Working The Manchester Busses 1966 1980

My Grandfather was also a bus driver and drove the buses in and around Manchester. He too loved his job and would spend hours sitting at work (Queens Road Depot) just waiting to be called in as a spare on his days off. Each year the buses would pick up the kids of those who worked for and on the buses and take them to the pantomime in Oldham. My brother and i loved to go to the pantomime every year. When Grandad finally retired we got him a ground floor flat not far from the depot and he learned to make scones . The lads from the depot would call in to have a good chat about the old days and of course there were scones to be had and a hot cup of tea worthy of any busman. One of his favourite things to do was putting the bus on the skid pad. he loved to haul the bus into the water and let it aquaplane. All bus drivers had to do that regularly so they would be well versed in the tactics should the time come they were taken by icy conditions. He loved this and happily sailed along as the bus spun its way down the pad. If Grandad spotted me while driving a bus, he used to shout 'b!!!!!!!!er off Home,' and wave with a big grin on his face. And then there was thing called the bus drivers slurp. Practised well by all bus drivers as they supped their hot tea from their tin cups. Sadly Grandad, as all Grandads do eventually, passed away but not without many happy memories of James Henshall. I do hope others remember Grandad as a bus driver in the 60's and 70's. He got my once neighbour's brother a job on the buses and I know he was still driving up to 20 years ago.