MY MEMORIES of the old Gloucester Green bus and coach station in Oxford (Memory Lane, May 11) are of a very effective and busy hub, with four separate entrances and a wonderful parcels service, run by City of Oxford Motor Services.

The parcels service was well used by many Oxford retailers and was well known by many errand boys.

You could order a supply of meat or veg from your favourite store (for instance, a leg of lamb from RR Alden, the butchers) before 10 o’clock and it could arrive at, say Watlington, before noon.

There were many parcel-receiving places throughout Oxfordshire. Buses, of course, at that time were two-person crews – driver and conductor or conductress.

Gloucester Green was also a very busy station for South Midland and Eastern Counties coaches, many linking up with a fine Black & White coach station at Cheltenham. It was very busy during the ‘works’ fortnight’ when Morris Motors and Pressed Steel at Cowley closed and workers and their families went off on their holidays. It also had a very busy taxi rank.

All in all, in its day, Gloucester Green provided a very efficient service, supervised by a couple of bus inspectors.

TED KIRTLAND
Grovelands Road
Headington