Berresford Motors Ltd (Cheddleton)
1952
Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/15
Harrington Contender C41C (1956)

Berresford’s ex Wilts and Dorset (originally Silver Star, Porton Down) Royal Tiger rounds the perimeter road of Longton Bus Station on 20th June 1971. This coach was new to Silver Star in July 1952 with a Leyland C41C body as built in large numbers for Ribble. It was fitted with the Harrington Contender Mk IV body in July 1956 after a serious accident earlier that year. It passed to Wilts and Dorset in June 1963 when that Company took over Silver Star’s operations. This information is taken from a series of articles on Silver Star in Buses Illustrated from February to April 1965.
Jim Berresford operated a mixed collection of second hand vehicles from his premises at Cheddleton. HWV is showing ‘Private’ on the blind but it could just as well have been operating on Berresford’s Longton – Leek service.
A collection of contemporary PMT buses are in the background. One of the final (1962) batch of Atlanteans of Stoke Depot on a Longton – Newcastle Estates working pursues HWV into the bus station whilst farebox fitted Roadliner 1063 of Longton Depot awaits its next trip to Blurton. Just in view is short Leopard 1124, another Longton allocated bus.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ian Wild

10/11/13 – 08:02

If I remember rightly, Berresford’s was a bit of a rough and ready operation famous for it’s bus grave yard – old buses were simply dumped, withdrawn, in adjacent fields. They were big Leyland fans and had a number of ex Stockport all Leyland PD2s.

David Oldfield

10/11/13 – 17:33

This Harrington body was a variant of the type seen here on this site:
Maidstone & District – AEC Reliance – TKM 329 – C329 .
The Silver Star version seen above is rendered even uglier than the M&D style, in my opinion, by the grotesque front grilles that seemed to anticipate some of the later aberrations from the Duple stable. Thankfully, Harrington went on to redeem itself with the stylish Cavalier.

Roger Cox

11/11/13 – 08:31

The whole frontal appearance makes the body a potential Ugly Bus Page contender.

Phil Blinkhorn

11/11/13 – 15:32

I’ve seen this vehicle described as a Contender before, but surely it is a Wayfarer III? As far as I know the Contender model was for semi-chassisless vehicles such as the Commer-Harrington TS3s. However, for many years the LDB registered Harrington coaches delivered to North Western in 1958 were described in enthusiast publications as "Contenders" rather than Wayfarer IVs which is what they actually were! In that case the error went unchallenged until the vehicles had already been sold by NWRCC. Do we have any Harrington experts on board who can clarify this?

Neville Mercer

11/11/13 – 15:32

And the coach wears a sad face to express its own thoughts on its appearance, Phil.

Chris Hebbron

11/11/13 – 15:33

The body is a Harrington Wayfarer Mk 3, rather than a Contender, which was Harrington’s integral model fitted normally with a Rootes TS3 two stroke engine, apart from some for BOAC which had Rolls Royce petrol engines. The Wayfarer Mk 3 is described here:- www.thcoachwork.co.uk/way3.htm .

David Williamson

12/11/13 – 16:33

Maidstone & District had a large fleet of centre entrance Wayfarer/Reliances but also 3 similar looking but front entranced Commers, all of which were "TKM" registered.

Malcolm Boyland

13/11/13 – 12:54

You could say that Berresfords was a rough and ready operation but what a fascinating one! I always loved a trip from Leek to Hanley on the 16, or to Longton on the 106 because you really didn’t know what delight from the fleet would turn up next. I remember an ex-St Helens AEC Swift being on the stand in Longton bus station once and the driver couldn’t get reverse gear, all the passengers, some of whom were quite old, dutifully got off and helped to push the bus off the stand! It must be said though that everything Berresfords operated was smartly painted in fleet livery of red and ivory with the fleetname quite professionally applied. They were nearly always fitted with a destination blind of some sort. Such a shame that Jim Berresford’s untimely death brought it all to an end, it was one of those truly characterful operators which are sadly missed.

Chris Barker

10/12/13 – 06:38

Recent contributors may be interested to know that my book, Berresfords Motors of Cheddleton, is due to be published this week by MDS Books/Venture Publishing.

Eric Wain

11/12/13 – 06:30

Yes indeed Eric, I enquired about it at last Saturday’s Transport fair at the Manchester Museum. This is one volume I’m really looking forward to!

Chris Barker

23/12/13 – 08:34

I’ve just finished reading Eric’s book and can heartily recommend it. A decent history of Berresfords has been needed for donkey’s years and Eric has finally come up with the goods – and I would still be saying that even if we didn’t share a publisher!

Neville Mercer

03/03/14 – 07:26

Eric, I have just purchased and read your superb book on Berresfords, an operator that has long fascinated me (and no doubt many other enthusiasts) even though I only visited the depot a couple of times. A couple of points – you don’t mention in the book the large number of vehicles which must have been purchased for spares only, on both my visits a lot of the derelict buses seemed to fall into that category but I doubt there is any record. Amongst others the "West’s" RTL, and on my second visit a Western SMT Fleetline, GMT ex North Western RE and several ex NBC single deckers. My second query is how did Jim decide on withdrawal whether to keep a vehicle round the back for spares, or sell it on either for service or scrap. And whilst many obviously stayed in the yard for years, other derelicts must have been disposed of long before the PMT takeover.

Michael Keeley

20/05/14 – 08:30

Thank you, gentlemen, for your kind comments regarding my book. With regard to the withdrawn vehicles and those purchased for spares, there were two reasons why this aspect could not be covered. Given the large number of vehicles which fell into these categories over the years, it became obvious that other text or photos within the book would have to be forfeited in view of space limitations. Secondly, although there was much information available about many vehicles acquired for spares etc., it was known that the list would certainly be far from complete and it was decided not to produce an incomplete list.
From the early 1950s some vehicles withdrawn from the fleet were cannibalised and the bodies cut up rather than sold on. Some vehicles acquired for spares were treated similarly, whereas others donated useful major units and other parts and then were used for parts storage. One double-decker bought in 1949 actually donated its staircase which was incorporated into the rear of the extension of the office and workshop block! Unfortunately, I did not become aware of this until the book had been published.

Eric Wain

Yorkshire Traction Company Ltd
1952
Leyland Titan PD2/12
Leyland H58R

A friend of my then wife to be was married at Worsborough Church on a Saturday in July 1968. Whilst we were outside the church, this YTC decker appeared on the service from Barnsley to Worsborough Park. Although 16 years old by this time the Leyland bodywork still looked in good condition – something I regularly found with Leyland bodywork on Sheffield vehicles. A couple of months later I joined PMT at Stoke on Trent, a fellow BET Group Operator where 1952 deliveries had long disappeared out of the fleet.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ian Wild

04/11/13 – 07:16

These are sisters to STD 656-667, my favourite Leyland bodied PD2s. I think most people are agreed on the excellence of post war Leyland bodywork, and indeed the immediate pre war examples as well. Like all good designs, they also had an understated dignity. Wasn’t Worsborough the home of Arthur Scargill?

David Oldfield

04/11/13 – 13:05

I think he lived at Worsbrough Dale – a different bus route!

Geoff Kerr

04/11/13 – 13:30

This rather pleasant countryside between Barnsley & Sheffield was certainly Arthur’s patch, although he mined at Woolley, north of Barnsley. Nice atmospheric picture with the Bus, Herald, Minivan, & Farina BMC saloon- all to be themselves part of an unhappy marriage. There’s a West Riding Police House behind, detached- so Sergeants and upwards for the use of. Typical Tracky bus with multiple dome dents & that cherry paint everywhere except the windows- although here we have that metallic looking maroon that popped up now and again on radiators etc- perhaps wheels- is that right? An old comment about Tracky governor twiddling may explain why they all seemed slow and wheezy- they were like a familiar but well worn jacket.

Joe

04/11/13 – 16:58

…..but was that a governor on the engine – or the one in the big chair in the office…..?

David Oldfield

05/11/13 – 10:37

David O, here follows Pete’s "First Rule Of Office Life".
When the boss is away from the office – holiday, sick, meeting, or whatever – nobody notices. When the junior is away from the office – holiday, sick, College, whatever – the place falls apart.
Joe’s reference to governor must, therefore have been the one in the office!

Pete Davies

05/11/13 – 15:08

These Tracky PD2’s might be considered sisters to those Sheffield Titans 656-667, David, but would it be fair to perhaps go one step further and say they were estranged sisters?! Agreed they’re nice looking buses, those Leyland bodies were nothing if not elegant, but compared to those Sheffield PD2/10’s, there’s definitely something lacking here. Maybe it was the fact that the Sheffield ones had push-out vents in the front windows of both saloons, or could it have been the chromium wheel nut rings that they usually wore, at least until the latter part of their careers, making them appear just that bit smarter than your average PD2. Granted the Sheffield livery helped too, especially the variation that they were painted in, with the dark blue window surrounds, and when they had the grey roof applied as well, they were absolutely the bee’s knees.
Quite ironic really, that such classic machines spent most of their lives shuttling back and forth to Rotherham on the 69, passing miles and miles of smoke belching steelworks!

Dave Careless

05/11/13 – 15:52

Dave- the thing that people liked – I think- about the Sheffield cream livery was that it was an act of defiance against the tyranny or acceptance of muck! Does anyone remember "there will one day be salmon again in Salmon Pastures!" Are there now?

Joe

06/11/13 – 07:30

If there are, Joe, it would definitely be a case of "catch and release"! Given the state of the River Don, you certainly wouldn’t catch me eating one!

Dave Careless

06/11/13 – 07:32

Joe, you’re probably right, and one can admire Sheffield for daring to stand out against the acceptance of grime. But you know the old saying "Where there’s muck, there’s brass!" Sheffield and many other cities have lost an awful lot of the industry that produced the muck, and the jobs that went with it. A colleague of mine used to say the country is just being turned into a giant theme park. That view is certainly supported by the Noddy playbus "liveries" that we have today.

Stephen Ford

06/11/13 – 07:32

I agree, Dave, that "ours" were a cut above the rest – but I always thought that the old STD was a cut above the rest anyway.

David Oldfield

06/11/13 – 07:34

I hadn’t thought of it as a sister bus to Sheffield’s most elegant 656-667. Two immediate differences – Sheffield’s were on the 7’6" wide PD2/10 chassis (vs the Traction PD2/12 8’0" wide) and the Sheffield buses were the first in the fleet which had the then new smaller slightly more inset headlamps. These differences plus the upper deck front push open ventilators set 656 etc apart from other contemporary Sheffield deliveries. I remember the name Salmon Pastures but I can’t recall now just where it was on the River Don.

Ian Wild

07/11/13 – 15:27

Salmon Pastures was/is between Norfolk Bridge and Staniforth Road, Ian, that area around there, just before you get into Attercliffe. My auntie lived in T.W. Ward’s office building as a child (my grandparents were caretakers there, and had a live-in flat) just along Savile Street from the Wicker Arches, and she went to school at Salmon Pastures.

Dave Careless

McLeod (Helmsdale)
1950?
Leyland Comet
Plaxton C??F

The Comet was Leyland’s offering in the same market sector as Bedford’s all-conquering OB, though with a few more seats and (usually) a diesel engine. It was a purpose-built PSV chassis, sharing mechanical components with the truck of the same name and similar appearance. This Plaxton-bodied example was new to Dickson of Dundee (any connection with the Dickson who built pre-war bus bodies for Dundee Corporation?), and by 1968 was working for McLeod of Helmsdale, with whom it is seen here in the operator’s home village.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Peter Williamson

20/10/13 – 17:13

I think this is one of the best looking Comets I’ve ever seen. Perhaps not an easy chassis to body because the bonnet line was somewhat higher than other normal control models and some efforts were a little unfortunate but Plaxtons made a very nice job of this one. Pity no ‘eyebrow’ display apertures were provided but perhaps none were specified.

Chris Barker

20/10/13 – 17:14

I had a Bristol LH training bus with a Leyland Comet engine. Was this the norm for Bristol LH?

Michael Crofts

21/10/13 – 07:14

Michael. The two engines for the LH were a Perkins and the Leyland O401. The Leyland was a development of the O400 (popular in Beford VAL and VAM 14s and used in late Tiger Cubs). The O400 was the ultimate development of the original O350 used in the Tiger Cub which transited through a O375 version. All of these, in there turn, were very closely related to the O300 (and the P300) – the Comet engine.

David Oldfield

21/10/13 – 12:13

I did wonder what had happened to Perkins, suspecting it had gone the way of most of our industrial base. However, good news, it’s thriving as a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., but primarily a diesel engine manufacturer for Agricultural, Construction, Material Handling, Power Generation and Industrial uses nowadays.

Chris Hebbron

18/02/14 – 08:06

This vehicle operated with Williamson of Gauldry in the late 50s early 60s. Other ex Dicksons coaches with Williamsons at that time were Commer Commando Plaxton ATS 35, Austin Plaxton AYJ 153 and Daimler CVD6 Plaxton AYJ 278.

Jim Speed

18/02/14 – 11:42

Dicksons of Dundee were taken over in the 1960s by Wallace Arnold and some of their superb coaches were transferred to Leeds where I had the pleasure of working with them. I hope my memory isn’t playing tricks, but I seem to recall that the seating cloth was of a lovely tartan derived pattern.

Chris Youhill

18/02/14 – 14:35

Nice picture here of Terry and Hazel Ellin’s beautifully restored Comet/Duple. www.ipernity.com/ and some history here www.sytm.co.uk/

John Darwent

18/02/14 – 16:15

Strange John. Reading recent posts reminded me of the same – superbly renovated – vehicle.

David Oldfield