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There once was a bus driver in our young lives lovingly known as 'Tiger' ...........AKA 'Tiger' John Richmond.
You will all be pleased to know that 'Tiger' is still with us.
I have been in touch with his lovely family in Colac and though he is not in brilliant health he is still with us on this planet earth.
During the 1960s ,'Tiger' was our regular driver on the Whittington and Breakwater routes.
We always loved it when 'Tiger' was driving as he made that special effort to make conversation & humour with us kids. He knew the bulk of us by name and he instilled , ( ie: Like a psuedo DAD), a basic sense of feeling safe on our journey to school and to back home.
When 'Tiger' said sit down! ......we did just that :)......he only grumped if it was SERIOUS !
He would also make us all cheer with roars of laughter when he would hit this hump in the road and appear to rocket the bus into the air......well that's how it seemed anyway. ( Not sure now that the old Bedford Bus could have actually rocketed anywhere come to think of it :) )
Pictured is a 1959 Bedford in the McHarry's Livery of the time. It is just as I remembered it. It's parked exactly where us Kids used to wait ,outside the School in St Albans Road, departing for home of an afternoon. There will be more on 'Tiger' & the school buses of the day in later posts.
In 1988, I ( Frank Harvey ) telephoned John Richmond in Colac.
That is, John 'TIGER' Richmond.
We had a wonderful ,lengthy chat about being a bus driver in Geelong back in the 60's.
Following this amazing phone call ...........we present below,
our response letter to John 'TIGER' Richmond as we subsequently invited him to attend...... if possible .....our 88' reunion.
