March 2026

The Thames Valley and Great Western Omnibus Trust’s archive collections in both Devon and Berkshire include many timetable books, booklets and leaflets, and a study of them can reveal the history of a service provided to the travelling public.

Sometimes, however, what these publications say can be a surprise – either in what they do say, or what they do not say.

This Oxford-South Midland timetable covers the two routes run between Oxford and London. These had their origins in a South Midland Motor Services express coach service via Henley and Maidenhead, and a United Counties one (originally run by Varsity Express) operating along the A40 via High Wycombe and Uxbridge, the latter having been transferred to South Midlands in 1951.

City of Oxford Motor Services took over South Midland in 1971, and marketed these routes as ‘limited stop’, using the Oxford-South Midland brand.

Most unusually, however, there is no indication (even a printer’s reference) to the date of this booklet. The only clue is that the fares are in ‘new pence’, confirming it is no earlier than February 1971, whilst other items in the archive show the services had been renumbered as 190/ 290 /390 by the late 1970s.

Inside are the ‘Passenger Conditions and Regulations’, and the section on ‘Dogs’ says “Dogs may be carried at owner’s risk at the rate of 1p in every 5p or part thereof of the appropriate adult fare, on condition that they are clean, under proper control and do not cause inconvenience or annoyance to other passengers.” It continues “ Normally, one dog should be carried in each saloon at any one time”.

Quite what the driver did if there was not a dog available to comply with the ‘should’ instruction is not stated!

OSM/TTL/001
Archive Item of the Month, March 2026