The History
Lillian remembers that buses had an open platform at the back, and often she and her friends were late going back to school, so they would run behind the bus trying to jump on! They loved getting the bus home but could not afford to pay the fare every day. The family lived too close to the school to be considered for free bus passes.
Lillian Gaughan, Glasgow
Before there was Craigbank, Priesthill, South Nitshill or Arden, three buses ran through Nitshill. The green bus, McGill’s), ran from Nitshill to Paisley; the red bus, SMT, ran from Glasgow, through Shawlands, Thornliebank, Nitshill, Barrhead, final destination Neilston; Glasgow Corporation’s No.14 bus terminated on Cleeves Road. From there it ran on through Nitshill, Hurlet, Crookston, Pollokshaws, Shawlands and Glasgow. Once all the new housing was finished, the No.14, and its route, was discontinued. It became No.48, starting at Cleeves Road, down Peat Road, Househillwood, into Glasgow… I used to catch the Nitshill train to St. Enoch’s when I started working in Glasgow, and also after leaving the Glasgow dancehalls. Sometimes we’d miss the last train and/or bus. When that happened, we’d walk to Pollokshaws Toll, where there was a taxi rank. We’d pool what money we had left and get taxi to Nitshill.
Marie Hackett (Ashworth), New Jersey, U.S.A.
Regarding transport, John said that his grandparents lived near the bus terminus at Priesthill and his grandfather was well known to all the drivers because he would alter their trousers to give them the ‘Teddy boy/drainpipe’ look. The drivers would drop off their trousers on the way to the terminus and collect them when they passed on their return journey.
The No.26 driver would stop across from my grandfather’s house, the driver would alight the bus, as you did, you alighted a bus; he’d go up to my grandad’s house and hand him a pair of trousers and say “Can you do them for me Pat?” Now, by the time they went up to the terminus, my grandad would’ve given them a time, and when they came back down the road, my grandad had taken in or repaired or Teddy-boy’d his trousers. So, every driver in Pollok were wanting to get that bus so that man would do their trousers and it didn’t mess with their shift. So, I think they were on time. They were essential!”
John Paul McBride, Glasgow
Both Sylvia and John agreed that the No.57 bus service is one of the worst things about the area now.
They’ve changed it all and you can stand around for nearly an hour waiting on it to arrive. Transport for locals beyond Silverburn is terrible.”
Sylvia & John Williamson, Glasgow