Sutton's transport history - a journey in pictures - the 1970s
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1970
RT4679 on route 157 shares the Carshalton Wrythe Green stand with RT4054 on route 77. When route 157 was extended beyond Wallington to Crystal Palace in March 1959 (in part replacement for trolleybus route 654) the service operated in two overlapping sections - Raynes Park to Wrythe Green and Morden Stn to Crystal Palace. The 77 however had just the occasional scheduled short working to this point, taking it a little way off its line of route from Nightingale Road. The 77 is showing the "via" blind for the Tooting Mitre - Euston section of the route. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1970
RF88 on Green Line route 725 bound for its traditional Windsor terminus makes a tight left turn from Acre Lane into Park Lane in Carshalton, to follow a diversion. London Transport had a comprehensive Green Line network, primarily linking towns across London. However the 725 was a southern orbital route running from Gravesend to Windsor and in 2023 is still represented in part by the limited stop express route SL7 between East Croydon and Heathrow Airport. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1975
London Transport's T219, an AEC Regal 7T7 coach, is depicted on Green Line route J (in the days before they were renumbered into the 700 series) which ran from Watford to Reigate by way of Sutton. The vehicle was from the London Transport Museum (then displayed in what was Clapham Bus Garage) and is seen whilst on loan to the British Transport Collection at Syon Park in 1975. It has been repainted into the ‘lighter green’ Green Line livery dating from before 1939. From and Copyright © the Sutton Local Studies Collection |
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1970 - 18th April
In this shot Woodcote Green still has its Post Office and the relatively new Wallington High School for Girls is seen opposite. The 234 would pass through Purley on its way to Selsdon. Just out of view is the roadside clock for the conductor to maintain time. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1970 - prior to 18th April
RT3932 stands in Belmont Road in Wallington and will return to its home garage at South Croydon, designated by the code TC. Prior to the lowering of the road underneath the station bridge in Wallington, the 234 turned from the south in Beddington Gardens. The 234 had also been extended to Hackbridge, to augment single deck route 234A. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1971 - 1st January
Route 115 provided a somewhat circuitous route from Wallington to Purley via Mitcham and Norbury, with peak extensions from Purley to Whyteleafe. Bus crews at this time were always willing to have their photograph taken - here we have the crew working RT1831, which was to be the last Wallington - Whyteleafe bus before One-Person-Operation conversion. It is winter and the driver has his full-length coat whilst waiting in Belmont Road on New Year's Day, 1st January 1971. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1971 - 1st January
RT2602 is the last 115 crew operated RT bus to work through to Purley on 1st January 1971 and is very well blinded. The driver told me that he had driven trams out of Thornton Heath Depot, which would have been some thirty years earlier. Of special interest is the reflective white arm band on the driver's coat - this was only sewn into the right sleeve and was used for hand signals. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1971 - 1st January
The via points on RT1946 make the route taken quite clear and here we have the last RT at Wallington Belmont Road on 1st January 1971 bound for "Croydon Airport", a destination shown for very many more years, even though the last aircraft had taken off many years previously!! This is clearly a typical bus crew, from Thornton Heath Garage, who could enjoy a chat at the terminus - from tomorrow it would be one man. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1971 - Whitsun (?)
An eight-car formation led by a 4-Cep unit in the then-corporate blue and grey livery of British Rail entering Sutton on a Sunday in 1971 - the train is travelling to Portsmouth, and would normally have arrived via the line through Hackbridge and Carshalton, but owing to engineering works on its normal route is seen here having been diverted at Streatham Junction to travel via Wallington and Carshalton Beeches. Picture Copyright © The Mike Morant Collection |
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1971 - Whitsun (?)
Just east of Sutton station, another diverted Portsmouth train heads towards the Kings Lane bridge and onwards to pass through Carshalton Beeches. Picture Copyright © The Mike Morant Collection |
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1971 - Whitsun (?)
A superb shot of a once-traditional railway signal gantry. One of the second batch of 4-Cig units, which were introduced in 1970 for the London to Portsmouth services, it is seen from the Kings Lane bridge just east of Sutton station leaving the camera on its way to passing through Carshalton Beeches to terminate at Victoria station. Picture Copyright © The Mike Morant Collection |
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1971 - Whitsun (?)
Due once again to the Sunday engineering works, this 4-Sub unit has just arrived at Sutton, and being unable to continue its normal journey onwards has moved northwards to cross over and re-enter Sutton station to return south to Epsom from whence it came. Picture Copyright © The Mike Morant Collection |
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1972 - 27th December
London Transport purchased 50 Leyland Atlantean buses and some of them operated for a number of years on the "C" Express routes linking Croydon with New Addington. They could also be used on route 234 and we see here XA10 on the Elm Road stand in Hackbridge shortly after Christmas on 27th December 1972. After service with LT most of them were sold for further service in Hong Kong. Red Bus Rovers were being advertised at this time. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1973 - 14th April
DMS490 picks up passengers outside Christ Church in Stafford Road, Wallington on 14th April 1973 on the Saturday 233A local service linking Wallington with the Roundshaw Estate which is in the London Borough of Sutton. The "Face the Future with Pearl Assurance" advert on the side of the bus survived for many years, whilst the car showroom opposite changed from Geyfords to Godfreys - but using the same letters!! Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1973 - 29th April
RF483 operates a rail replacement service in North Street, Carshalton, passing the wall of the Grove Park on 29th April 1973. Rail replacement bus services are nothing new!! The old car in the picture adds to the interest. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1974 - 4th January
The roundabout at Rose Hill sees RT2007 on the 280 bound for Tooting Broadway on 4th January 1974. Route 280 had replaced route 80 for the link from Sutton to Tooting Broadway in March 1969. The "Rose" pub is out of sight to the left of the picture. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1974 - 28th September
This photograph of DMS1274 on route 280, followed by DMS599, was taken on 28th September 1974, when they were carrying out extensive work on the Angel Hill cutting. The bus hasn't far to go as it is terminating at Sutton Garage in nearby Bushey Road. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1976 - 26th June
Remember the long hot summer of 1976? It was on 26th June of that year that the RF buses, which had been introduced to London in 1952, were to run for the last time on routes 80 and 80A. The bus terminal at Belmont, opposite the station is long established. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1976 - 26th June
London Country Buses had an acute shortage of serviceable vehicles in the seventies and hired a number of vehicles from seaside resorts, including Bournemouth. Number 196 in the Bournemouth fleet provides free adverts for holidays in that resort as the bus picks up passengers on the 470 for Dorking in Cheam Road in Sutton, a road which was later to become one way. The date is 26th June 1976 and a conventional LCBS bus is behind. The bus stop with its route-numbered "E" plates was typical of the period. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1976 - 26th June
On the last day of RF operation, 26th June 1976 (the long hot summer), RF545 picks up passengers in Bushey Road at Sutton Green on its route 80A journey to Morden Underground station. The 80/80A had run to Tooting Broadway, but with one man operation was diverted to Morden, the Tooting section being taken over by new routes 280/A. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1976 - 21st November
BL23 is in Sutton High Street working on route 80 through to Lower Kingswood, and would turn at Rookery Way. As the years have gone by the traditional red London buses no longer go out to Kingswood, with route 80 (in 2008) running between Belmont, High Down Prison and Hackbridge via Morden. Of particular note is the former Post Office, opposite “The Grapes” pub. The section of road looking north from the Post Office was subsequently pedestrianised. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1977 - 14th January
RT4004 is on route 164A at Sutton Green nicely and correctly blinded all round for its journey from Morden to Tattenham Corner on 14th January 1977 on what was to be the last day of RT buses on the 164 and 164A. Note especially the Shell petrol station which was once located here and the Green Shield Stamps offer (remember those?). 2008 sees this site occupied by Burger King. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1977 - 22nd January
If the background to a picture of a bus can be described as just as interesting, then here is a case in point. On 22nd January 1977 RF460 passes Wallington Station for Purley Old Lodge Lane. Fast forward to 2008 and the green Southern Region station sign has been replaced by the the name of an estate agent; the shops and offices beyond the bridge have been demolished and even the Canon building subsequently built is now vacated; Charringtons coal is no longer there and the Wallis supermarket is now the "Whispering Moon" Wetherspoons pub. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1978 - 15th April
DMS532 has served the Wallington Public hall stop for route 233A on 15th April 1978 and will terminate in Belmont Road, beyond Wallington Station. The main 233 route linked Roundshaw with West Croydon, but the Saturday 233A enabled Roundshaw residents to visit the shops in Wallington. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1978 - 30th April
As BL84 passes "The Grapes" pub on its journey to Lower Kingswood on 30th April 1978, part of the old Sutton will disappear for ever. Clifford's furniture store and the shoe repairs once did good trade, but in 2008 they have disappeared without trace. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1978 - 16th July
RM67 is bound for Epsom Station on route 164 and has just passed James Walker, the jeweller, in Sutton High Street on 16th July 1978. It is clearly a Sunday, as people are parking their cars on the single yellow line, but the man on his tricycle is surely of greater interest. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1978 - 16th July
On its journey out into the country at Tattenham Corner, we again see RM67 on Sunday, 16th July 1978. It would not be long before the High Street was pedestrianised and buses were banished to the parallel St. Nicholas Way and Throwley Way. Remember Burtons the Tailors? Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1978 - 22nd July
Sutton High Street was once bustling with all traffic, including buses and crowds of passengers boarding them outside the shops. Subsequently the High Street was closed to all traffic, but on 22nd July 1978, RM1536 works in service to Sutton Garage on route 93 - in "London Transport" days it was the general practice for buses to run to and from the garage in service, carrying passengers. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1978 - 19th November
This part of Sutton High Street, outside the Crown Pub is now one way southbound. On 19th November 1978, BL84 runs to Morden. The BL class replaced the RF buses but lasted for comparatively few years between 1976 and 1980. Cigarette advertising was still very evident. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1978 - 23rd December
There was a time that London Country's Leatherhead Bus Garage was so short of staff that they had to hire the services of Father Christmas, this being the case on 23rd December 1978!! The 470 was a long established route through Croydon to Dorking and Santa is driving his sleigh (sorry bus) in Carshalton High Street. Now what really happened? The driver was finishing driving work and would spend a while in the canteen before full retirement and they brought his wife, a former clippie, out of retirement for the day. I do recall his wife saying "Now remember Father Christmas doesn't swear!! Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1979 - 23rd January
RM208 can struggle no further and the driver has left his cab, with another Routemaster close behind. The photographer recalls that he was travelling to Kingston to meet up with a friend to photograph RF buses and finally got there, some three hours after leaving Sutton on a 213 on 23rd January 1979. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
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1979 - 8th December
On 8th December 1979, DMS2246 passes the United Reformed Church in Wallington, on the corner of Holmwood Gardens. Route 154 was introduced in March 1959 to replace trolleybus route 654 which also passed along Stanley Park Road. The bus had clearly been transferred from a garage in the Romford area, as it still has a "multiride" sticker attached. Picture Copyright © The John Parkin Collection |
