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Coventry Corporation Transport Society

Lynne's Letter

This has been extracted from the letter written by Lynne Cox when she sent her scrap book items to the webmaster


Travel Pass Cover Travel Pass Inside

Lynne's Employee Travel Pass

For both my sister Carol and myself, Coventry buses were very close to our hearts for most of our young lives.  In fact, I used to call them "My Dad's buses"!  But, for all that, we didn't know any other children of the employees, nor were we particularly familiar with anyone.  Dad had his mates of course, but a mortgage and five children prevented much socialising or frequent outings.

Dad did subscribe to the social club, entitling us to the Christmas pantomime show at the Coventry Theatre (where the Transport Museum now stands).  This included an ice cream and a chocolate selection box, which was a real treat!  There was also the summer outing to Wickstead Park, by bus of course.

Although we lived in the North of the City, in Holbrooks, we passed our 11-plus exams and went to Whitley Abbey Comprehensive School, in the South of the City.  We travelled by bus every day via the City centre.  We were entitled to free travel with a bus pass.  Our parents were very interested in our education and encouraged us to do well in all pursuits, both in and out of school, including music, sports and handicrafts.  We were a very lively family!  The house was never quiet and I think Mum and Dad wouldn't have had it any other way.

Gradually, we all left home, but with regular get-togethers.  Whilst we were all quite different, we were a close knit family: our parents were wonderful people.  I went to work in Germany, followed by France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Channel Islands.  I had developed a good ear for sound following our musical upbringing, so I found learning foreign languages interesting and fun.

In 1986/87, Coventry Transport, as we knew it, changed forever.  I think Dad was very disappointed with the situation.  After all, the Sandy Lane Works were efficient and cost-effective.  I understood that it broke Dad's heart to have to organise the dispersal of the employees and all the equipment.  Everyone lost their jobs and they were made redundant, including Dad.  They had to re-apply for places at the new Wheatley Street Garage, although Dad decided to call it a day, aged 59 or 60.

Sadly, as my sister Carol described in her piece about Dad in the Corporation People pages, Dad never reached retirement age owing to a rapid pancreatic cancer.  We were all devastated, especially Mum.  They had been childhood sweethearts in their native Shropshire village and had so looked forward to being and 'old couple' together.  She survived him by fourteen years, broken hearted, although we all did our best to encourage and occupy her.  Closing down the family home in Holbrooks was heart-wrenching but, nevertheless, full to the brim of so many family memories.

I personally did not work at the 'Tranny' for very long, only eighteen months in fact, but as I was employed in the Personal and Transport office, I got to know almost everyone!  I had a roving eye for the handsome and/or friendly boys.  I am sure that Ronny Crean, a mechanic won't mind having his picture in this on-line scrap book.  I was also close to Johnny Hughes, a metal worker.  They were both apprentices working under my Dad's supervision.

Ron Crean

Ronny Crean, mechanic, CCT Harnall Lane


I can't remember all the names of the office staff at the time, but I do remember the following:
Jimmy Stokes (Personnel)
Daisy Hale (Personnel)
Mr Welch (Pay Office)
Mr Nixon (Schedules) (Ed: almost certainly Jimmy Nixon, an ex-driver)
Percy Lowe (Lost Property)
(Somebody) Jones (Cash Office)
Barbara (Lynne) Bagshaw (Typist)
Lillian Woodly (Correspondence and filing)
Pam Bartrup (Personnel)
Terry Wing
Two girls in the typing pool who had limited hearing skills
A young lady in the Works Office who used to do ballroom dancing and was always immaculately made up (possibly Gail)

I had daily telephone conversations with the Duty Inspectors, one of whom was Fintan O'Donoghue. One of the Jamaican OMO drivers, Byfield I think, had jewels in his teeth. The private hire clerk in the Traffic/Schedules office was George Brooker, so a GB sign was fixed to his desk.

Viv Booth was a dear friend in the Traffic/Schedules Office. She had a gin label on her desk. (Ed: Lynne was clearly very upset by the Viv's death)

I was very surprised to see that OMO driver David Dunne died in June 2010. (ED: David's son is still working for NX Coventry, carrying on the father to son tradition of CCT)

At one time, cox's apples were advertised on the buses, with the slogan "Cox, in a class of their own".