stages
on the fare chart with the stops on the
road was difficult enough in daylight but
soon it was dark. Harder still was working
out where the passengers wanted when they
asked for places in between. Fortunately
for them I was not yet expected to ring
the bell to stop the bus where they wanted
to get off. For the next week and a half
I would have an experienced conductor with
me to help out if I got into difficulties.
After that, I would be on my own.
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| From Winchester
we ran to Southampton via Chandlers
Ford (47) (known as the "Main
Road"), Southampton via Eastleigh
(48) and Fareham (69). Most services
on routes 66 to Salisbury, 67
to Petersfield and 68, 68A and
68B to Andover were operated by
driver only buses but several
journeys to Andover each day and
the 1730 to Petersfield were worked
by crews. We sometimes operated
reliefs on the 66 but only as
far as Hursley. |
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| We had an extra
morning and afternoon trip on
the 47 route from and to Hiltingbury
(between Chandlers Ford and Hursley)
on schooldays. Wilts & Dorset
also ran on the 66 and the 68/68A/68B
routes. The 111 service to Basingstoke
was run exclusively by Wilts &
Dorset. |
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| With only four
main routes, learning the fares
was reasonably easy. Where King
Alfred buses ran on the same section
we charged the fares set by them.
Otherwise the only complication
was the special tickets such as
five and six day weeklies, transfers
and day out tickets which we carried
on a wooden rack. |
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| At the end
of two weeks I was deemed ready
to go out on my own. A sleepless
night was probably not the best
preparation. |
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| This is a sixpenny
(old money) single ticket issued
at fare stage 55 on the 13th of
March from ticket machine 627
and numbered 315. |
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| From
Winchester Bus Station: |
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| 47
- North Walls, Jewry Street, Southgate Street,
St.Cross, Bushfield Camp, Compton, Otterbourne,
Chandler's Ford, Bassett, The Avenue, London
Road, Above Bar, Southampton Bus Station (West
Marlands). Journey time 48 minutes each way
plus 12 minutes layover at Southampton. The
47 was operated by Winchester and Southampton
crews. |
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| 48
- North Walls, Jewry Street, Southgate Street,
St.Cross, Hockley, Twyford, Colden Common,
Fisher's Pond, Crowd Hill, Fair Oak, Bishopstoke,
Eastleigh Bus Station (Blenheim Road), Nightingale
Bridge, North Stoneham, Swaythling, Portswood,
Lodge Road (Stag Gates), London Road, Above
Bar, Southampton Bus Station (West Marlands).
Journey time 76 minutes each way plus 19 minutes
layover at Southampton. The 48 was operated
by Winchester and Southampton crews. |
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| 66
- North Walls, City Road, Romsey Road, Pitt,
Hursley, Ampfield, Romsey (Market Place),
Shootash, Sherfield English, Whiteparish,
Whaddon, Salisbury Bus Station. Although Salisbury
was shown as the destination, buses did not
run through to Salisbury. On most journeys
passengers needed to change buses to the 37
from Southampton at Whiteparish, on others
to the Wilts & Dorset 36 in Romsey. The
37 and 66 were joint services with Wilts &
Dorset. |
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| 67
- Chilcombe Corner, Warnford Corner, Beauworth
(not all journeys), Old Cheriton, Bramdean,
West Meon, Drayton, East Meon, Langrish, Stroud,
Petersfield (Square). Journey time 78 or 85
minutes. Layover times in Petersfield varied.
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| 68
- North Walls, City Road, Andover Road, Flowerdown,
Worthy Down, Sutton Scotney, Bullington Cross,
Barton Stacey Army Camps C and D, Barton Stacey
Army Camp B, Longparish, Bell Road, Andover
Bus Station. Journey time 55 minutes each
way plus 5 minutes layover in Andover. |
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| 68A
- North Walls, City Road, Andover Road, Flowerdown,
Worthy Down, Sutton Scotney, Barton Stacey,
Barton Stacey Army Camp B, Longparish, Bell
Road, Andover Bus Station. Journey time 55
minutes each way plus 5 minutes layover in
Andover. |
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| 68B
- North Walls, City Road, Andover Road, Flowerdown,
Crawley Down, Barton Stacey, Barton Stacey
Army Camps C and D, Barton Stacey Army Camp
B, Longparish, Bell Road, Andover Bus Station.
Journey time 53 minutes plus 7 minutes layover
in Andover. The 68, 68A and 68B were joint
services with Wilts & Dorset. |
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| 69
- North Walls, Jewry Street, Southgate Street,
St.Cross, Hockley, Twyford, Colden Common,
Fisher's Pond, Lower Upham, Bishop's Waltham,
Swanmore, Waltham Chase, Shedfield, Wickham,
Fareham Bus Station (West Street). Journey
time 79 minutes each way plus 16 minutes layover
at Fareham. The 69 was operated by Winchester,
Fareham and Bishops Waltham crews. |
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| During
layovers, as well as snatching refreshments,
conductors had to deliver and collect parcels
at the booking office. Parcels were carried
between bus stations and were also collected
from and delivered to agencies along the route. |
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