THE STORY OF MY LIFE
- the first 50 years!
This scrolling text box explains the photographs. Click on a thumbnail to open the full picture.
1960: The first photograph ever taken of me, when I was four months old.
1961: On holiday in Barmouth, aged 21 months. I still have that plastic seaside bucket!
1962: I got the rocking horse, (which I called "Dobbin"), for my third birthday. I still have it.
1963: My fourth birthday, with Grandma, brother John and my mother.
1964: Early summer in the back garden. I still have the large teddy bear. The bus was the first I ever drove!
1965: Christmas Day with my new Tri-ang (pre-Hornby) train set. I still have that as well!
1966: Christmas Day again with some new toys.
1967: In the back garden with "Our Dad" and my brother John.
1968: On top of the sand dunes at Southport. The fair is in the background and some great historic vehicles can be seen on the coach park, if you zoom in close enough!
1969: In the snow at the Church Road end of the Mill Stile - a raised pathway over Woolton Quarry.
1970: The children's paddling pool (now demolished) in Southport.
1971: On the "Invalids' Walk" pathway on the side of the Great Orme, Llandudno.
1972: On the Craig-y-don boating pool, Llandudno.
1973: With John and "Our Mam" on Llandudno Pier.
1974: With John near the summit of the Great Orme in Llandudno.
1975: Walking down from Happy Valley, Llandudno with John and "Our Mam".
1976: I am driving the world's only double-decker go-kart ever outside our gate in Halewood Drive, Woolton. The nervous-looking top deck passenger is Brian Rimmer.
1977: Emerging from our "Gang Hut" in the back garden. The number 1029 was pinched from a Leyland Panther bus a year earlier - I still have it!
1978: Looking a bit windswept on the North Shore at Llandudno.
1979: Looking cool in shades on Camp Hill, Woolton.
1980: On the fun fair at Rhyl with Andy and Jane Carpenter.
1981: At the wheel of my brand-new Mini (YKD 903W).
1982: In our back garden.
1983: Our Youth Group leader at St James's Church organised a fancy dress party at which I appeared as Andy Pandy. I am pictured with Catherine Letman, to whom I was engaged at the time.
1984: At the wheel of Leyland Olympian 0030 on the Runcorn by-pass on a "Private Hire" duty.
1985: Behind Atlantean 1042 on the M6 services at Charnock Richard on another "Private Hire".
1986: Acting silly at the St James's Church weekend retreat at Abbot's Hall, Grange-over-Sands.
1987: In the sea at Colwyn Bay on another Church weekend away.
1988: I was best man at my brother John's wedding.
1989: At Finch Road, Dovecot, with son Thomas.
1990: Saville Town, Dewsbury. The car turned right across the path of the bus I was driving, so I hit it! I am standing next to the Police Officer in the picture.
1991: With brother-in-law Rob Jenkins in Hunts Cross, Liverpool.
1992: With my new-born nephew, Matthew Salmon.
1993: With my son, Thomas, on Liverpool Tram 869 at the National Tramway Museum at Crich.
1994: At the wheel of a bus at Dewsbury Depot.
1995: My official passport photo, wearing the uniform of Yorkshire Buses.
1996: On a donkey trek on a precarious cliff-edge track not far from Guadalest, on a day excursion from Benidorm, where I was on holiday at the time.
1997: Looking a little sun-tanned and unshaven, having just returned from Benidorm.
1998: Looking very posh at a wedding in Mirfield.
1999: Relaxing at home in Dewsbury.
2000: Relaxing on the beach at Ainsdale.
2001: At Frontierland, Morecambe, with brother John and nephew Matthew.
2002: Ready for work - note the Arriva shirt.
2003: With my new-born daughter, Bethany.
2004: With Bethany at Charlotte's Ice Cream Parlour in Whitley (a mile from our house).
2005: With Bethany and another new-born daughter, Eloise.
2006: At home with Eloise watching snowflakes falling.
2007: With Bethany & Eloise outside our house on a cold February morning.
2008: On duty at a Dewsbury Bus Museum open day.
2009: In St James' Hospital, Leeds, after Bethany's liver transplant.
The top part of this page contains a photograph of me for every year of my life. I was born in November 1959, but no one thought of taking any photographs of me until early 1960, so that is where we start.
The YouTube video tells the story of my life in four and a half minutes.
At the bottom of the page, the story is told in words.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1960-69
1970-79
1980-89
1990-99
2000-09
This video tells the story of my life in four and a half minutes. (Music: "Move On" by Abba).
Click this picture to start the video (but make sure you stop the website music first!)
WOULD YOU EMPLOY ANYBODY WITH A CV LIKE THIS?
1959 - Born in Sefton General Maternity Unit, Liverpool. An ASDA store now stands on this spot.
Went home to 90 Halewood Drive, (pictured at bottom of page) Woolton, Liverpool.
"Baptised" at St James' Methodist Church, Woolton, Liverpool by Rev Stanley Johnson.
Suffered from pyloric stenosis, operated on at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool.
1962 - Little brother John born.
1964 - Started at Woolton County Primary School (Out Lane) Infants' Department. (Click HERE to read what I did at this school!)
1967 - Moved to Junior Department at the same school.
1971 - Started at Liverpool Blue Coat School.
1975 - Gained "O" Levels in Maths (B) and French (B).
"Confirmed" into full membership of Methodist Church by Rev Ken Renouf.
1976 - Gained "O" Levels in Physics (A), Chemistry (B), Biology (B), English Language (C), Spanish (B), French (B)
Gained CSEs in English Literature (2) and History (2)
Started "A" Level courses in French, Spanish, Physics and General Studies.
1977 - Abandoned "A" levels and started work as Junior Clerk in South Division Schedules Office of Merseyside Transport.
Became Sunday School Teacher at St James's Methodist Church, and started a junior youth club.
1979 - Became Local Preacher conducting services on Liverpool South-East Circuit (and helped out on Widnes Circuit)
1980 - Passed car driving test at first attempt.
1982 - Passed PSV (bus driver) "all types" licence.
Got engaged, but called it off the following year.
1983 - After several promotions in Schedules office transferred to driving duties at Green Lane depot of MPTE.
1985 - (and also 1986, 1987 and 1989) Co-wrote and produced Methodist Circuit Youth pantomimes.
1987 - Qualified as ADI (car driving instructor). Left MPTE to become self-employed as Mackets Motor School.
Did some casual part-time driving for Amberline Coaches (Speke).
1988 - Got engaged to someone else.
Mother passed away.
1989 - Sold driving school business, worked for a month at Liverline buses.
Moved to Dewsbury, started work as driver at Yorkshire Woollen (Dewsbury depot).
Married and became Dad to two daughters and a son.
Continued giving car driving lessons in spare time.
1996 - Father passed away.
1997 - Arriva acquired Yorkshire Woollen (and me!)
2000 - Gained Consumer Credit Licence and co-founded a Debt Management company.
2002 - First of five grandchildren born.
Separated and moved in with new partner near Dewsbury.
2003 - Daughter Bethany born.
Removed myself from the Register of Approved Driving Instructors.
2004 - Started working part-time due to Bethany's medical condition.
Covered post of Marketing Manager for Arriva-Yorkshire for five weeks.
2005 - Seconded to Schedules office at Wakefield to help input data for "Real-Time" bus tracking system.
Daughter Eloise born.
Disposed of Debt Management company and allowed Consumer Credit Licence to lapse.
2006 - (and 2007) served as T&GWU Rota Rep at Arriva's Dewsbury depot.
2007 - Baptised for real at Staincliffe Baptist Church, near Dewsbury by Pastor Laurie Hayes
Appointed Hon Secretary of Liverpool Blue Coat Brotherly Society.
Joined Merseyside Transport Trust and Dewsbury Bus Museum.
First book published - "Return to the Blue Coat", with final chapter by former English teacher, Alan Gleave.
2009 - Second book published - "Oops-a-daisy", which I wrote in 1978 with illustrations by brother John.
RIGHT: 90 Halewood Drive, Woolton, Liverpool.
This is the house in which I grew up, and finally left in 1989. My
father continued to live there until he married in 1991. Then my
brother John and his family moved in. Having been owned by my
parents since it was built in 1951, the house was finally sold by John
in December 2003.
When new, this three-bedroom semi cost a massive £1,150.
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Tony Salmon 2006-2010
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Be still and know that
I am God.
(Psalm 46: 10)
