Frank Arthur Little born 1898 – SOME DETAILS OF MY EMPLOYMENT AS A BUS DRIVER ETC. ON THE G.W.R.

NOTE:  THIS ACCOUNT OF MY FATHER’S EARLY YEARS WAS WRITTEN BY HIM IN THE 1960’s

SOME DETAILS OF MY EMPLOYMENT AS A BUS DRIVER ETC. ON THE G.W.R.

I started on the Railways on April 5th, 1920 as an engine cleaner in the local depot, Trowbridge. This shed closed in about 1922 and I was transferred to Westbury. In 1925 (Feb) I was asked about my war service as a driver and was interviewed by a Mr Evans of the Road Transport Department at Bristol. Later I was invited to go for a test and if I passed, I would be offered a transfer. I passed and as promotion was so slow in the local sheds I accepted the offer and was sent to Penzance.

Penzance

I worked as a spare driver and fitter for a few weeks at this place.

Quite a number of spare drivers were employed at that time, because any group of six people waiting at the Grain Market could go into the agents and the agents would phone for a special bus.

Redruth

I went to Redruth for the summer service. The services run from there were Redruth to Portreath, Redruth to St Day and Carharrock, Redruth to Helston and Redruth to Falmouth. On Sundays variations were run such as Redruth to Lizard via Helston and Poldhu. This last journey was a most difficult service as it combined three services in one. I can remember being shown the way by the Station Master of Helston. On the way the road came to an end and we went into a stream, turned left and followed the bed of the stream and came out onto another after about a hundred yards! We then went on to Poldhu and across the sands, (this was not possible when the tide was high) then on to Mullion and Lizard. On Sundays the Service was to Penzance via Falmouth, Helston. Porthleven, Penzance and returned the same way.

Marlborough

I left Redruth just after the summer services ended and was sent to Marlborough to start a new service. When I arrived at Marlborough I found that the service was not due to start for another week.

I went out to learn the other road, Marlborough to Calne via Avebury, Beckhampton and Cherhill. Marlborough via Mildenhall, Axford, Ramsbury and Hungerford. This was a back unfrequented part of Savernake Forest. It was a very lonely road and it was seldom you saw a person on the road between Axford and Ramsbury.

The new service was started by me and it started from Marlborough High Level to Savernake Station, Collingbourne Kingston and Collingbourne Ducis, ending there. The original idea was to go on to Ludgershall and connect with some other service but this never materialised. In those days lights were poor and we only had oil for side lights!

Coming back through Savernake forest one night, a deer ran across the road and I hit this and broke its neck. I examined the deer and found it dead, dragged it into the forest and left it. On my return to the station I attempted to take the dents out of the mud wings. A person of authority came up and asked me if I had had an accident. I was rather alarmed as I know there were all sorts of laws about deer. I told him what had happened and he said

“Come on, we had better go back and get the deer and then get rid of it.”

We went back and found it, brought it back and I was told to go home and keep my mouth shut and he would bury it in his allotment! I offered to help but was told to go home as the less people there were about the less likely I would be found out. Some time after I was invited to play darts for the GWR at the Roebuck Inn. During the evening I was introduced to the landlord’s daughter as one of the drivers. During the evening I was addressed as Frank several times and the landlord’s daughter said,

“Are you Frank the driver?”

I said “Yes, why?”

“Well”, she said, “You must be the one who killed the deer.”

I was non-plussed for the moment but eventually told my story of what happened. She then said,

“Well, that damn twister, he brought it here and sold it to Dad for £3.”

She called the one who took the deer away and said she would split on every one unless they gave me £1 of the money. Neither of them had a £1 so she eventually settled for 10/-. The girl had some chocolates, I had a drink and the change!

We did very little Private Hire but did get a job now and then. Most of these jobs were a special to meet the Post down-train from Hungerford and return to Marlborough. In spite of being the main Bath to London road there was very little traffic in the winter after about 9pm. At each end of the forest were gates and during the day these were opened by the lodge keeper. At night you had to help yourself.  On my way to Hungerford one night to pick up passengers off the last train, there were five or six vehicles stopped by the gates and I stopped and waited. After waiting a considerable time, I got out of the bus and went to the next vehicle and asked what was the trouble. He said he didn’t know, so I went on to the next – and got the same answer. I got to the front one and asked him what he was waiting for. He looked at me as if I was an idiot! I asked again and he said,

“I’m waiting for the train to go by.”

Of course there were red lights on the gates. Everyone else in the queue knew but was too tired to find out!

Returning from Calne one afternoon I was caught in a speedtrap and was summonsed to appear in Marlborough Police Court. I showed my summons to the Local Director and he said wait a minute, I think you are alright. We went to the office and he pulled out a sheaf of papers and then found the one he required and this was from Head Office saying that the timing of certain services were over 12 mph and if any of the staff were summonsed and did not exceed maximum speed the company would defend and if convicted would pay the fine. I was defended at the Company’s expense and fined 10/- which the solicitor paid. My speed was 16½ (16.5)mph.

The depot at Marlborough was started about 1907/1908 and the service run was Marlborough to Swindon via Ogborne and I always understood the two drivers were Germans and one was named Kaufman. One was convicted of careless driving, running into a herd of sheep and killing many.

I did not think there was a service to Calne before 1912. The type of buses were Burford and Chevrolet.

Swindon

The services from Swindon were to Lambourn via Foxhill and on to Wantage via Wanborough, Ashbury, Kingston Lisle and Childrey. The depot was not on railway property but a rented place called Hardings Yard, Gorse Hill. I worked in the shops and used to maintain buses and all the road vehicles on Sunday. I worked as foreman on relief quite often after leaving. There was also a depot at Stroud.

Wantage

The reason the depot opened at Wantage was that the town was 2¼ miles from the station and was served by a tram using standard gauge. This was originally worked by compressed air and later steam.

The tram did not pay and it was decided by the Wantage Tramway that they would give up the passenger service but continue with the goods. I believe the first driver was George Tunnel, (who I believe lives at Kintbury). This service also connected with the Swindon buses. It was decided to run the buses from Wantage and let Swindon concentrate on goods. The bus depot was then Wantage with outstation at Lambourn and Ashbury. All buses started from the Tram depot at first and later sheds were built at the station. Repairs were done there and all buses started from the Wantage Square. Some time before the tram passenger service ended, an argument took place in a pub between one of the tram drivers and a chimney sweep. The driver’s name was George Weever or Wheeler and the sweep, “Peg” Hitchcock, who only had one leg, challenged the tram to race against his donkey! This race took place with crowds watching. Someone did a sketch of engine and ass in race over the following lines

“A very strange race has come to pass, between an engine and an ass.

The Wantage tram, all steam and smoke, was beat by Arthur Hitchcocks moke.”

Later this was made into post cards and thousands were sold for years after!

There were many alterations in services during my stay (6 years). I started the service Didcot via Lockley and Hendred, Harwell (just a quiet village then), Wantage to Wantage Road, Wantage to East Hanney, Denchworth to Wantage and Wantage to West Challow station. Several short trips were made on Swindon road to Kingston Lisle, later extended to Uffington. Swindon services also ran via Uffington in later years and were out stationed from Ashbury to Uffington.

During one summer we had an 8 gear Morris that Snowdon sent to us. A Service was run to the top of White Horse Hill, Uffington. The road was only a chalk track and was impassible when wet.

The bus at Lambourn was maintained by us and later did a service to Hungerford from Lambourn as well as Swindon. Sykes Burford /Thorny A1. The types of vehicles used at Wantage were 20 Guy OND, AEC, WD Type, Burford and Thorneycroft. Later we had 32 Guy and Maudsley and a new Morris which was useless. Everyone was afraid to take it as the body was so heavy that the tyres burst and blew the rims off. We had to keep spare wheels. (This was not the Snowdon bus). Combined rail and bus tickets were issued by conductors. There was a depot at Chipping Norton, Burgess. Wantage services were taken over by Oxford city. Lambourn to Uffington by Bristol.

Slough

I did not work any service at Slough, only once I duplicated part way. The service was Slough, Farnham Common and Beaconsfield. There were no bus shelters. People used to wait in a room in someone’s house at Farnham Common. A good number of other people started to take advantage of this and the owner was given bus tickets and only those booking were allowed in. I believe she had a commission of a penny in the £1.

Newbury

I only worked in repair shops.

Ascot

I worked Ascot Race meeting for five years. We ran from Windsor Station to Ascot via Windsor Great Park and were the only commercial vehicles allowed in the Park.

Reading

I worked Shows at Reading and Dorchester and I believe I worked the first branch lines to Dauntsey and Malmesbury. The line was closed for a trial. I worked for a week two lorries and one bus found it impossible to cope on Saturdays. This branch was altered after and ran from Little Somerford to Malmesbury, now closed altogether. We did quite a bit of work on other branches for Engineering Department, always on Sundays.

Weymouth

The only service was the GW and SW joint, running from Radipol to Wyke Regis. I have seen picture postcards of GW buses, dated 1907. The buses then ran from Upwey to Portland. Weymouth to Springhead, Weymouth to Checkerell. I believe they also ran to Abbotsbury for a short time.

Going through some old records of about 1908 one of the booking clerks told me that some weeks over £1,000 was paid in. I believe that Bert Marlins was killed a road accident before I went to Weymouth. I was the last employee of the old GW staying at Weymouth to send away all stores etc. A picture was taken of all the staff before we all left. The depot closed December 31, 1934.

Westbury

A small depot. I am not sure of services but believe the principal one was Westbury to Dilton Marsh and was taken over 1928 by Western National.

In about 1927 driver Dance Downs, another driver and myself were called by Mr Guy Jones, assistant superintendent, road trams, Floating Units. We were called upon to do all sorts of jobs. We once worked the branch line at Kemble and various shows such as the Royal Bath and West and a show at Chippenham when the Prime Minister spoke there. I remember that we had 4 ACC Charas and working back to all the branch station after 11pm and then to Swindon. We did this in convoy with three oil side lamps and two tail lamps between us all and it was a very dark night and it took us three hours to get to Swindon.

When we went to work at Wantage we never knew what we would be called upon to do. On one occasion I went to work at 7am till 2pm and then returned to take Fordson and trailer with furniture to Cheltenham. We also went to work to drive buses and found ourselves hauling sugar beet and on one occasion brick.

There was an express service (I believe, the only one) between Oxford and Cheltenham, 42 miles. I did the duplicates during race meetings, meeting the train at Oxford and usually had a full load.

No doubt my memory has not been perfect and I have left out many things that might be important, but I believe you have the major part of my history with the GWR. The Local Director at Oswestry was a man named Gaye who I had met before at Penzance. Some of my story may sound very frivolous but may be interesting.

I believe George Bull is still in the Wantage District (retired I presume). You may be able to contact him if you are ever in that district. He also worked in South Wales. The drivers at Uffington were Cantill and Cantillon, two similar names. I believe the Lambourn driver was Jeff Bundy. Wally Hamblyn started on his own at Marlborough running to Calne and other places – I met him in Weymouth when he was running a party there about 1933.

I think I have come to the end of my story but I may think of other details later. I reserve the right to publish the whole or any part of this story myself any time in the future.

Yours very truly

Mr Little

PS. My wife says she has a number of photographs somewhere but she is away. I will see later if I think them of any use. I know one is of the Maudsley in Cheddar Gorge.

PPS. If you ever get this and other stuff printed I would be glad to know.

NOTE:  Frank Arthur Little was the father of Reg Little and Jack Little – grandfather of Robert, Peter and John Little and Jackie Sutton