London Buses Remembered - DVD - Online Video

Description

For over 150 years they have served the capital well. The familiar red bus glides through the city streets serving London. In this recording we take a look at some of the buses which London has seen, through a series of films made by various producers. From 1930 home movies come buses from that period. A wartime film shows them preparing for the "Blitz" to come - white edged mudguards, blanked off headlamps. The electric trolleybus played an important role too. Firstly we have a study of route 666 to Edgeware and scrapping scenes behind Colindale Garage. Then a long report of them in service in the Wood Green area of London. The Didler appears in an open display. Buses in films often get quite mixed up. Cliff Richard learns to drive an old RT at Chiswick works, and at a film studio several RTs are taking part in a big street scene in which one is set alight in an air raid. An ST was used for a tourist service in the West End for a few years in the early 1970s. A Easter Parade in Battersea Park. Then in 1979, Londoners celebrated the 150th anniversary of buses in the capital in a special parade to Hyde Park. They are all there from Shillingbeer to the new D.M.S. Also in 1979 came the end of the RT bus. After a general study of them in the suburbs, we go over to Barking Garage for the very last run in service with a convoy of six RT's - aboard is the Mayor and the designer. Many RT's were bought by staff for special runs. We follow a green RT to Paris and meet up with other London buses in a museum there. The Routemasters are now leaving the City. At Edgware the last day of service is seen before changeover to one man operated buses. At nearby Aldenham works - in the last week of operation - the new privatised buses receive a check over. Later the famous parade of RMA's takes place as they did every day taking staff home. Some have the new Grey Livery. Finally a look at some of the variations of buses now serving London.