Now before anyone gets hot under the collar the topless to which I refer is of course of the omnibological variety. Most topless buses
before the end of the last century were originally converted from closed top buses that had previously provided stirling service elsewhere in
towns and cities up and down the country.
I had been to Skegness back in the 1970s but regrettably out of the tourist season, and thus had not been fortunate to see any of the fine
open toppers that plied their trade in that town. However, that problem was dealt with when I returned to this east coast Lincolnshire town
during the 1995 season and was entertained by the fine array of buses with their top decks open to the elements. Since then I have made
regularly jaunts out east and have put together a few images of the delights that passed before the lens.
So as the seasonal festivities draw to a close and during this rather inclement period of short days and long nights, let us turn
our attention to more summery seasonal operations.
1. It was back in April 1995 that I made a trip out to the east coast from home in Chesterfield and the first open topper that I
encountered was Roadcar’s fleet number 1306. Here this former Greater Manchester Transport Northern Counties bodied Leyland Atlantean pulled
off the forecourt of the bus station adjacent to the railway station on a somewhat damp and overcast day. Unlike the traditional type of open
top deck, the man with the can opener had purely removed the roof line above the windows but retained the front and rear screens to provide
some sort of protection from the elements, which on this particular day, the passengers would have probably appreciated.
2. A return trip to the town a couple of months later coincided with a better weather day. It was now July and a former Blackburn
Leyland Atlantean was found laid over in the road outside the railway station. Bearing an East Lancs body this too had received the attention
of the converter’s equipment. However, on this occasion it was a clean sweep across the top deck’s window line that left all seats open to the
elements. Number 1317 also sported a slightly revised fleet livery along with a different advertisement, albeit for the same town’s
Raceway Stadium.
3 & 4. It was then four years before I returned to the town and on this occasion I was met with buses in quite a different livery.
Gone was the majority white colour with a little bit of blue and yellow, replaced by a much bolder yellow, red and blue livery with thin
white bands. Number 1304, a sister to the earlier 1306 had the roof and top deck windows removed and replaced by a more traditional type
of arrangement. Two images of the bus illustrate both off and nearside aspects as the bus plied its trade to and from Chapel St. Leonards,
a reasonable jaunt north along the coast from the town centre in June 1999.
5. By the same time 1306 had received the same treatment by the man with the paintbrush and the nearside aspect is viewed here as the
bus negotiated the roundabout at the junction on the seafront with the main thoroughfare that passed through the town centre shopping area.
Once again the advertisements on the bus proclaimed the benefits of stock car racing at the town’s stadium.
6. 1317 had also received the same livery and looked much better for it as it trundled south along the seafront road passed the various
amusement outlets and although it was high summer in July 1999, this bus was surprisingly devoid of passengers as it headed into the town centre.
Perhaps it was that hot and everyone was more content to stay around the holiday camps and the caravan parks to the north of the town at
Ingoldmells and the like.
7. Another four years would pass before I made my next visit to the town and by September 2003 the summer season was drawing to a close.
But although the livery had remained constant, the vehicle type had changed. Not by that much though, as the mechanics remained much the same
being the faithful Leyland Atlantean. However, the body type was quite different, supplied by Eastern Coachworks onto a batch of buses acquired
back in 1979 by the Ribble Motor Services company. A small number had by now migrated south and east to Lincolnshire and one example became
1369 seen here as it too passed along the seafront road. Little else had changed though, the Lucky Strike casino was still there as were the
advertisements on the bus for the stadium.
8. Two years later and it was yet more change that passed before the camera’s lens. This time though it was much more drastic. Gone
were the favoured mechanics from the Leyland stable, replaced by something from a quite different part of the country. During the late Nineties
and over into the Noughties, Travel West Midlands had embarked on a major bus replacement programme that moved the profile from step-entrance
to low-floor operation. This resulted in the sale of a large number of 1980s vintage MCW Metrobuses, some of which found their way into the
Roadcar fleet. Whilst most were used in closed top form, as time progressed, so a number migrated further east to Skegness and after attention
were placed into service on the seasonal services. One such was number 743 in the fleet that despite the Northern Irish registration attempt
to disguise the vehicle’s age was one of the vehicles from the POG---Y registered 1983 batch. The roundabout on the seafront was the location
and yes, the stadium was still advertised on the bus.
Of course things have moved on once again and the Metrobuses have in turn themselves been replaced, this time by low-floor Dennis
Tridents with Alexander ALX400 bodywork. These I have yet to venture eastwards to view, so unless anyone else already has any images of such,
then you will have to remain patient until I do indeed revisit Skeggie once more.
In the meantime a Happy New Year to my reader.
Tony Wilson
28 December 2010
Images of more modern topless Skeggie buses
HERE
9. But finally. I stated at the beginning I had not been to Skegness to observe the half-cabs that operated before the arrival of the
full frontal open-toppers. That was not to say that I had not seen one, as back in 1980 one had come to me, so to speak, when living south of
Watford Gap. This was in the shape of a fine Bristol Lodekka that turned up at Epsom Downs in June 1980, on the occasion of the annual running
of the Epsom Derby Horse Race. Back then when in the hands of the National Bus Company the LRCC subsidiary like many other operators, regularly
hired their open toppers out to all and sundry as they provided useful corporate and grandstand type facilities for the event. 1980 was no
exception and 2351 as was is shown here as it approached the main part of the course, complete with a merry band of punters aboard the bus.
No doubt by the end of the day they were a lot more merrier, dependant upon the outcome of the race of course. The bus had been
named ‘Lincolnshire Poacher’ and I believe was one of two such buses operated by the company’s Skegness depot at that time. Keen
observers will also note the registration, XPM 42, and will know that this bus originated further south from the Brighton area years earlier.
Barry Smith adds (4 January 2011):
The other Bristol was XPM 41 and was named Lincolnshire Imp. I have had many a happy ride on this pair, as we use to have a caravan at Skegness.