The Inner Circle: Birmingham’s No. 8 Bus Route

This superb new collection of over 200 archive images, while guaranteed to fascinate bus enthusiasts, will also have huge appeal to the many thousands who have travelled the inner circle route or who simply have an interest in the history of Birmingham. Known in its time as the ‘Workmen’s Special’ the number 8 route served the workers for some of Birmingham’s best known employers, such as Lucas, Ansells Brewery, HP Sauce, B.S.A. and Bulpitts. Many will remember the Victorian back-to-backs on the route, demolished years ago, where many of those same workers lived before moving away to newly built estates. Not only do the scenes and the buses show just how much times have changed, the informative captions that accompany each picture remind us of a different era. Instead of radios and CCTV the standard equipment on the first buses included rope, spark plug, whistle, matches and a candle! This was a time when conductors would actually escort younger passengers from the bus right to their front door. Recalling the history of Birmingham through this novel perspective makes for a truly enthralling read.