Pleasure trips & rambles in the Sheffield District : Official handbook of the Sheffield Corporation Tramways and Motors : Sheffield, West Yorkshire : nd [c1935]

Several municipal as well as private operators issued booklets advertising trips and walks that their bus and tram services opened up and in the days when car ownership was low, leisure time scarce for many yet 'rambling' was a popular pursuit these booklets were a source of gaining trade particularly in off-peak times. Sheffield's guides ran to many ediitons, somewhat unusual for such a seemingly industrial and municipal operation - this being the third edition.

 

However Sheffield was unusual in city operators in that its bus services, from early developments in the 1930s, spread out over a wide area well beyond the city boundaries and immediate environs to encompass some lengthy routes out to the east and particularly west into the famous Derbyshire Peak District. This was useful, if demanding, rural territory and the guide is, as expected, full of details of places to go and visit and walks to be made from the Corporation's bus routes. As part of the major changes in c1929/30 - when the four major railway companies were allowed to invest in bus operations and the new Road Traffic Act came into force - the Department formed part of the Sheffield Joint Omnibus Committee. The SJOC had effectively three bus fleets - A fleet for city operation and owned wholly by SCT, B fleet for routes adjacent to the boundary that was joint owned and C fleet for 'long distance' routes whose vehicles were wholly owned by the railways and, after 1948, British Railways.

 

The cover has a truly 'city' scene with one of the tramcars and below, an open top double deck bus amidst blue skies and open countryside. The badge or 'logo' is noted inside the booklet as being the "sign of good service". Like many 'official guides' it is published by Burrow of Cheltenham.

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