Roger went on to have a successful career in the bus industry, most notably at Brighton & Hove Buses, and after retiring took to travelling the country's railways and bus routes and writing up his observations and adventures in a blog. Last weekend he marked the sixtieth anniversary of his first day travelling by bus to grammar school by visiting some of his former north London haunts, along with a vintage RT bus with blinds set for the long disappeared 244. The day is recorded in his blog under the title A Diamond, Golden and Ruby anniversary (as well as 1965, 1975 and 1985 were important milestones in his life).
Compare and contrast: Green Dragon Lane to Southgate by bus in 1965 and 2025
In 1965 for the first leg of Roger French's journey to school he would have been travelling on one of London Transport's very large fleet of RT type buses (a classic design that goes back to the late 1930s) on route 244 to Southgate Station. In 2025 the same journey would be on a much more capacious electric bus on route 125. Another difference: in 1965 he had to pay a fare, in 2025 an 11-year-old travels free by bus.
In the blog post Roger recalls various aspects of the journey to and from school and notes the changes that have since occurred to local bus routes, to bus frequencies, and to Southgate Station and its co-located bus station. Just to mention a couple of the changes: back in the day some buses would pull up to the stop with the offside next to the pavement (unthinkable today!) and there were not only toilets at the bus station, but also a waiting room!
Photographs courtesy of Roger French.
Links
A Diamond, Golden and Ruby anniversary (Bus and Train User 31 August 2025)
