(31 Jan 2016, 1:20 am)Ambassador wrote What a wonderful thread. From my childhood growing up in Birtley I recall a few buses.

23 - operated predominantly by metro riders it went from Malone Gardens through to Vigo Bridge (part replaced by TB14 and the current 23 now)

724, when OK had it. I used to love this bus. It terminated on Percy St as opposed to worswick or eldon and was handily placed for the old coop foodhall. It also had a conductor well into the 90s.

I miss Worswick St itself and even old Gateshead Interchange. The old bus route down High St and across the High Level. No fancy bus lanes back then

Mind the old roundabout at the top of Jackson St/High St was a pain.

I was always a 26 kinda guy from Birtley. Only ever used the 724 regularly from 2001/2002 ish, although I did use that and the 'OK' (not sure it had a number) pre-86.
The 721 used Newgate St too.