Chaserider has said farewell to Brian Campbell, who retired at age 80 on 22 September after 55 years’ service to the bus industry. The Cannock operator held a small ceremony to mark the occasion.
Mr Campbell joined Midland Red as a driver at its Stafford depot in 1968, later moving to newly-opened Cannock under the National Bus Company (NBC).
In Arriva ownership, Mr Campbell became Traffic Manager at Cannock around 1998. “Then I retired at 65, but I was offered work at Walsall bus station as a traffic marshal,” he explains. After that job ended, Mr Campbell returned to Cannock as a part-time driver, continuing in that position when the depot was purchased by Centrebus subsidiary D&G Bus in November 2020.
A journey from a Midland Red D7 half-cab to Chaserider
He looks back fondly to his early days in the industry, noting that it was a more regimented place then. Obtaining the necessary driving licence on a Midland Red D7 half-cab double-decker was no major challenge after earlier years spent driving HGVs.
“I remember going back to Stafford after passing my test with a new uniform, silver buttons and a cap. The depot manager was a former army man. He sat us down in his office and told us how things would be. If a driver was not dressed properly, they were disciplined. That was a good grounding.”
Working habits have changed since the 1960s, he continues. At that time, seven shifts per week were not uncommon, although Mr Campbell believes that schedules have become tighter since those days and that the social side of the industry, prominent under NBC, has declined.
He stayed in the bus industry beyond 65 for a number of reasons. “It is a job that I like doing. I have always enjoyed driving and I have always been a people person.”
Many changes have come since 1968, and he highlights some as being particularly beneficial. A move from crash to semi-automatic gearboxes was useful, but later progression to fully automatics was even better. Introduction of digital destination displays was also appreciated, as was the shift to contactless and app-based ticketing.
Bus industry ‘still offers progression those that want it’
“Drivers used to have to remember all the fares and stages,” he continues. “It was all in the brain with Setright machines.” While much has come on since 1968, he still believes that the bus industry is a worthwhile career choice, and particularly for those who wish to advance.
“There is progression throughout the industry. If someone shows enthusiasm, is clean and tidy, and does the job properly, they can get on. Chaserider is a prime example. There are some younger people here now who are looking to progress, and I am sure that they will.”
Mr Campbell’s memories of management include time when Cannock also served as head office for Midland Red North, and later for Arriva’s operations in the region. “The Directors would be on the phone immediately if they saw a bus leave with a destination blind set wrongly, for example. We also used to get anything that was new and needed trying out.”
Overseeing integration of the former Chase Coaches operation – purchased by Arriva in 2007 with a fleet largely made up of elderly Leyland Nationals – was another significant point in Mr Campbell’s career.
Now, with his driving days behind him, he plans to spend time with his wife, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and tending to his house and garden. “I have done 15 years more than I should have, so I think I have now earned a rest.”
