Inside Midland Red by Ashley Wakelin

£35.00

What was it like to work for the massive Midland Red business that dominated bus operations in the Midlands of England for most of the 20th century?

In this part autobiographical, part historical book, the author tells of Midland Red’s spread from Birmingham across 12,000 square miles, and the designing and building of its unique trendsetting fleet of home made buses and coaches.

He also tells entertaining stories of his working life from office lad, conductor and driver to management in Midland Red.

Hardback, 128 quality pages with over 250 photographs, many not previously published!

Description

Ashley Wakelin

Ashley has seen the bus and coach industry evolve over fifty years of change. He has worked in manual and managerial roles, has been an enthusiast, preservationist and operator, and has worked in both the private and public sectors with national and small independent operators.

Besides having a collection of Midland Red memorabilia and models, he has had over sixty full sized buses and coaches, some passing through his hands and others staying for either work or pleasure – all between his sixteenth and sixtieth birthdays.

He also gives entertaining talks to groups about Midland Red, its history, its buses and its people.

Ashley was instrumental in purchasing and saving two significant BMMO Midland Red buses – the only running Midland Red CM6T motorway express coach (surely the swansong of their coach production), and the last built Midland Red S16 single-decker service bus.

But it was his passionate enthusiasm for, and his career with Midland Red, and the association he had with staff at all levels which has provided the content for this book as he takes you, INSIDE Midland Red.

Additional information

Format

Hardback