For a quarter of a century commuters, tourists and day-trippers alike have known that when it comes to transport between Oxford and London one service in particular is the first port of call. Now, in celebration of the service’s twenty-fifth year, Malcolm Crowe offers up Oxford Tube, An Illustrated History, a complete chronicle of an amenity that is now known all around the world.
Crowe, a driver for the Oxford Tube and obvious life-long enthusiast for all things bus-shaped, explains the history of the service, from its roots to its modern day success. The book details - in words as well as an abundance of glossy photos - the evolution from the first Leyland Tigers in 1987 right through the today’s Astromegas, the greener, cleaner most recent incarnation. For those of us who are less than savvy when it comes to the makes and models of public transport, there are other branches of Oxford Tube evolution for us to consider. Crowe also provides a little insight into the cost of a bus ticket over the last twenty-five years - gone are the days of £2.97 day returns…
The book however, is not all registrations and regulations, but runs to anecdotes too. It seems that in the early days of the Oxford Tube, if no passengers had got on the bus by the time it left its last Oxford stop then it was not uncommon for drivers to treat themselves to a few hours nap before returning to the station as though back from a round-trip to London. Of course, the chance of that happening now is as unlikely as an empty Oxford Tube bus.
Oxford Tube, An Illustrated History provides an interesting, thoroughly researched and incredibly detailed account of an invaluable and award-winning service that many, if not most, Oxford residents have made good use of and long may we continue to do so.
