Simon Ackers

The scenery of North Wales is well known for its breathtaking views and historic landmarks, with towns and villages having their own unique history and modern-day function. But one thing that links them all, quite literally in many instances, is the bus, the ever-vital lifeline for communities enabling people to travel to the shops or to medical appointments, to school or college, or to work. The bus can provide journeys that rail cannot, and does so here with a backdrop of castles, lakes, forests, market towns and the stunning coastline.Travelling from east to west, Simon Ackers visits Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Conwy and Gwynedd, with scenic sights framing the variety of bus types and operators as they go about their daily work, with each picture providing an insight into the location and the vehicle.

Since deregulation Merseyside has seen its fair share of independent bus operators come and go. In recent years Arriva and Stagecoach have been the dominant operators with the greater market share but look closely and there are plenty of buses running round in different liveries, mainly on tendered work. These independent operators play their own important part within the Merseyside bus network. Simon Ackers presents a profile of the independent operators in recent operation, with a short and insightful introduction to each and a collection of photographs detailing their fleet and range of work. A colourful journey around Merseyside, this book illustrates the variety in an industry all too often dominated by the big groups.