New Ferry (Great Eastern Hotel) bus terminus ? 1971

Image: © Alan Murray-Rust Taken: 6 Feb 1971

The bay window on the right is part of the annexe of the hotel which can be seen here https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/314871 . The bus is former Wallasey Corporation 67, by this stage in Merseyside PTE livery, and based in Birkenhead, probably at the New Ferry garage. It is still fitted with its original Wallasey Corporation destination blinds which would not have had all the necessary local Birkenhead variants, which is why it is displaying 'Woodside via Woodside'. The terminal 'Woodside' shows a particular Wallasey feature, not shown at its best in monochrome. It is actually red lettering on a white background, which would denote that the destination is not the regular one for the service. In practice Wallasey buses did not normally serve Woodside. Also of interest is the sign attached to the lamppost which highlights a feature of both Birkenhead and Wallasey buses, whereby passengers could purchase through return tickets to Liverpool using the Corporations' own ferries. These were known as 'Bus and Boat Returns' and could be purchased both on buses and at the ferry terminals when coming from Liverpool. The sign reads, in full: 'Route 64 Bus & Boat Return fare from this point 3/1. - Excess fare on 2/1 Bus & Boat tickets used from this terminus is 1/-' (3/1 = 3 shillings 1 penny, (15p) etc.) . This ensured that anyone who had travelled outward beyond the validity of the lower fare had to pay the excess for both outward and return journeys when making the latter. This is one of a series of views featuring buses in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=137652761

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