'CROSVILLE IN LIVERPOOL' by Richard Lloyd Jones (Amberley Publishing)

'CROSVILLE IN LIVERPOOL' by Richard Lloyd Jones (Amberley Publishing)

The Crosville bus company began operations in Liverpool in 1922 and, by the end of the decade, was the leading operator across the Wirral and into Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales. Crosville buses were a common sight in Merseyside until its Liverpool depot closed in early 1987, following the deregulation of the bus industry in October 1986.

Richard Lloyd Jones charts the fortunes of Crosville in Liverpool over 60 years, drawing on archive photographs of the company, its depot, and vehicles, as well as personal accounts from staff and their families.

Unlike previous works on Crosville Motor Services that focus primarily on routes, vehicles, and depots, this book centres on the human stories behind the company and their families. It explores the company’s role as a major operator across Merseyside, the Wirral, Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales, and the impact of deregulation in 1986 that played a vital part in the eventual closure of its Liverpool depot and the loss of 270 jobs.

The book provides emotional depth, weaving personal recollections with rare photographs, many previously unpublished, to bring the narrative to life.  A notable highlight is the final photograph in the book featuring former staff and their descendants at the site of the former Edge Lane depot, including the book author, his youngest son, and his late father, adding a poignant personal touch. The book is described as a respectful tribute to the people who shaped Crosville’s legacy in Liverpool, capturing both its proud history and the profound effects of its closure.

This is an illustrated history of the Crosville bus company in Liverpool. The company began bus operations in the years leading up to the First World War and, by the late 1920s, was a leading operator across the Wirral and into Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales. It started operations in Liverpool in 1922, and its buses were an everyday sight in Merseyside until its Liverpool depot closed in early 1987 following deregulation of the bus industry in October 1986. In this book, author Richard Lloyd Jones covers the history of over sixty years of Crosville in Liverpool as well as the story of its demise, drawing on photographs from the time of the company, its depot and vehicles, as well as personal accounts from actual staff, both management and unions and their families.