He knows the town like the “back of his hand”
He knows the town like the “back of his hand”
A Merseyside man is believed to be the oldest bus driver in Britain. When Merfyn Williams, known to everyone as Taff, first climbed aboard a bus in St Helens in April 1966, Harold Wilson was Prime Minister, England was preparing to host the World Cup, and the internet was decades away from being invented.
60 years later, Taff is still driving for Arriva Merseyside at 81, and Arriva believes he could be the oldest working bus driver in Britain. Born in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, the origin of his lifelong nickname, Taff moved to St Helens in 1966 after meeting his wife Ann and has never left.
He has spent every one of his 60 years of service at the same St Helens depot where he’s been described as being “part of the fabric”.
He told the ECHO: “My mother-in-law was a bus conductor and she said, ‘Why don’t you try the buses?’ and the rest is history.”
Taff started out as a ‘clippy’ (a bus conductor) in the days before enclosed rear platforms.
He said: “There were no back doors on buses then; they were back-loaders, so it was freezing. The driver was the only warm person on the bus. I used to wear a really heavy coat in the winter.”
He has driven every route in St Helens over the decades.
Taff said: “I know the town like the back of my hand.”
Today, he works three days a week ferrying Arriva staff between the St Helens garage and its smaller depots.
He said: “It’s the camaraderie I like. It’s as simple as that. I get to chat with colleagues and hear all the gossip. Don’t tell anyone, but I love it.”
Six decades on the road have given Taff no shortage of stories, with his most memorable moment involving a runaway pram.
He said: “In the old days, when there were no doors on buses, a woman parked a pram under the stairs of the double-decker I was driving. I turned a corner, and the pram flew off the bus. Thankfully, the baby wasn’t in it, but it gave me a fright.”
During his time, he has watched St Helens, its passengers, and the buses themselves change enormously.
He said: “There used to be a lot more buses on the road, and I really hope we go back to that again.
“I think passengers have changed since covid. They can be a bit less friendly towards bus drivers, and that’s a shame.”
Some of the drivers Taff now works alongside remember him from their own school runs.
He said: “I used to drive the buses that took kids to school, and many of those kids have their own kids now.
“I’m always thinking about my family. I think I’ve stayed here for as long as I have because I was thinking about my pension and making sure everyone’s looked after.”
He had considered leaving after 40 years, but spotted a vacancy for the shuttle driver role on the last day of applications.
Taff said: “I thought, why not?” I intend to hang on for as long as I can.”
Colleagues celebrated his remarkable milestone this week with a gathering and a cake.
Lisa Sloan, sites manager for St Helens, said: “Taff is an absolute one-off. In six decades, he’s become part of the fabric of St Helens depot.
“He brings a smile to the face of every colleague he meets, and frankly, we’d be lost without him.
“We think Taff could well be the oldest bus driver in Britain, but more importantly, he’s one of the best. We’re really proud of him.”
