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Buses and trains and trolley busesThere are three railway stations in Maidstone, and there were two bus stations in Palace Avenue. now long since gone, one the Granada end and the other on the far end nearest to Bishops Palace. Maidstone and District / East KentWhile kids these days rant on about football, in those days we seemed more interested in the two companies running bus services. One was "Maidstone and District" the other was "East Kent". "Maidstone and District" were in green and cream colour and to my mind were more Spartan inside, "East Kent" was deep red and cream and these were my personal choice being plusher. You know the sort of thing that kids say, my buses are better than your buses, yes they are, no they’re not, I hear you say.
Trolley BusesTrolley buses were different again, they were dangerously quiet when you crossed the road without looking (yes, yes I know we shouldn't have). Many people were knocked down by these old beasties. They had a fair turn of speed and the acceleration was pretty good too.
I have seen the trolley buses at the top of the town by the Queens monument stranded. They would try to cut the corner and lose the connection with the overhead wires. The trolleys buses carried a long bamboo pole with a hook which they used to reconnect the bus back to the overhead wires.
Even trolley buses needed to be tested for tipping.
Photo courtesy of John Meakin collection Trains and Dreams
Trains in the main were for special occasions, if we were going to London perhaps. Not that this happened on a regular basis, I think some of the children at our school who lived further away used them everyday. Not the characterless things of today, these were real trains smoke and all. We ran from one side of the bridges to the other to avoid being engulfed in the steam and smoke they gave off. For us boys they were living creatures like wild animals, dangerous but beautiful, definitely a man thing. Like many of my contemporaries I decided very early that this would be the job for me. Alas the steam engine driver job has fallen by the wayside as did my second choice as a flag pole painter.
Shirley Maidstone I remember it well: I don't know where to start!!! Finding this site has awakened so many memories!! I used the buses all the time, as neither my parents nor I had a car. I went to the Girls Grammar School on the London Road motorbuses, we were so much better behaved in those days, as there was always a prefect around to report misbehaviour, or else an irate pasenger would write to the headmistress. The worst thing we did was giggle and eat sweets( forbidden in uniform anyway)
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