The old Leamington bus station ? 1971

Image: © Alan Murray-Rust Taken: 23 Mar 1971

This was located on the approach road to the former Leamington Avenue station which had closed in 1965 when the service to Rugby was withdrawn and service from Coventry were diverted into the ex-GWR station (visible in the background). This view https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3881407 shows the road in 2013 by which time the buses had long ceased to use it. (There is now no bus station in Leamington.) The site has now been obliterated by new development which is seen here https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5981164 under construction in 2018. The bus is no.11 of the Stratford Blue fleet, a Leyland Atlantean with Northern Counties bodywork, new in 1967. Stratford Blue had been a subsidiary of the major area operator, Midland Red, since 1936, but always pursued an independent vehicle policy, despite the fact that Midland Red built its own vehicles until the late 1960s. Its services, as the name implies, were centred on Stratford-upon-Avon. At this time the separate identity had only a short time to continue, operations being fully absorbed into Midland Red later in 1971. As a non-standard vehicle, no.11 was quickly disposed of, moving to the neighbouring Oxford/South Midland company with which it ran for at least another 4 years. 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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