Mumbles Community Radio interview with Colin Scott, author of Red, cream and a touch of Gray, a history of the Western Welsh bus company. Interviewed in the Radio Mumbles studio by Clive Saddington regarding his book.

[00:00:01] The Beatles: Ticket To Ride. [00:00:42] Personal Details: Colin Scott(CS), author of Red, Cream, & a Touch of Gray, history of Western Welsh, interviewed by Clive Suddington, Radio Mumbles. [00:01:16] Transport: Western Welsh(WW) mainly SE Wales, biggest bus company in Wales. [00:01:36] Transport: Explanation of company name, link to GWR. [00:02:12] Transport: Origins of company - Albert Gray of Hancock's, army surplus vehicles. [00:02:55] Transport: Cardiff-Penarth service, competition. [00:03:17] Transport: Bridgend buses. [00:03:36] Transport: WW routes, Bridgend hub. [00:04:19] Transport: Company logos. [00:04:59] Transport: Livery changes, 1950s & 1960s. [00:05:40] Transport: Express services, 1960s. [00:05:54] Transport: GWR heritage of integrated bus & rail services in rural areas. [00:06:25] Transport: WW took over local operators. [00:06:38] Transport: North: Brecon, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford (Beeching cuts), valleys. [00:07:08] Transport: Rarely a WW monopoly. [00:07:12] Transport: Swansea: South Wales Transport dominant. [00:07:18] Transport: WW buy White's of Barry, Rhondda route. [00:07:33] Transport: 1930 Traffic Act ended local authority control of routes, appointed Traffic Commissioners. [00:07:51] Transport: WW declines Swansea Council request to run Gower route. [00:08:22] Transport: WW express routes to Tenby & Aberystwyth, via Swansea. [00:08:28] Transport: WW operating Llanelli, Carmarthen. [00:08:42] Transport: Bus v train rivalry, rather than bus v car. [00:09:18] Transport: Research for Red, Cream, & a Touch of Gray. [00:09:40] Transport: 2007 book, Glory Days of the Western Welsh, The Enthusiasts Press, Roger Davies & Chris Taylor. [00:10:33] Historiography: CS on methodology, need for human interest stories in work. [00:11:29] Transport: WW favoured Leylands, biggest fleet of Tiger Cubs in UK (single decker, underfloor engines, mid '50s). [00:11:59] Transport: Leyland TS8s, half-cab buses. [00:12:23] Transport: WW coach tours; war & post war vehicle shortages, lost trade to local operators. [00:13:14] Transport: Underfloor engines replace front engines: hence end of half-cabs, and rear doors. [00:13:30] Transport: Leyland Royal Tiger, AEC Regal. [00:13:40] Transport: Lightweight buses: Leyland Tiger Cubs, AEC Reliants. [00:14:13] Transport: WW 700+ vehicles 1957-58. [00:14:32] Transport: Increasing tour & private hire business. [00:14:52] Transport: Fuel Tax hikes, inflation, wages: fares increases, by early '60s vicious spiral of losses. [00:15:52] Transport: Albion Nimbus minibuses, rural routes. [00:16:11] Transport: National Bus Company late '60s, holding companies all sold to state. [00:17:03] Transport: 1951 WW offers Cardiff Corporation £350k for bus fleet. [00:17:35] Transport: WW monthly staff bulletin for research. [00:17:53] Transport: WW liked by staff, same as GWR, pride in company. [00:18:35] Transport: Gray family [hence book title], owners of WW, paternalism; trips, education. [00:19:02] Transport: Andy Cappers [after Andy Capp, Daily Mirror cartoon character]; trips, aid for sick employees. [00:20:04] Society: No litter in 1950s. [00:21:32] Transport: South Wales Transport (SWT) favoured AEC, mainly double deckers. [00:21:42] Transport: High passenger volume, relief buses. [00:22:14] Historiography: Research methods. [00:23:40] Transport: Contemporary transport: profits only, no social utility. [00:24:17] Transport: WW subsidised rural routes with urban profits. [00:25:21] Transport: Discussion of contents of CS book. [00:28:20] The Beatles: Ticket to Ride