Passenger's viewpoint inside YJA 20 as we approach the low railway bridge in Repton Road, Willington, the raison d'etre for the use of lowheight doubledeckers on the route. The former Tailby & George Ltd. depot was immediately to the left of the bus, as we approach from repton on our way to Etwall John Port School. Where the depot stood is now a small housing estate

Repton Parish Church of St. Wystan and its elegant spire make a fine backdrop to Derby 58, as she unloads passenegers under the watchful eye of driver Larry Claypole.

We arrive at Repton on the school run which I was allowed to join for the afternoon, thanks to Derby's management and driver Larry Claypole

YJA 20 rounds the famous Repton Cross, before we head off for the second duty at John Port School, Etwall. Derby inherited these school runs from Blue Bus Services at Willington when they took over the firm in 1973.

YJA 20, Derby 58 at repton Cross

GTO 47V on her way from Swarkestone to Findern School - a brief stop for a rural shot, courtesy of driver Dave Fearn with his conductress Lil Hill

Derby 47 arrives to pick up the kids at Findern School

GTO 47 V offloads school children at Findern Green, in the centre of the village. This was traditional Tailby & George Ltd. "Blue Bus Services" territory and no stranger to Daimler Fleetlines!

The eagle-eyed will notice that some of the Greater Manchester orange paint is showing through on the stairwell of 58 bus, where Derby had repainted using its standard mushroom interior paint

YJA 20, Derby 58, awaits schoolkids at John Port School, Etwall. This 1963 Fleetline was the last of the 'deckers bought to replace buses destoyed in the 1976 Blue Bus fire at Willington. It arrived at Derby in Greater Manchester Sunburnt orange & Broken White and ran for a time in that livery. It was new to North Western Road Car Co. of Stockport in 1963

A forward view in YYA 20, with fleet no. 58 visible in the front dome. A typically light and airy Alexander interior

Topdeck of YJA 20, showing the earlier divided style of emergency exit

YJA 20 looking to the back of the lowerdeck - quite a comfy motor

YJA 20 - view forwards in the lowerdeck

GTO 47V, lowheight NCME / Fleetline, specially posed in the old turning circle at Shelton Lock, with blind set appropriately for old route 60, dating back to trolleybus days. By this time, the turning circle was no longer used by buses. We were on the way out on school duties and stopped off here for a photo!

YJA 20 shows off its rear end at John Port School, Etwall. Note the divided upperdeck rear window, a style that changed to a one piece on later versions, making for a more modern appearance. These early lowheight Alexanders had deeply rounded roof profiles, giving rise to the knickname of "balloon roof" for the D-type

YJA 20 about to negotiate Repton Cross in the centre of the village, well known for its Public School

YJA 20 - classic lowerdeck of an Alexander D-type lowheight body, with traditionally fluted red leatherette seat trim. A shame that these buses did not have one of the nice NWRCC moquette trims!

YAF 151A as Derby 393, looks superb in the new coach colours of Exning Blue & Off-white, with Aircraft Blue wings and the newly adopted outline white fleetname. The "Buck in the Park" Coat-of-Arms" has also changed from a transfer to a vinyl on a white background circle

The newly-outshopped Regent at Markeaton Park, Derby, after complete refurbishment at Derby's Ascot Drive workshops. The front dome has been replaced by one off a Derby Daimler Fleetline, a little more rounded than its original, which had suffered bad tree damage on the Cornish lanes whilst at Ede of Par, where it ran on school duties

YAF 151A is a 1962 AEC Regent Mk.V '2D3RA' with Park Royal body, acquired from Ede of Par (Roselyn Coaches) in Cornwall for training and PSV occasional use. It was new to AERE, Harwell, Berks. as 239 AJB and re-registered in Cornwall by Brian Ede before despatch to Derby, the first Regent to carry a Cornish marque since 1929!

The MCW Metrobus 102 at The Mitre, Allenton with "The Spider" footbridge beyond. This bus was numbered in the series starting at 100 reserved for the vehicles bought to evaluate, with a view to finding the new standard second generation rear-engined bus for the fleet

OCH 259L early in its career, after a collision with a cement mixer on Burton Road! Note the original livery scheme. The bus did get repaired but had a troubled career, as is so often the case with buses involved in crashes it would appear

GRA 102V, Derby's solitary MCW Metrobus, in The Cornmarket, displaying its unique livery style with Larkspur Blue upperdeck waistband and Morningmist above. It looked well in this scheme