THE FOOTBALLERS AND THE MAJOR

Right, it's time to leave Bury behind and join the East Lancs Railway for the journey north. 20042 stops obligingly outside the transport museum.

Now we're passing Burrs behind preserved D5500.

Another preserved diesel, Hymek D7076, crosses the viaduct at Summerseat.

There's a decent pub in Summerseat, the Footballers Inn.

We leave the ELR behind for a short while and take a walk westwards to the next valley and Holcolmbe Brook, where we find trolleybus No. 2 from Ramsbottom, outside the Hare & Hounds.

Here's a more modern view of the Hare & Hounds.Since then, it's become a Greene King house.

So, it's back to the ELR, but in the days when it was part of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Here's the level crossing in Ramsbottom.

The signal box was replaced by the LMS. This is Bridge Street in the 1930s.

Coming forward to 1990, the box is still in operation, in the hands of the ELR.

'Nunney Castle' arrives at Ramsbottom with a 'Santa Special' in 1992.

Three more preserved locos at Ramsbottom, ELR.

Here's St Andrew's church and Nuttall Lane in Ramsbottom.

Ramsbottom Urban District Council used to run trolleybuses, such as this one in the town centre.

Firstbus is now the main operator.

The vehicles of Rossendale Transport could also be seen.

This 'heritage' Bristol bus was found outside Ramsbottom station

Close to the station is the Royal Oak, a Thwaite's house (It's since been renamed 'The Oaks').

The Major is one of the best pubs in town.

The Irwell Works Brewery occupies and old building in Ramsbottom. There's a really good bar upstairs.

We now head due north to the small town of Haslingden, which lost its trams in 1930. Two scenes on the last day as buses took over.

Another early Haslingden bus.

Whatpub describes the Griffin Inn, Haslingden, as a 'jewel in the crown'. I have no reason to argue with that. It has a brewery in the cellar.

It's time to move on now, see you in the next post. Meanwhile, follow the route here.

A LOOK AROUND BURY

In this post we'll just take a look around Bury (the one that used to be in Lancashire, but is now part of Greater Manchester). We have already seen Bolton Street station, so let's move outside, where we find this lovely restored ex LMS Scammell artic.

There was another station serving Bury; Knowsley Street (Photo by Ben Brooksbank - Creative Commons License).

The railway into Bury Bolton Sreet station was diverted to a new terminus at Bury Interchange. It was soon converted for use by Metrolink trams.

Bury used to have its own trams, such as this one at Moorside.

One Bury tram got into a spot of bother.

Bury Corporation Transport became part of Greater Manchester PTE and orange buses soon invaded Bury. This one originated in Bolton.

An unusual bus in Bury Interchange, presumably rebuilt after a low bridge incident.

Firstbus later took over and used 'bendibuses' on busy services.

Other municipal operators serving Bury included Rochdale, Blackburn and Rossendale.

Since deregulation, several independents have been seen.....most have now deceased. Shearings was one.

JPT, Pioneer and Bluebird have all now vanished from the bus scene.

Ashall's Coaches are still in business, but I don't think they run bus services any more.

One can't visit Bury without buying some black pudding and the best place for that is the market (Creative Commons License, photo by 'Diamond Geezer').

Time for a pub crawl. Our first stop is the Art Picture House, a Wetherspoons.

Holt's beers are sold at the Blue Bell.

The Brunswick and the Nag's Head are two pubs that are no longer with us.

Wylde's is, thankfully, still trading and is a centrally located Holt's tied house.

Another lost pub, the Arthur Inn. 

The Two Tubs, a Thwaite's house, in the town centre.

More Thwaites can be had at the Help Me Thro'.

That's handy for Bury Transport Museum, where the East Lancs Railway keep some locos and a few preserved buses.

That Leyland came from Haslingden. That's it for now, we'll head north in the next post.