A small council undertaking at the end of a South Wales valley, which sold out to Red & White (now Stagecoach).

Always a smart fleet. Upon privatision, there was a merger with Leicester City Transport to form First.

The dark blue and red buses of this Lancashire concern were sold to Stagecoach.

Serving the industrial town of Barrow-in-Furness, the undertaking was purchased by the Stagecoach Group.

This authority runs a few services itself.

Last of the East Lancs municipals. Darwen Corporation was taken over & is included.

Better known for its trams, Blackpool still has a large bus fleet.

Recently sold out to the Transdev Group.

Possibly better known for its trolleybuses, Bradford also had an interesting motor bus fleet.

Taken over by neighbouring Brighton & Hove and now part of the Go Ahead Group.

A smart fleet, until sold to Stagecoach, though the operation has changed hands twice since!

Unusually, this concern sold out to an independent, Stevensons, though Arriva now run services in Burton.

The Western Islands Council.

This operator, still going strong, has always had a very interesting fleet.

A small undertaking serving the city of Chester. Recently sold out to First Group.

When I first knew this operator, a green livery was employed. This was later replaced by blue and yellow. Then Stagecoach took over.

Originally Colchester Corporation, the council sold the buses off to Arriva, who have since pulled out of the town.

The smallest of them all!! One service was run, from town to the Zoo.

Like the other municipals in the area, this one was taken over by Stagecoach.

After privatisation, this operator became part of British Bus, which transformed into Arriva.

Living in Doncaster during the days of the Corporation buses means that I've plenty of pictures for this section. South Yorkshire PTE took over in 1974.

Merged with Road Services to form Isle of Man National Transport in the mid 1970s.

The green Corporation livery gave way to the blues of Tayside Regional Transport, which have now gone as National Express has taken over.

ESDC operates several services under its own control, as well as tendering even more.

Because Eastbourne never had trams, the Corporation became one of Britain's first motorbus operators. Bus services continued until late 2008 when Stagecoach took over.

Scotland's capital retains its large fleet of buses, traditionally in a madder and white livery.

A early casualty, with Devon General taking over in the first years of the 1970s. Consequently, I've only got pictures of preserved vehicles in Exeter's green livery.

The old Corporation fleet passed to the PTE, though now First are the major operator in Glasgow.

The blue buses of this small undertaking were sold to First Eastern Counties.

Grimsby Corporation's buses were combined with those of Cleethorpes UDC in the 1950s and stayed together until being sold to Stagecoach.

The orange & green buses of this concern were swallowed up by West Yorkshire PTE in 1974.

The red and white buses of this operator still serve the Cheshire town of Widnes and thereabouts.

Like its larger municipal neighbour, Hartlepool Transport fell into the clutches of Stagecoach.

Like other municipals in the area, British Railways had some ownership in this undertaking. Huddersfield's buses were absorbed into West Yorkshire PTE in 1974, but not before I managed a few photos.

A smart fleet of green painted buses is maintained.

Trading as Wightbus, the County Council runs several services to the more rural areas of the Island.

Originally the West Mon Omnibus Board, this council operator is now the only one left in the South Wales Valleys.

KCC operate several routes themselves, trading as Kent Top Travel in some areas.

This large city had a big fleet of buses, which eventually went to Stagecoach.

Took over Morecambe and Heysham in 1974, but sold out to Stagecoach eventually. The few Morecambe & Heysham photos I've got will be included here.

Absorbed into West Yorkshire PTE in 1974, just after I paid a visit, thankfully. Thanks to Terry M for a few corrections.

Now part of Firstbus. Prior to today, an interesting fleet was maintained.

Only a small fleet was maintained. It was sold to neighbouring Road Car, now itself taken over by Stagecoach.

Once the largest municipal operator in North Wales! The main route was up the Great Orme.

This is going to be a big collection! London Buses up to privatisation in the 1990s.

The second load of London pictures.

Lowestoft's buses ceased to exist in the late 1970s, with Eastern Counties taking over the services.

Taken over by United Counties by the early 1970s. I am grateful to my old friend Jim Sambrooks for these pictures. They are rather faded, but of great historical value. Thanks to David Manning for a couple of corrections.

The blue buses of this concern were swallowed up by near neighbour, Blackpool Transport.

One of the smaller of England's municipal operators. After deregulation, some tendered services were run in London. These vanished soon afterwards & Boro'line is just a memory now.

I've very few pictures of the municipals of the Manchester area, mainly preserved vehicles, so I'll lump them all together. They will include Manchester, Stockport, Salford, Rochdale, Bolton, Bury, SHMD, Ashton, Oldham, etc.

Serving both sides of the Mersey and including Southport, this was the combination of Liverpool Corporation and several smaller municipal concerns. The few photos I've got of these municipal operators are also to be found here.

At the head of one of the South Wales Valleys, this was quite a sizeable undertaking, but it all ended rather sadly.

Newcastle was the largest municipal operator in the North East, until the formation of the PTE. The other operators were Sunderland and South Shield Coporations.

I'm pleased to say that this smart fleet is still going strong today.

Runs its own services in Norwich

Runs a few services, I've found.

A red livery was employed until Firstbus took over.

I've been photographing the buses of this operator since the 1970s and long may that continue.

The newest of the concerns featured here. The council recently started their own bus services.

Since the demise of Exeter Corporation, Plymouth is the only municipal operator left in Devon.

A small fleet of interesting buses was kept in this South Wales town. The council sold the operation to National Welsh.

Yet another operator that sold out to Stagecoach.

Back in the 1970s, this operator had a fascinating fleet. Things are more standardised today.

Still going strong today, running buses in Reading and Newbury.

A combination of three small fleets, Caerphilly, Gelligaer and Bedwas and Machen. The operation was later sold to National Welsh.

A combination of the old Haslingden and Rawtenstall operations, still in public hands today.

Absorbed into South Yorkshire PTE in 1974

All the municipals of Manchester combined to formed SELNEC PTE, later renamed Greater Manchester Buses. Privatisation saw the fleet split into two and sold to Stagecoach and First. Thanks to Carl for several corrections (I musr dig out my fleet lists some time!).

Three fleets in one! The A fleet was owned by the Corporation, the C fleet by the railway & the B fleet was jointly owned. The whole lot became part of SYPTE in 1974.

Formed by the combination of Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster Corporations. Several independents were later taken over. In the 21st Century, Mainline was sold to Firstbus.

LOTS more SYPTE stuff to come, so I've had to start Part 2. Watch this space!

Back in the 1970s, this fleet was quite varied, but Southampton later became Atlantean City. The latter days saw some different buses, until Firstbus took over.

Like the other Essex council owned bus operation, this one sold out to Arriva.

Swindon mysteriously became Thamesdown in 1974, even though the Thames is miles away! The council still runs buses today.

'Teesside Municipal Transport' was created on April 1st 1968 with the formation of the then new Teesside County Borough. The Bus operations were run by the 'Teesside Transport Committee', a committee consisting of senior management from each of the previous corporations. Stockton/Middlesbrough/TRTB). They ran the bus operations until further boundry changes occured on April 1st 1974, when Cleveland County was created, the new title for the Buses was a very cumbersome 'The Stockton, Middlesbrough, and Langbaugth (east Cleveland/formerly TRTB's area) joint Transport committee', however, as this was clearly far too long, an American sounding fleetname 'Cleveland Transit'was created, which gave the impression of a company, rather than a Municipal operator, an indication of how things were to be run in the future.
Cleveland Transit existed like this until 1991, with a management buyout, when it became 'Cleveland Transit Ltd' a true private company divorced from council ownership, then in 1994, it became part of the Stagecoach group,as 'Stagecoach Transit'. currently it is now 'Stagecoach North East, Southern
Division'. with the fleetname - ''Stagecoach on Teesside''.

I am grateful to Christopher Hall for some excellent corrections & additional information regarding the pictures in this and other collections.

Lincolnshire County Council operates part of its Translinc network itself.

Formed by the combination of Newcastle, South Shields and Sunderland Corporations. After deregulation, it became Busways & expanded in neighbouring areas, under the Stagecoach takeover.

The concerns that merged to form West Midlands PTE: West Bromwich, Coventry, Walsall, Birmingham & Wolverhampton.

An interesting operation in this Cheshire town. More pictures soon!

A small fleet of minibuses operates rural routes.

Formed when Birmingham Corporation's buses were combined with those of Walsall, Wolverhampton & West Bromwich. Coventry followed in 1974. Part of the Midland Red empire was also purchased. The undertaking is now in the hands of National Express. Nearly 50 pictures added 4th November - captions to follow ASAP.

Formed by the merger of all the West Yorks municipals, the operations were sold to First a few years ago.

I just caught the dying days of this concern, back in 1974. Some of the buses had already been painted in orange & white, ready for the takeover by the PTE.