But tell me this..................
Regarding the system of coloured diamonds that are on the buses above the fleet numbers. How many colours and depots were in the Western Welsh empire!
Gotchya, I've done my homework on this If we take the mid-1960s, (just before I started working for WW), there were some 20 depots situated across a large swathe of southern Wales.
The total fleet strength was around 560 buses.
If you drew an imaginary line from Aberystwyth to Hereford, then another line south to Newport, then the area bounded by it was Western Welsh territory. The only exclusion was Swansea and the Gower peninsular - this area was the preserve of the South Wales Transport and United Welsh concerns.
A system of coloured diamonds was used to denote the area to which a bus was allocated thus:
Green:
Ammanford, Carmarthen, Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Newcastle Emlyn, New Quay, St David's.
Blue:
Bridgend, Kenfig Hill, Port Talbot.
Red:
Aberdare, Neath.
Grey:
Cross Keys, Cwmbran, Pontypool.
Black:
Barry.
White:
Brecon.
Orange:
Cardiff (Penarth Road).
Interestingly, the coach fleet never carried the coloured diamonds, and was generally based at the Head Office & Central Workshops at Cardiff (Ely).
Western Welsh was keen to support a thriving staff sports & social scene.
Accordingly, Bridgend's rugby team was fielded in a blue strip, with Haverfordwest's similarly in green, and so on.