Mr K Does It Again! Review Part 1

Blog readers may remember fbbs review of Keith Shayshutt’s two volume magnum opus detailing the working timetables of the Western National bus company on the approaches to privatisation.

A third effort (and fbb bets it was a huge effort!) takes us from Cornwall and Plymouth to East Anglia and from 1986 back to 1970. In 1970 fbb was just 25 and the following year would see a move from a Prep School to a larg Comprehensive and from bachelorhood to married life.

Keith reminds us of the 1970 Number 1 records in “The Charts” …

… of which fbb only remembers a few. Our author also give a few news headlines which are, frankly, very scary with only an extract shown below.

Ted Heath wins a general election, ousting Harold Wilson as PM but giving the late Mike Yarwood an equally distinctive character for his impressions show. But do you remember the first Glasto Festival – one of fbb’s all-time favourites – NOT! Or how about the very first Iceland frozen food shop. Maybe a faint memory remains of the first page three girl in The Sun!

All this was happening over half a century ago!

But the book is about more serious matters.

Keith’s title is a slight rejig of the nickname used for the Midland and Great Northern Railway; but is probably appropriate for a bus company which, in part, served a similar area.

In fact., Eastern Counties served a huge area and this is a huge book. It has 348 pages plus card covers and comes at a suitably huge price.

Is it worth it? 

By todays standards it is not expensive for a volume of superb printed quality on gloss paper with illustrations throughout. 

But it is not a beginners book. This is for the serious enthusiast, either seriously interested in the buses of East Anglia or seriously fascinated by the workings of part of the National Bus Company to be, as the whole bus business grappled with decline.

So we begin with the chapter headings, always a good guide to what the book might contain.

Chapter 3 covers the fleet …

… with plenty of pictures to delight the closet bus spotter of old. It was a big fleet! 

Then we move on to where the fleet was kept.

There seem to be hundreds of dormy sheds, open parking areas, “proper” depots and other odd places to keep a bus overnight.  fbb particularly likes “Barn, A G Harris, Hall Farm.” You might wonder how many of these places can be located today. 

It might be fun to try and find them!

As a fold-out double page near the start of the book, there is a simple route diagram.

Simple? It was a complex network which needs concentration to grasp.

We also have a gazetteer of towns and large villages with Market Days and population.

All of this provides useful “local colour” to give depth and reality to the meat of this book.

There are also come adverts for Chivers Jam!!

Yummy. Chivers and Eastern Counties???

Before we move on, it is worth remembering that we are well before National Bus Company poppy red. Easter Counties red was rich and distinguished.

Compare these four …

… with a similar line-up in NBC red.

The privatised company reverted to its original red …

… but it didn’t last! Along came First Bus and bought out the company so Eastern Counties red became weedy Barbie!

What a disappointment.

Back to Keith Shayshutt’s new book tomorrow.

We have short memories. Remember how the Channel Tunnel was over due and over budget and ridiculed as a white elephant?  Likewise remember how the Elizabeth Line line ran ludicrously late and hopelessly over budget. But look at it now.

Meanwhile, Rishi wants to “help the motorist’.

 Book Review Part 2 blog : Tuesday 10th October