Adverts in Official Transport Handbook : St. Helens Corporation Transport Department : British Publishing Co. Ltd., 1940
Alongside the many 'official' handbooks' or 'guides' issued by most UK local authorities during the mid-20th Century, some enterprising Corporation Departments issued their own handbooks - many being Transport Departments. These describe the operating territory and destinations served and, in many ways, they are similar to a number of more country bus and coach operators who also issued similar handbooks.
The Transport Department of St. Helens Corporation, then in Lancashire, had issued earlier editions of their handbook and this is the 1940 edition, most likely prepared in 1939 prior to the outbreak of war that was to have such a profound effect including on transport underakings; they would not have been promoting 'non-essential' travel by that year. It has a range of descriptions of both trolleybus and motorbus routes, the Borough having replaced its electric tramways with trolleybuses during the 1930s. Several of the routes ran 'over the boundary' and some were operated jointly with other operators. In addition there are adverts for companies associated with the town or who are suppliers to the Department.
These advert pages show three adverts; one for 'Pefectol' vehicle cleaning wash as used by the Department, one for Excide and Drydex radio batteries whose works were at Clifton Junction near Manchester and one for the electrical manufacturers Metropolitan Vickers. It is possible they manufactured the trolleybus motors but here they advertise their Red Ring cooker rings. The adver shows "Mr Red Ring" being greeted by "I'm Electric". This latter figure was the electricity industries answer to the gas industries great favourite Mr. Therm but he never gained such recognition!
Adverts in Official Transport Handbook : St. Helens Corporation Transport Department : British Publishing Co. Ltd., 1940
Alongside the many 'official' handbooks' or 'guides' issued by most UK local authorities during the mid-20th Century, some enterprising Corporation Departments issued their own handbooks - many being Transport Departments. These describe the operating territory and destinations served and, in many ways, they are similar to a number of more country bus and coach operators who also issued similar handbooks.
The Transport Department of St. Helens Corporation, then in Lancashire, had issued earlier editions of their handbook and this is the 1940 edition, most likely prepared in 1939 prior to the outbreak of war that was to have such a profound effect including on transport underakings; they would not have been promoting 'non-essential' travel by that year. It has a range of descriptions of both trolleybus and motorbus routes, the Borough having replaced its electric tramways with trolleybuses during the 1930s. Several of the routes ran 'over the boundary' and some were operated jointly with other operators. In addition there are adverts for companies associated with the town or who are suppliers to the Department.
These advert pages show three adverts; one for 'Pefectol' vehicle cleaning wash as used by the Department, one for Excide and Drydex radio batteries whose works were at Clifton Junction near Manchester and one for the electrical manufacturers Metropolitan Vickers. It is possible they manufactured the trolleybus motors but here they advertise their Red Ring cooker rings. The adver shows "Mr Red Ring" being greeted by "I'm Electric". This latter figure was the electricity industries answer to the gas industries great favourite Mr. Therm but he never gained such recognition!