Centres in Action

Lancashire

Chairman: Mr D. Uttley MlnstTA
Secretary: Mrs L. Scott MlnstTA

Notes:

Meetings to be held in Barton Grange Hotel A6 Preston @19 30 hrs

Visitors to Lancashire Centre

The Deputy Chairman of the Education Training and Membership Committee,

Alan Whittington with his partner Rena Verlander, together with the Director,

David Dalglish travelled to Preston to join Lancashire Centre at their 21st November meeting.

The evening started with an excellent meal at the Barton Grange Hotel, it would have been even better if our Director had not got himself stuck in traffic on the M6, and you thought that the Toll Road would clear all the problems. Having well wined and dined, and joined by our Director who had managed to battle his way through the natives of Cheshire and Merseyside, we made our way upstairs for the meeting. We started with a short introduction by the secretary, Bill Jefferies and the presentation of a membership certificate to Steve Oxbrow and, most unexpectedly, a large bouquet of flowers to Rena by the Chairman Chris Jarvis. This was followed by a slide presentation by Stephen Machell of the Ribble Bus Preservation Group showing the life of Ribble Motor Services Limited through the development of its fleet. As a large number of those attending had worked for Ribble in the past the presentation was interspersed with a wide range of anecdotes from the past.

As a former National Bus Company employee, admittedly working in the commuter lands served by London Country Bus Services, Alan Whittington voiced his thanks for such an interesting evening having discovered the delights of operating buses in the tough world to the west of the Pennines.

An offer from Chris Javis to Alan and Rena to join him on a tour of Blackpool the following day brought with it a most unexpected surprise. Having noticed a parked bus with BBC Radio Lancashire parked on the seafront we three old bus drivers, or two old and the younger bus driver, Rena, had to have a look. On arrival we were pounced upon by a charming lady called Sally Naden and found ourselves enjoying our five minutes of fame talking about the Institute and Transport in Blackpool for her show that afternoon. Alan and Rena reported that they just managed to listen to the broadcast which went out at 2 39 p.m. on Wednesday 22nd November just before reception was lost as they headed home through deepest Cheshire.

It is so encouraging to know that the Institute is alive and well and living inter alia in Lancashire.

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