You might remember that I have previously written about a school friend who was a bus spotter, in contrast to many of us train spotters.

Such was Peter's enthusiasm that he went on to work for the Thames Valley Traction Co. and also became a leading authority on vintage buses. We still keep in touch, and the above four pictures arrived last week. none of which I had seen before, and in all cases, the background provided additional interest.

Top left, I had forgotten that the Number 28 service from High Wycombe to Marlow also continued up to Marlow Common. I wonder if that last stage of the journey had many passengers. To the rear is the departmental store of McIlroys, with branches in Wycombe and Marlow. In Marlow, they had taken over the two-floored premises of the long-established Morgans but later sold out to Daniels of Windsor.

In Wycombe, the store at the far end of White Hart Street was taken over as Murrays.  In the Summer months, an open-top tourist service operated in Henley, Marlow, Bourne End, Cookham and Maidenhead. A picture in my files shows the same vehicle crossing Cookham Bridge. This one is In Quoiting Square: to the rear is the entrance to Platts Garage yard, and, not visible here, would have been their Radio & TV shop.

I have filled a blank space on the third picture with a view of an amazing little shop at the top of the High Street - Garrett's Tobacconists, confectioners and tearoom which also doubled as the booking office and a waiting room for Thames Valley buses and coaches. Peter's view of Oxford Road shows a Number 28 double-decker Reading to High Wycombe service pausing in Quoiting Square which was always reserved for buses. However, on the right is the Sun-Ya Chinese Restaurant, which opened in the 1960s, but is now being run by a member of the same family as the 'Streat@8' Take-Away.

Just out of sight and set well back from the road is a now-forgotten shop - Castle Fish & Chips, although magnification will reveal their sign. Brakspears off-licence, the building not much changed today, although now in a different line of business, but still with that strange and unused low door on the left side.  Then the Clayton Arms pub which for several decades before and after this picture was run in a unique fashion by Ted and Kath Page. In the recent column on the changing local pub scene I commented that this pub was currently closed, but to update, there are signs that alterations are now underway, possibly to re-open.

The long line of buildings adjoining has now gone but included Price's Blacksmiths. As the demand for traditional services declined they turned to specialising in wrought iron work. And then the oldest picture, and the one in the poorest condition, is also a Maidenhead service in Quoiting Square with a side view of the cottages that were in front of the Congregational (now the U.R.C) church. I just about remember these from when I attended the Oxford Road Infants School, but I have no memory of the ones seen to the rear, I assume with a Hays Place address.    

I have added 3 pictures from my own collection, but probably originally coming from Peter: school buses, again in Quoiting Square. Many Sir William Borlase pupils came in from Slough and Burnham on special transport.  The Maidenhead Bus Station was on Bridge Avenue, alongside the Rialto cinema; and finally a memory of when the Number 18 service was allowed to cross the bridge.

Contact Michael at michael@jazzfans.co or 01628 486571.