Roll over no. 5a – here is your ancestor picking up passengers on Church St. The bus is parked opposite the church and these shops still exist pretty much unchanged (apart from their use). The shop on the left appears to be a tea shop – with signs for types of tea and cocoa in the window. It is not clear if they served tea or just sold it and the pile of goods on the pavement includes various chests and small furniture. The “Ortona Motor Bus Company” was one of the first bus services in Cambridge, founded in 1907 with a second-hand Maudslay double decker – very likely the one shown here. Ortona buses adopted a smart leaf green livery with red wheels and body trim. In front of the bus is the ticket collector and he has plenty of work as it looks pretty full. Not great in the rain!
November 2024
