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50 years since Samuel Legard closed

Posted: Sun 15 Oct, 2017 8:09 pm
by buffaloskinner
Believe it or not its been 50 years since Samuel Legard's closed, and here's a report from the Yorkshire Post.
There's even a picture of Blakey as a conductor.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/bus ... -1-8806008

Re: 50 years since Samuel Legard closed

Posted: Sun 15 Oct, 2017 8:57 pm
by jma
I lived in Armley from being born (1944) to 1954 and our tram stop into Leeds was at the top of Lamb Hill by the Ledgard's garage. So, I've seen plenty of the firm's buses but I don't remember ever going on one. There only seems to be one picture of Ledgard's garage on Leodis, and it's not a close-up.

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

Re: 50 years since Samuel Legard closed

Posted: Mon 16 Oct, 2017 7:13 am
by pughy52
You may be interested to know that Samuel`s [first?] wife is buried in Beckett Street Cemetery along with some [all] of their children "Martha,wife of Samuel Ledgard of the Nelson Hotel Armley". It was discovered recently when the masons were working nearby and found a splendid statue [headless] in the bushes and re erected it onto Martha`s plinth.....Alun Pugh, chairman of the Friends of Beckett Street Cemetery

Re: 50 years since Samuel Legard closed

Posted: Mon 16 Oct, 2017 11:56 am
by trophy
on sunday there was a runing day in otley to comemorate this .some west yorks buses but only saw a ledgard coach.

Re: 50 years since Samuel Legard closed

Posted: Mon 16 Oct, 2017 12:58 pm
by jdbythesea
I remember getting the 55 Rawdon bus to and from Vicar Lane bus station and Butcher Hill around 1962/3. Sammy's used to run some of the services on that route along with West Yorkshire. I couldn't use my school bus pass on either though - had to get the L.C.T No.74 for that !

Re: 50 years since Samuel Legard closed

Posted: Mon 16 Oct, 2017 9:05 pm
by volvojack
[quote="buffaloskinner"]Believe it or not its been 50 years since Samuel Legard's closed, and here's a report from the Yorkshire Post.
There's even a picture of Blakey as a conductor.


Could that be the same man "Blakey" the Inspector from "On The Buses" ? T.V. series.

Re: 50 years since Samuel Legard closed

Posted: Mon 16 Oct, 2017 9:35 pm
by buffaloskinner
volvojack wrote: Could that be the same man "Blakey" the Inspector from "On The Buses" ? T.V. series.
:lol: :twisted: NO, from this board although since the revamp he hasn't returned :roll:

Re: 50 years since Samuel Legard closed

Posted: Tue 17 Oct, 2017 5:05 pm
by blackprince
jma wrote:I lived in Armley from being born (1944) to 1954 and our tram stop into Leeds was at the top of Lamb Hill by the Ledgard's garage. So, I've seen plenty of the firm's buses but I don't remember ever going on one. There only seems to be one picture of Ledgard's garage on Leodis, and it's not a close-up.

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL
I lived in Bramley thro' the 1960's and Sammy Ledgard's buses were a familiar sight on Stanningley Road but like you I never travelled on one, to the best of my recollection. I don't even know where you would have caught one in the City Centre if you had wanted to. I don't remember seeing any in the West Yorks bus station, where I would catch a bus for Ilkley or Otley, or the LCT bus station.

Re: 50 years since Samuel Legard closed

Posted: Tue 17 Oct, 2017 5:59 pm
by volvojack
In the years 1940s / 50s my Parents would take us Kids out for the day, maybe to Brid, or Scarboro'' and we would depart from the West Yorks B/St. Vicar Lane. I don't ever recall seeing or going on one of Sammy's Coaches. I allways thought there were only Red Buses that left from there.

We also used to go to the coast from Wellington St at that time and maybe they were used on those excursions,
Sammy Ledgards lovely Coaches were certainly used a lot when Factory's had their Annual Trip to the coast. In the early 50s our Annual Trip out from Sovereign St. William Stembridge and Sons (Tailoring ) where 3 or 4 of his Coaches would be lined up around 7.30 am. and I along with all rest of the employees would climb aboard. I certainly don't remember seeing those lovely Coaches back going and forth through Leeds City Centre at any time.

Re: 50 years since Samuel Legard closed

Posted: Tue 17 Oct, 2017 7:02 pm
by jim
I recall some of Ledgard's bus services using King Street just above the Metropole Hotel in front of some long wooden huts as their terminus.