JOHN.E.BASS
COACHES
FLECKNEY
FLECKNEY
LEICESTERSHIRE
LEICESTERSHIRE
1973
The Freakers a small band of local young men of the time with love of mischievous fun hired our mini bus for darts matches and other such outings, on one occasion I was out on another job, Janet took them to Wigston to play darts 'you will be fine' I said 'they are good lads', she came back,' how did you go on' I said great she said,' it’s the fist time I’ve had supper served through a pub window', 'why' I ask,' well when I arrived to pick them up they where running late I could’nt park on the round about so I parked under the pub window on the pavment and had to stay with the mini bus and the lads passed me sandwiched from the window'.
(The pub was on the roundabout at the end of Bell St)
(The pub was on the roundabout at the end of Bell St)
It was the approach from Provincial Coaches that brought me and my family to Fleckney in the early 60s, it was to purchase the Leicester to Fleckney bus service. A 50s Leyland Cub bus was presented to me one Sunday morning with a setright ticket machine that only went up to 19 shillings & 11 pence and a wooden destination board (reversible), oh yeah a time table, that proved useful!
First trip Wigston (Horse & Trumpet) Sunday service, they forgot to tell me you had to open field gates to get through!. Next day Leicester to Fleckney via Kilby picking up workers for the Smelting factory, one of them tells me he pays at the end of the week!
Yes, I fell for it, Jack & Mable at the Crown had first pick of his wages.
First trip Wigston (Horse & Trumpet) Sunday service, they forgot to tell me you had to open field gates to get through!. Next day Leicester to Fleckney via Kilby picking up workers for the Smelting factory, one of them tells me he pays at the end of the week!
Yes, I fell for it, Jack & Mable at the Crown had first pick of his wages.
After a short time we moved into 17 Albert St and started the service for Elizabeth Rd, instead of York Rd Leicester, this enabled the family to get to know alot of the then 1500 village population.
As we got the hang of the workings of the service we learned the village was made up of mainly Gamble’s, Bromley’s and Deacon’s apart from that every body wanted to know about us in a friendly way I must say. We progressed to taking the village school children on educational trips,
unlike the working men’s club who educated me in their ways with sometimes as many as four coaches on one outing to the seaside, I was introduced to many a character as time went on.
As we got the hang of the workings of the service we learned the village was made up of mainly Gamble’s, Bromley’s and Deacon’s apart from that every body wanted to know about us in a friendly way I must say. We progressed to taking the village school children on educational trips,
unlike the working men’s club who educated me in their ways with sometimes as many as four coaches on one outing to the seaside, I was introduced to many a character as time went on.
One regular passenger in Kilby Rd was always late many a time we knocked on her front door and she would come running putting on her coat with one hand with a piece of toast in the other. Saturday evenings a young lad a regular tried it on a few times with a pound note yes a paper pound of which we couldn’t always change for a 11 pence fare so Janet as conductor carried a bag of six pence pieces for the occasion, he always had the correct fare after that.
With village being of a small population we knew most of the youngsters and they knew us and if they were staying out late they would let us know and worried parents would ring our three digit phone number to ask if we had seen them we passed on the messages and the system worked well.
When Povoas packaging moved into the village we applied for the contract to bring in the workers it would of helped to support the bus service, but the contract went to County Travel, who eventually took over the service to link up with a Loughborough service as passenger levels declined.
With village being of a small population we knew most of the youngsters and they knew us and if they were staying out late they would let us know and worried parents would ring our three digit phone number to ask if we had seen them we passed on the messages and the system worked well.
When Povoas packaging moved into the village we applied for the contract to bring in the workers it would of helped to support the bus service, but the contract went to County Travel, who eventually took over the service to link up with a Loughborough service as passenger levels declined.
Sunday service only ran to Wigston (Horse & Trumpet) with regulars to Kilby (Dog & Gun) Kilby Bridge (The Navigation) with youngsters going to the Wigston pictures, as with the Saturday service Wigston & Fleckney only. Once in the City we could not pick up passenger only pick up outward bound.
The route at Granby Halls there was Policeman on point duty as we went up Welford Rd with the prison on our right and into York Rd bus station and out by Newalk St and Oxford St. The fare to Leicester was one shilling & 11 Pence (I think).
Fleckney terminated at the top of Gladston St and reversed into Elizibeth Rd, were Mrs Perkins lived with her husband Len, son John & daughter Jenny, Mrs P often made the drivers a welcomed cupper.
Once in Fleckney on the Kilby Rd we passed Briggs the butchers, Furnivals minerals factory there was no Coleman Rd Estate or Priest Meadow .
The route at Granby Halls there was Policeman on point duty as we went up Welford Rd with the prison on our right and into York Rd bus station and out by Newalk St and Oxford St. The fare to Leicester was one shilling & 11 Pence (I think).
Fleckney terminated at the top of Gladston St and reversed into Elizibeth Rd, were Mrs Perkins lived with her husband Len, son John & daughter Jenny, Mrs P often made the drivers a welcomed cupper.
Once in Fleckney on the Kilby Rd we passed Briggs the butchers, Furnivals minerals factory there was no Coleman Rd Estate or Priest Meadow .
Bus Routes
Tel FLECKNEY 346
Tel FLECKNEY 346
1973
1963
1963
Website by Johnny Green
Copyright © 2008 by John.E. Bass All rights reserved