This book covers an important aspect of British bus provision that has not been fully documented before. The Mercedes-Benz Midibus may have been small, but it had a huge impact. It became well respected by fleet engineers and served its purpose well. This story is not just about a successful vehicle, it focuses on several small coachbuilding businesses that rose to the forefront of the British manufacturing industry, through the work of their designers, craftsmen and salesmen. The variety that the Mercedes-Benz Midibus offered was quite remarkable!
The Dennis company has been building vehicles since 1895, making it the oldest continuously producing British manufacturer. From its origins in a small Guildford shop, the company has grown to become a major bus manufacturer with its products selling around the world. This book discusses the company's highs and lows, through two world wars, challenging markets and ownership changes. It documents the vehicles produced and their innovative design features, from early cars and street-cleaning machines to vans, buses, trucks, fire engines and ambulances. First-hand descriptions of how, and why, some of the company's most successful products such as the Dart, Trident and Enviro buses evolved. It explains why their once market-leading fire engines are no longer made. It also analyses the reasons why some products were less successful and explores what happened to parts of the company that were sold over the years. Finally, the company's future opportunities and challenges are considered. The author, Andy Goundry, has not only drawn on his own personal experience of almost twenty years of employment with the company but he has drawn on what is left of the company archives, private collections and first-hand accounts, to produce this book as a salutation of over 125 years of continuous manufacturing.
Northampton, the county town of Northamptonshire, is rich in transport history. 1880 saw several tram routes commence operation within the Northampton Borough, being operated by the Northampton Street Tramway Company. After this, public transport in the town began to develop. The tram network being electrified in 1901. The 1910s saw a number of independent bus operators begin to link Northampton with the surrounding villages, introducing motor bus operation into the town. Over the years, Northampton has been home to numerous independent bus and coach operators. Two major operators also served the town, Northampton Corporation Transport (later Northampton Transport and First Northampton) and United Counties / Stagecoach Midlands. Northampton’s Trams and Buses explores the development of the tram network within Northampton, as well as exploring how bus services in the Northampton, Wootton, Hardingstone and Moulton areas of Northamptonshire have developed from the early 1900s to 2021.
Lonely Planet: The world's number one travel guide publisher* Lonely Planet's Great Britain is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Gaze at the graceful architecture of Canterbury Cathedral, stride around the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle or through the mountains of Wales, and soak up Roman, medieval and Victorian history - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Great Britain and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's Great Britain: Full-colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, art, food, drink, sport, politics Covers London, Canterbury, Southeast England, Oxford, Cotswolds, Southwest England, Cambridge, East Anglia, Birmingham, the Midlands, the Marches, Yorkshire, Manchester, Liverpool, Northwest England, The Lake District, Cumbria, Newcastle, Northeast England, Cardiff (Caerdydd), Pembrokeshire, South Wales, Hay-on-Wye, Mid-Wales, Snowdonia, North Wales, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Southern Scotland, Stirling, Central Scotland, Inverness, Northern Highlands & Islands, and more. The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Great Britain is our most comprehensive guide to Britain, and is perfect for discovering both popular and off-the-beaten-path experiences. Need a city guide? Check out Lonely Planet's London for an in-depth look at all the city has to offer. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia) *Source: Nielsen BookScan: Australia, UK, USA, 5/2016-4/2017 eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.
The book is an account of a journey using local service buses from Lands End in the deepest south west of England up to John OGroats in the far north east of Scotland. With the issue of free bus passes to all British citizens over the age of sixty, the author decided to maximise the use of his in undertaking this 1,230 mile trip. By way of being different, the author decided to take with him, his dog Archie, a Jack Russell / cairn terrier cross, as he too enjoys travelling. The book is not just a travel log across and up the length of Britain, but includes much historical and general information of towns and cities visited with time taken at the various stop-over points to look around and explore. In addition to the exploits of the authors dog, the book contains his thoughts and observations during the journey. Some of these are referred to as Rants made on the authors own admission as being a grumpy old man. The detailed planning and preparation of the trip is explained that deliberately took in many historic towns and cities. From Penzance, the route traverses England through Exeter, Bath Oxford, Leicester, Lincoln and then across the Humber and up the east coast by Scarborough, Durham, Newcastle and onto Berwick before crossing the border into Scotland. From here on, the bus journey followed the east coast through Edinburgh, over the Firth of Forth to Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Dornoch and Wick before reaching their final destination at John OGroats. The book has been written in a light vein and contains an element of humour. Hopefully, the reader will become a little more knowledgeable about this historic and beautiful island of ours by the end. It is certainly true that travel does broaden the mind.