Arriva North East has paid tribute to a bus driver who has has retired at the age of 86 after 55 years on the road.
Norman Simpson from Yarm started work with the now defunct OK Travel and joined Arriva in 2006.
The operator estimates that he has carried almost a million passengers and driven more than a million miles.
After taking the wheel for Middlesbrough service 8 for his final run, Mr Simpson was treated to a celebration and cake.
Looking back back fondly on his time in the job and recalling one particular memory, he says: “Once I got stuck on my bus in ancient Cockfield Fell in County Durham in really heavy snow.
“It took two hours to navigate back to Durham and the weather was so bad, I had to use the cat’s eyes to get back.
“The best thing about the job has been quite simply driving buses.”
He is looking forward to new experiences and spending more time with his family.
One of his colleagues, Stockton depot controller John Smith, says: “Norman is a constant, who’ll be hard to replace. We’ll really miss him. He’s a legend.
“Norman is a great person with a wealth of experience. His love for the industry and buses from yesteryear are evident in his personal time, as he’s a major influence in the local Teesside 500 group, which owns, restores and operates vintage buses.
“He is a true bus man.”
