barnsbury boy - alan french
"The Bus Ride from Hell" by Alan French (True Story)
It couldn't be easier. Board the bus at Nags Head, pass by Beales restaurant, next landmark Jones Bros then on to Holloway Road Tube Station and The Northern Polytechnic and a straight run on to Highbury and Islington Tube. My stop. A journey I did often on schooldays. But that day something extraordinary happened.
It could have been a 43 or 172, whatever, it had a full complement of passengers. Most, I suspect, were pupils of Barnsbury Boys. The usual pandemonium was the order of the afternoon. A favourite was calling out to the Shelburne girls in their blue uniforms. This done through the tiny sliding windows upstairs, or was it known as on top?
We approached Highbury Tube and I stood on the platform of the bus ready to get off. Well, surprise! surprise! The bus didn't stop. It wasn’t a request either so a stop was mandatory. I was so incensed I immediately pushed the red button to notify the driver to stop. He carried on driving. Never mind about the passengers, he was in control. I must have rung that bell about ten times or more.
As the bus navigated Highbury Corner roundabout I was so angry I may have pushed the red button some more. Then the unthinkable happened. The bus conductor literally put his foot in my back and shoved as hard as he could. He kicked me off the platform and I landed in the road on the roundabout. Luckily the traffic was light but I was still shocked and grazed. Worst of all the bus driver carried on driving taking the bus towards the Union Chapel.
Instead of going home I went straight to Islington Police Station. I reported an assault on myself by a bus conductor. Problem was I never had the chance to take his number. The incident was logged and I said I wanted to take it further.
All was quiet for a while. No acknowledgement from London Transport. Then, one school day I was called to the Bonks office. He told me L/T had written to him. They said if I took things further they would contest any action fully. The feeling from our headmaster was, it would be a difficult task to get a favourable result. He literally put me off. If it were now I wouldn't hesitate to go ahead. I think it was because my confidence was low at that time. Another big factor was, I didn't know there were any witnesses until recently.
Peter Hales
I was standing next to Alan and have this nightmare vision of the bus conductor literally pushing or kicking Alan off the bus as it sped around the Highbury Corner roundabout and poor Alan bouncing along the road. My heart was in my mouth and I was relieved to see him get up again. Fortunately traffic was so much lighter in those days and nothing was following the bus. This vision has stayed in my memory ever since and at the time I was really upset by the whole episode. All because the bus didn’t stop at the compulsory stop opposite Highbury & Islington Tube and Alan rang the bell several times to stop the bus much to the angst of the conductor. These days this story would hit the headlines and court proceedings would surely follow.
Barry Page
I can understand Pete Hales' trepidation. I once witnessed a lady falling from a Routemaster bus platform (she was trying to get on a moving bus), and the conductor, in an attempt to save her, ended up in the road also. Thanks to the action of a passenger, who knew that by ringing the bell three times quickly, the driver automatically made an emergency stop. Fortunately neither accident victim required hospitalisation. However, these mental images remain with you.
John Tythe
1962, late for school, still on the 271 bus as it thundered past the end of Eden Grove. As it started to slow for the next stop outside Holloway tube, to gain some time, I leapt off the platform and ran as fast as I could. My little legs just couldn’t run that fast and within a few paces, I was going down! Now, on my back, I wore a two strap leather satchel, such that when it was on, it was like a parachute pack. As I tumbled over on the extra wide pavement I was on my back and the satchel kept my head and shoulders off the floor, but it didn’t slow me down much and I crashed into the base of Jelks’s window. Stunned I lay there ow-wing a bit, then got up an ran to school. I was still late! The satchel was a bit scuffed, I’d worn holes in both elbows of my blazer and the arse of my trousers was a bit worse for wear! A few friction burns here and there, but otherwise I was OK. I hid those holes in the blazer from my mum for months. She wasn’t best pleased when she finally saw them!
and other injuries...........
"Bloody Bonk!!" by Peter Hales
I hurt my leg playing football in the playground and didn't realise how serious it was - but because of the pain I went to the Doctor that evening who in turn sent me to hospital to have it X-rayed, which I only did the following day. Lo and behold I had been walking around with a broken leg. Back at school a few days later Bonk calls me into his office and asks me whether I was planning to sue the school!!!!!!! That hadn't occurred to me and I said no........I blame George Haydon for tackling me!!!
Barry Page
Pete's anecdote reminded me of a similar incident; although this happened at Laycock Junior Mixed c1956.
One particular incident that happened in the playground turned out to be an unfortunate one. The school day had ended and the children were heading home through the gate next to the caretaker’s house. As I was walking across the playground I noticed a boy, who I recognised as Terry Corcoran, in a crouched position and tying up a shoelace. I made a spontaneous decision to run up behind him and leapfrog over his shoulders. The action seemed to be successful although he did collapse under my weight due to the element of surprise. I looked back to see him writhing on the ground but took no notice and, believing that he was just play acting, continued walking home. It wasn’t until later that my parents were informed that I had accidentally fractured one of Terry’s legs.
Tony Bernie
In 1956 David Naylor who was in 1S with me, (Colin Ley, teacher) stumbled as we got on a 611. David looked for dead as I grabbed for his outstretched arm. Micky Hovell ran the bell to stop the bus. It was a very worrying moment and David looked at me and said "thanks, I'll introduce my grandchildren to yours". Looking back that was a very sophisticated thing to say for a 11 year old!
I remained friends and in touch with Dave until 1970. Following years of searching I met up with him last month..... Guess what we are planning to do?
It couldn't be easier. Board the bus at Nags Head, pass by Beales restaurant, next landmark Jones Bros then on to Holloway Road Tube Station and The Northern Polytechnic and a straight run on to Highbury and Islington Tube. My stop. A journey I did often on schooldays. But that day something extraordinary happened.
It could have been a 43 or 172, whatever, it had a full complement of passengers. Most, I suspect, were pupils of Barnsbury Boys. The usual pandemonium was the order of the afternoon. A favourite was calling out to the Shelburne girls in their blue uniforms. This done through the tiny sliding windows upstairs, or was it known as on top?
We approached Highbury Tube and I stood on the platform of the bus ready to get off. Well, surprise! surprise! The bus didn't stop. It wasn’t a request either so a stop was mandatory. I was so incensed I immediately pushed the red button to notify the driver to stop. He carried on driving. Never mind about the passengers, he was in control. I must have rung that bell about ten times or more.
As the bus navigated Highbury Corner roundabout I was so angry I may have pushed the red button some more. Then the unthinkable happened. The bus conductor literally put his foot in my back and shoved as hard as he could. He kicked me off the platform and I landed in the road on the roundabout. Luckily the traffic was light but I was still shocked and grazed. Worst of all the bus driver carried on driving taking the bus towards the Union Chapel.
Instead of going home I went straight to Islington Police Station. I reported an assault on myself by a bus conductor. Problem was I never had the chance to take his number. The incident was logged and I said I wanted to take it further.
All was quiet for a while. No acknowledgement from London Transport. Then, one school day I was called to the Bonks office. He told me L/T had written to him. They said if I took things further they would contest any action fully. The feeling from our headmaster was, it would be a difficult task to get a favourable result. He literally put me off. If it were now I wouldn't hesitate to go ahead. I think it was because my confidence was low at that time. Another big factor was, I didn't know there were any witnesses until recently.
Peter Hales
I was standing next to Alan and have this nightmare vision of the bus conductor literally pushing or kicking Alan off the bus as it sped around the Highbury Corner roundabout and poor Alan bouncing along the road. My heart was in my mouth and I was relieved to see him get up again. Fortunately traffic was so much lighter in those days and nothing was following the bus. This vision has stayed in my memory ever since and at the time I was really upset by the whole episode. All because the bus didn’t stop at the compulsory stop opposite Highbury & Islington Tube and Alan rang the bell several times to stop the bus much to the angst of the conductor. These days this story would hit the headlines and court proceedings would surely follow.
Barry Page
I can understand Pete Hales' trepidation. I once witnessed a lady falling from a Routemaster bus platform (she was trying to get on a moving bus), and the conductor, in an attempt to save her, ended up in the road also. Thanks to the action of a passenger, who knew that by ringing the bell three times quickly, the driver automatically made an emergency stop. Fortunately neither accident victim required hospitalisation. However, these mental images remain with you.
John Tythe
1962, late for school, still on the 271 bus as it thundered past the end of Eden Grove. As it started to slow for the next stop outside Holloway tube, to gain some time, I leapt off the platform and ran as fast as I could. My little legs just couldn’t run that fast and within a few paces, I was going down! Now, on my back, I wore a two strap leather satchel, such that when it was on, it was like a parachute pack. As I tumbled over on the extra wide pavement I was on my back and the satchel kept my head and shoulders off the floor, but it didn’t slow me down much and I crashed into the base of Jelks’s window. Stunned I lay there ow-wing a bit, then got up an ran to school. I was still late! The satchel was a bit scuffed, I’d worn holes in both elbows of my blazer and the arse of my trousers was a bit worse for wear! A few friction burns here and there, but otherwise I was OK. I hid those holes in the blazer from my mum for months. She wasn’t best pleased when she finally saw them!
and other injuries...........
"Bloody Bonk!!" by Peter Hales
I hurt my leg playing football in the playground and didn't realise how serious it was - but because of the pain I went to the Doctor that evening who in turn sent me to hospital to have it X-rayed, which I only did the following day. Lo and behold I had been walking around with a broken leg. Back at school a few days later Bonk calls me into his office and asks me whether I was planning to sue the school!!!!!!! That hadn't occurred to me and I said no........I blame George Haydon for tackling me!!!
Barry Page
Pete's anecdote reminded me of a similar incident; although this happened at Laycock Junior Mixed c1956.
One particular incident that happened in the playground turned out to be an unfortunate one. The school day had ended and the children were heading home through the gate next to the caretaker’s house. As I was walking across the playground I noticed a boy, who I recognised as Terry Corcoran, in a crouched position and tying up a shoelace. I made a spontaneous decision to run up behind him and leapfrog over his shoulders. The action seemed to be successful although he did collapse under my weight due to the element of surprise. I looked back to see him writhing on the ground but took no notice and, believing that he was just play acting, continued walking home. It wasn’t until later that my parents were informed that I had accidentally fractured one of Terry’s legs.
Tony Bernie
In 1956 David Naylor who was in 1S with me, (Colin Ley, teacher) stumbled as we got on a 611. David looked for dead as I grabbed for his outstretched arm. Micky Hovell ran the bell to stop the bus. It was a very worrying moment and David looked at me and said "thanks, I'll introduce my grandchildren to yours". Looking back that was a very sophisticated thing to say for a 11 year old!
I remained friends and in touch with Dave until 1970. Following years of searching I met up with him last month..... Guess what we are planning to do?
