RELATIVES of a bus driver featured in our Nostalgia page earlier this month have emailed The Chronicle to put us right on the date of the photograph.
The picture of Fred Ball, provided by the Chester History & Heritage Centre, was dated c.1960 but it seems it was taken more than 20 years earlier.
Fred’s nephew Leslie Chesters emailed to say that he had forwarded a copy to his cousin David, Fred’s son, who now lives in Calgary in Canada.
He said: “David says that Fred worked for the City Corporation as a bus driver from 1935 to 1939, before leaving to join the Army. On his return from the war in 1945, he went to work for the County Council at Backford Hall, later transferring to County Hall in Chester around 1958-59.
“This means that the photo would have been taken between 1935-39 as Fred did not return to bus driving after the war.”
David also emailed requesting a copy of the picture as his father had passed away in 1987 and he didn’t have many photographs of him.
We were able to put him in contact with staff at the Chester History & Heritage Centre who forwarded a copy of the photographs to him.
Chronicle reader Sidney Wainwright, of Blacon, was able to confirm the date of the photograph using simple detective skills.
He telephoned the news desk and said: “I could tell that it wasn’t 1960 because of the conductor’s cash and ticket rack and Bell punch. These were not used after the 1950s.”
Although the photograph was printed in black and white, Mr Wainwright, a retired engineer, said that he could tell by the light colour of the AEC bus livery that it was from the 1930s.
He said: “After 1945, the buses were painted dark brown.”
Now there is only one mystery left to solve. Does anyone know the name of the bus conductor? If so, send an email to jo.henwood@trinitymirror.com or telephone 01244 606411.
