John North: When a dead rabbit was just the ticket

THE Beverley Sisters, whom fortune so wonderfully has preserved, were in a red Jaguar on Stockton High Street in the early 1960s when the car was in collision with a bus.

The bus suffered a three inch tear to a corner panel, the sisters' driver thought he'd bust the radiator.

They were appearing at the Fiesta, of fond and youthful memory, wore black leather outfits and matching caps, reacted as fans of the ever gracious trio might suppose.

"Fancy bumping into you three," said Brian Simpson, the bus driver.

"Have some free tickets for the show," chorused Babs, Joyce and Teddy.

It's one of many stories told in a splendid little book - last week's holiday reading - about Scurr's Motor Services, among umpteen independent bus companies which once criss-crossed the Co Durham countryside.

There was the elderly eccentric who'd take her cat to Stockton in a baby's pram and beat the driver about the head when told the bus was full; the conductress called Bella who ruled with a rod of iron - a clippie round the ear, as it were - red and cream buses with names like Jimmy and Tilly and a reputation for being on time.

When times were hard, passengers might pay with a rabbit (dead) or find half a dozen eggs just the ticket; if there was a parcel for town, they'd send that on the bus as well.

Though road and ride may occasionally have been bumpy, though locals got a bit uppity when the PoWs travelled on the bus with upholstered seats and they'd to make do with the slats, in truth they were transports of delight.

Scurr's ran from Stillington, north-west of Stockton, though until the Postmaster General gave his stamp of approval in 1931 the village was known more ferrously as Carlton Iron Works. The old garage still stands.

It was begun in 1924 by Jack Scurr, who mended bikes as well, took over the Favourite No 2 run from Bishop Auckland to Middlesbrough in the 1950s and was itself subsumed in 1963.

These days the bus from Stillington to Stockton runs through to Yarm. It is simply the number seven.

SCURR'S history has been chronicled by Peter Cardno, retired Stockton teacher and northern branch chairman of the Omnibus Society.

"Everything used to happen on the buses; it had to because everyone used them," he says. "I don't think you can make an analogy with train spotters, the supposed anoraks, we're rather more academic."

He was born in Huddersfield, first fascinated by Blackpool's trams and by parallel lines in Leeds. "When my mother went to the shops in Leeds I'd deliberately get lost so I could look at the trams.

"When we went to cafes I always went upstairs, so I could look down at them. It just progressed from trams to buses. When I retired, I decided to write bus histories."

He has already completed books about bus companies in Huddersfield and in Holmfirth, Last of the Summer Wine country, and is presently researching a history of Wilkinson's of Sedgefield, who took over part of the Scurr's operation in 1963 before themselves being bought out.

Like the Scurr's story, it will concentrate on social and human interest. "Being a Yorkshireman I didn't want to make a loss. I thought that was the best way to sell them.

"There were an amazing number of bus companies and there are an awful lot of bus books but many are just a catalogue of facts. I wanted something a bit livelier, it brings back youthful memories for people."

These days, however, he prefers to travel by train if his car's unavailable. "Modern buses aren't comfortable enough, especially if you're over 6ft tall. There's no knee room and not enough padding. They might look sleeker, but in many ways the buses have gone backwards."

l Scurr's of Stillington costs £6 (plus 50p postage) from Peter Cardno, 22 Welldale Crescent, Stockton-on-Tees TS19 7HU.

OUR last column was something of an omnibus edition, too - news, principally, of the return of the Eden name to public transport around Bishop Auckland.

The firm was formed in 1920s by the West Auckland based Summerson family. Were they, wonders Kevin Richardson in Evenwood, descended from the Summersons who came from South Shields to Cockfield in the 1830s and eventually owned Randolph and Gordon House pits and the Ramshaw drifts near Evenwood?

Someone may know.

The company, apparently, was named after the Eden Arms pub in West Auckland which in turn (of course) owed its allegiance to the land-owning Eden family of Windlestone Hall, near Rushyford. Which brings us to Park House, Windlestone...

Park House and its 28 acres were the family home of Sir Anthony Eden, the future Prime Minister. His mother lived there until her death in 1945. It's on the market again, the word "fabulous" used pretty extensively in the brochure - and it does look rather grand.

Details, a price even, from estate agents Sanderson Young in Gosforth.

...and finally, we learned with regret on returning from holiday of the death at 91 of Cora Coe, widow and ever faithful friend of the incomparable Jackie.

They married in the morning so that Jackie could play football in the afternoon, spent a single night's honeymoon in Shotton or somewhere and for more than 60 years lived happily ever after.

He kept goal for Willington in the 1939 Amateur Cup final, played cricket for Willington long after that and was always back home for Cora. Jackie died last year; they were a lovely and a devoted couple.

Child's play and all that

A company called Just Learning has completed a £17.5m bid for 20 Scottish nurseries from one of its closest rivals.

It makes Just Learning the second largest operator in the nursery sector - 56 nurseries, 1,200 staff - managing director Michael Fallon told The Times on Monday.

Mr Fallon's name may be familiar. It is the same Michael Fallon, now 51, who was Darlington's high profile Conservative MP from 1983-92, subsequently became a director of care home and fitness club groups based in the town and is now MP for Sevenoaks, in Kent.

We frequently had a Friday night drink during his time as the local member, most memorably in The Grange at Hornby - near Northallerton - when Fallon saw off five points and five Mars bars, presumably in the interests of work, rest and play.

A bit femmer the following morning, he blamed the Mars bars entirely. Fallon on stony ground, as probably it says in the Bible.

MICHAEL Fallon had also unsuccessfully contested the 1983 Darlington by-election, second behind the late Ossie O'Brien for Labour. Screaming Lord Sutch was fourth, but anyone remember who trailed a distant third?

It was Tony Cook, familiar in beard and duffel coat as a Tyne Tees Television reporter, who represented the fledgling SDP under the tireless tutelage of Roy Jenkins and Shirley Williams.

Hot favourite when the campaign began, Cook collapsed after - ironically - disastrous performances in televised debates. He called the campaign "dirty and squalid."

At the time he lived near Thirsk, bred German shepherd dogs with names like Chapati and Chicken Tikka and, perhaps unsurprisingly, was crash hot at Asian cookery.

The column's Tyne Tees television network claims not to have heard of him for years. We know what happened to the SDP, but whatever happened to the third man?