Now in print.....

Well, the book is now out and I am quite pleased with the results. Please let me know if you are too!

However, despite continuous checking - and not just by me! - a number of errors have appeared and I would like to use this post to correct them.

Firstly, in the acknowledgements at the rear of the book, I failed to mention my gratitude to Geoff Gould and Alan Walker (my brother!) for allowing me unfettered access to the relevant parts of their photographic collections.

At the bottom of page 70 the photograph of the two Bristol VRX double deckers at Eastville is dated as the August Bank Holiday Monday 1972. Martin Curtis has pointed out, quite rightly, that on this particular day the two buses were at work on the Bristol to Weston super Mare service, where their 80-seat capacity would have been of great benefit, and this photograph is actually taken on the Bank Holiday Saturday.

The photograph of C6010 at the bottom of page 77 was in fact taken at Staple Hill depot, outbound for New Cheltenham, and not at New Cheltenham itself.

At the top of page 80 I have omitted the credit for this excellent photograph of 7294 at the Centre: it was kindly supplied to me by Graham Jones.

The eagle eyed of you may have noticed that the last photograph in the book, on page 92, does not match the caption! Allan Macfarlane has pointed out that the bus in the photograph is in fact 5068, MOU742R, and although the location is similar, it was taken in earlier in the year. This was an error on my part of including the wrong photograph in the final proof, and I post below the photograph that should have been there - in view of the similarities I hope that you will forgive the error!

Finally, although the captions for the front and rear covers were supplied to the publishers, they were omitted.

They are as follows:

Front cover (both photographs by the author)

(Top) "The accelerated conversion of Bristol city services to one man operation during the nineteen seventies resulted in a large number of two doorway Eastern Coach Works bodied Bristol RELL saloons joining the fleet. C1267, EAE683K, had a Gardner engine, rather than the more usual Leyland, it having been part of a diverted Western National order. Followed by a similar bus also on route 10 towards Knowle West, it negotiates Broadmead shopping centre, central Bristol, in February 1973."

(Bottom)"Even as Bristol KSW numbers in the fleet declined in the early nineteen seventies, some of the type could usually be found at Filton Church, north Bristol, especially at the time of shift changes at the nearby aero works. In this October 1972 view 1957 bus C8427, YHT923, passes C8376, WHW817, built the previous year, both of them operating works services to Lawrence Weston, west Bristol, albeit via different routes, whilst a third of the type is just in view behind."

Rear cover (photograph by Geoff Gould)

"This is the view that would have faced many Bristol city bus passengers had the Bristol VRL gone into full production, and Bristol's order for twenty-eight had been fulfilled. Instead, the two prototypes were acquired for operation on city services in 1970, but lasted only three years, proved to be unreliable and were always operated with a conductor. C5000, GGM431D, was the first prototype, was displayed on the Eastern Coach Works stand at the 1966 Commercial Motor Show and then sent to work with Central SMT in Scotland. It is seen climbing Allison Road, Brislington, in September 1972: the position of the off-side mounted in-line engine is clearly visible, as is the seepage of engine oil from the engine access panel".

So now it is over to you! Feel free to let me know your views (good or bad) and your own experiences and photographs of Bristol city services!