This section is about the transport that we all used to get to school at Trinity.  I hope to gain contributions from a number of people on the way they got to school, but for the launch of this section, the main talk is about buses, which many people had to use to get to Trinity.  Some people had an easy bus journey to school, while others had to change at least once, and it took a long time.  For others, the fact that they lived in the county meant that they used the United Counties green buses, and as a result were excused such things as morning assembly and detentions!  It was worth the hassle!

  John Child has been interested in buses for many years.  Whilst many lads at school went train spotting around Northampton and beyond John found a keen interest in the local bus fleet - the red variety.  His interest was really kindled when on holiday in Scotland in 1959.  During the return train journey with his parents he met a friend of his father who had a similar interest and was able later to produce a very large collection of photos of Northampton's buses.  This started him off in researching the bus fleet - much more interesting than French with Jock Meldrum - and building up a collection of photographs and information over many years.  In the seventies in particular he visited a number of retired employees who recalled some hilarious stories.  Having contributed articles to transport magazines over a number of years plus a book on the history of Northampton's buses it was only a matter of time before he managed to acquire a former Northampton bus for restoration.  Withdrawn in 1959 it had remained undercover until 2000 when it was brought down to Lincolnshire where work has started in earnest.  You can read more about this from the link on restoring old buses below.  

Photographing buses in the seventies and eighties was more of an ordeal than imagined.  At that time John, his wife Carole and their three children lived in Newcastle upon Tyne so visits to Northampton were only occasional.  Aged parents greeted you, as expected, with the welcome - 'How nice to see you again, I have bought all the paint and wallpaper and you can start decorating the front room early tomorrow morning.'  The mere mention of going out taking bus photographs was not met with great enthusiasm.  John's mother in particular thought he was off his head - indeed she may well not be pleased if she knew that part of the proceeds from the sale of her house is funding the restoration of the Northampton 1945 bus!

This article John has written specially for the Trinity High website, is not just about buses, as it mentions that dirty word "car", as some of the teachers used to use theirs, even back in the late 50's to go to school.  Click on the left hand link below to read John's article, click on the restoring old buses link to read the article John had published in the Ian Allan monthly magazine, Bus & Coach Preservation.  Click on the bottom right link if you have a contribution to make about your particular journeys to school.