Huddersfield Corporation
1964
Daimler CVG6-LX30
Roe H39/31F

This photo was taken at the old Huddersfield bus station of a typical front entrance Daimler of the time. This bus has the Manchester style front as apposed the Birmingham style front which can be seen here. It was taken over by W.Y.P.T.E. on the 1st of April 1974 and entered there service as fleet number 4114.

Huddersfield Corporation 
1963
AEC Reliance 2MU2RA
Roe B44F

Another shot of the very popular AEC Reliance this one has a rather nice C. H. Roe of Leeds body. During researching this bus I found it to be listed as a 2MU2RA and a 2MU3RA but as Huddersfield only had two post war buses with manual gearboxes and they were both Leyland Leopards I went for 2MU2RA. The reason being that 2RA had a epicyclic gearbox and 3RA had a synchromesh gearbox. This bus was taken over by W.Y.P.T.E. in 1974 and became fleet number 4024 in there fleet.
I’m not sure just how many AEC Reliance vehicles were actually built but from my research the last chassis number in 1972 was 8118. If you know a more exact number, let me know, please leave a comment.

10/06/14 – 07:52

1972 was when AEC adopted a single numbering system for all its chassis (including lorries), starting at around 21000 and reaching over 38000 by the time the factory was closed in 1979.
Reliance production continued throughout that period, with at least 1,175 built – taking the total number to at least 9,293.

Des Elmes

11/06/14 – 07:52

Also, the registration of this particular Reliance is of note – Huddersfield was, I believe, the first county borough to adopt the year suffix system, issuing ACX 1A in August 1963 after completing the YCX and YVH series.
And according to Bus Lists on the Web, the number of new buses and coaches in 1963 registered with "A" suffixes was barely a hundred – the vast majority of these being registered in Middlesex, which of course was the very first authority to adopt the system.

Des Elmes

Photograph by ‘unknown’ if you took this photo please go to the copyright page.

Felix Motors Ltd (Hatfield) 
1953
AEC Regent III
Roe H31/25R

Felix motors was started in 1921 the company was named after “Felix the Cat” a cartoon character of the time, for some time the cartoon image was used as an emblem on the side of the vehicles. I have seen a photograph on the web somewhere of one of there vehicles showing the Felix logo if I find it again I will update with a link to it.

A full list of Regent III codes can be seen here.

The other Felix company in Derbyshire also used Felix as a logo but were recently threatened with legal action by the film company which owns the rights so it has now been dropped Both Felix companies used similar liveries but the Derby one has as far as I know always used saloons

Chris Hough

Absolutely right Chris – you will find a Willebrew ticket from Felix (N Frost) of Stanley Derbyshire, on the tickets side of the website.

Stephen Ford

06/12/11 – 06:47

I wrote a book about the ‘other’ Felix a few years ago and it would appear that both of company histories shared a similar beginning. ‘My’ Felix started in 1921 and was named after a popular song of the day – Felix kept on walking. The first vehicle R 7831 which carried a cartoon cat emblem over the front window was sold to the above Felix in 1926 (it was suggested that this was why the Hatfield based company was named Felix but I never found any proof of this).
Sadly it has just been reported that Felix (Stanley, Derbyshire) is to cease on 29th January 2012 after being taken over by TrentBarton – the local large bus company. Hope this is of interest.

Paul D Chambers

30/10/12 – 05:57

Felix in Stanley Derbyshire are now showing ‘Black Cat’ on the side, but are run by Trent/Barton.

John Swan

07/10/13 – 17:38

I recall seeing Felix buses in Doncaster but had no idea of the origin of the name. I suppose I assumed it was the proprietor’s name or else the Latin for "happy"!
Early on Felix ran some Leyland Tigers but no others from the Leyland "zoo", being mainly an AEC operator.

Geoff Kerr

08/10/13 – 07:39

Geoff – somewhere, in an article long ago, there appears a magnificent lady driver in WW2 just climbing elegantly into the cab of a prewar Felix Regent in Doncaster. She is dressed in a long white smock and sports a very chic 1930s hat and, if I remember rightly, a long skirt in lieu of the usual slacks.

Chris Youhill

08/10/13 – 12:51

She was clearly ‘doing her bit, don’t ya know! A change from driving the Rolls, what with the fuel rationing!"

Chris Hebbron

08/10/13 – 17:55

Nay Lad, not in them parts….
Actually, if you read Peter Gould’s potted history, its all there. www.petergould.co.uk/local_transport_history/fleetlists/felix.htm  
Notice, too, how buses from them parts seem to have two fog lamps…

Joe