One man’s love affair with buses goes up for sale
THERE was no stopping collector Raymond Tinkler when it came to his passion for buses. Mr Tinkler built up a collection of around 800 boxed bus models from all over the country, including North East examples such as Northern, Go North East, Newcastle Corporation yellow livery, Venture and Stagecoach.
He also saved every issue of Bus magazine and an array of bus books.
Retired civil servant Mr Tinkler, who lived at Broomhill in Northumberland, died earlier this year, aged 76.
Now his collection will be sold on Wednesday by Boldon Auction Galleries. Auctioneer Giles Hodges said: “Mr Tinkler loved buses and lived for buses.
“I think the collection covers just about every bus company ever in existence.”
Mr Tinkler also paid for a course in driving a London Routemaster bus and was presented with a treasured certificate after his turn behind the wheel.
After gaining his public service licence, he also drove buses part-time for Northumberland operators.
And according to his brother, John Tinkler, one of his most memorable days was driving a Routemaster from Annitsford to Amble.
John, who lives in Widdrington in Northumberland, said: “As boys, we both collected Matchbox models, but Raymond started on the bus collection very early and all his life he was very keen on buses from all over the UK. It was his passion and he also attended bus rallies.
“We were staggered at the number of buses in his house and we just filled sacks with the boxes. The models are in pristine condition.”
John has retained one personal favourite model from the collection – a United bus with an Ashington destination board.
Another model is of a Go North East bus with the route on its side of Bishop Auckland-Spennymoor-Chester-leStreet-Newcastle.
It is estimated that the collection will raise more than £4,000.
The sale will also include another batch of hundreds of novelty teapots from a 1,000-strong collection amassed by a Morpeth couple.
They include a Gunpowder Plot teapot of Charles I and Guy Fawkes, spaceships and an alien, Bart Simpson, Dracula, Dalek, James Bond, the White House, and Rupert the Bear.