CWK205 (2009)

TWO PLAYGROUND BUSES T.W.MOORE


Did you know the final terminus for two CCT buses was to end in school fields in Keresley and Exhall.

Back in September 1958 wartime Bristol KG5 No. 284 and Daimler CWA6 No. 353 were donated as play buses, 284 was donated to Exhall Grange School and 353 to Keresley Grange school.

The two buses were painted all-over dark green, and stood among the children’s swings and see-saws on the school fields adjacent to the playground. The picture I did of 284, some weeks after its arrival at the school show’s pupils looking out of some of the unglazed windows, most windows were glazed, but, perhaps the windows had been smashed and cleared. What I can see from the photograph is that the seats were still in place. I seem to have lost the pics of 353, whether that had seats or not I can’t remember.

There was never a handing over ceremony as I know of, and that would have been unusual, for when a Coventry City Council dept presented such a thing as a bus to another dept, ie Transport Dept to Education dept as in this case, a press release would have been sent to the CET News Editor to attend the handing over.

But, the two buses in time were subjected to vandalism and were removed. I wonder if Colin could tell us more about these two playbuses. It does seem CCT had made little preparation for the buses to become play buses. Just to add, the first wartime buses sold in 1958 were all painted all-over dark green, I remember photographing them lined up at the rear of Sandy Lane. When writing this piece I did contact the schools, but without success in discovering more details…..that’s unusual, because schools always keep yearly albums going back years and years. But the school secretary did speak to helper at the school who was a pupil there in 1958 and he recalled playing in 284 with his friends.

What was done with the buses after school I do not know, perhaps they were towed away by MACS scrapyard at Longford…the near scrapyard to the schools, it used to be opposite the gates to Lonford Park on the Foleshill Road. MAC scrapped a lot of wartime buses, like Scottish Guy Arabs, I remember seeing them there..pre-1960’s

Would any of our forum members recall 284 and 353 as playbuses or MACs scrapyard?

I think I remember a photograph in the (then) Coventry Evening Telegraph showing the platform of one of the buses with a young pupil sitting thereon eating his sandwiches.

353 WAS PRESENTED TO KERESLEY GRANGE SCHOOL MINUS ENGINE AND GEARBOX AND COMPLETE WITH SEATS. AT WAS SOLD AS SCRAP TO A MR.VALLANCE 11 FEB.1963. THE ENGINE WAS SECTIONISED AND PLACED IN THE DRIVING SCHOOL AT HARNAL LANE AS PART OF THE DRIVING INSTRUCTION SCHEME. THE GEAR BOX WAS ONLY PARTLY SECTIONISED, BUT DRIVERS WERE ABLE TO SEE INSIDE AND OPERATE THE GEAR CHANGE. BOTH UNITS ENDED UP AT MOSELEY ROAD TRAININGCHOOL. 284 WAS PRESENTED TO EXHALL GRANGE WITH SEATS, BUT THE ENGINE AND GEAR BOX WERE REMOVED , CLEANED AND PAINTED AND PLACED IN THE SCHOOL WORKSHOP FOR INSTRUCTION PURPOSES.I DON'T KNOW WERE IT FINALLY ENDED ITS DAYS.

Brilliant Colin, I have pics of trainee drivers in the Training school at Harnell Lane, I will have to look them out. If I remember it was Inspector Podmore who was the Training Officer and when the CVA6s became trainee buses. Colin ..where did Vallance have his scrapyard, London Road?

SORRY TOM I DON'T KNOW WHERE VALLANCE YARD WAS. INSPECTOR PODMORE WAS INCHARGE OF THE DRIVING SCHOOL UNTIL HE RETIRED IN THE EARLY 60's. THEN INSPECTOR BILL BRADFIELD TOOK OVER.HE PASSED ME OUT FOR DRIVING ON CVG 241 AND GUY 308.