Buses at Morden Roundabout in 1981

Not sure of the exact date. When doing the video titles I thought it might have been 1983, but after posting, I now believe it was a year or two earlier. It was certainly December and videoed on an early JVC VHS two-piece portable. (Thanks to viewer feedback, this item now confirmed as 1981.)
No special reason for choosing the location - just somewhere on the way from one place to another.
maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Morde...
However, a trivia note for fans of the On The Buses TV series: Though usually associated with Wood Green in North London, the end-credits for the last series show their bus going round this very South London roundabout (as well as a shot of it travelling along the Sutton bypass, near the Gander Green Lane junction). Also, if you watch the Perfect Clippie episode, after the middle ad break, you can catch a glimpse of the now-demolished Rose Hill Tavern, an establishment which I notice in an online forum was given the accolade of the Worst Pub I Ever Had A Drink In.
Next Stop: Though posted first, Buses at Morden Roundabout is out of chronological sequence and actually the last in this group of 1981 efforts. It was videoed after the Chiswick footage. In proper order, then, the next posting will be Routemasters at Marble Arch in 1983.
Update: April 2015 - In response to a few recent comments..........
the buses probably look dirty on account of the snow........ the video was shot on the Morden Road central reservation which is still there, but the roundabout has been subsequently made much smaller........... it should be noted that these early portable video cameras were two-piece units....... the camera was connected to the recording unit via a cable..... the recording unit was bulky and heavy (at least 3 - 4Kgs) ..... it fitted neatly into one of my bicycle panniers...... can't confirm the precise day it was shot..... it could have been a Sunday..... it was certainly a day or two after Xmas....... I shot the footage on the way back from visiting the ancestral home in Banstead........ the reason for shooting at Morden was that it was the first location en route where one could expect to encounter a significant number of passing vehicles.......... this was a basic requirement as, though VHS portable VCRs were just starting to become available at this time, there was no easy way to edit what you shot......... therefore one would choose a spot where, as one bus passed the camera, it would hopefully be possible to pick up another coming into shot from another direction.... that's why most of the shots are fairly lengthy with no cuts...... these days none of this would matter because of the easy availablity of computer editing.......... would also take this opportunity the endorse the 93, one of the few long routes not to have been cut short........ however, it is a shame the variant that ran to/from Epsom no longer exists.....in the 1960s it was always a thrill to board the last RT out from Epsom Station (at around 12:15) which always seemd to depart late but, as there were few boarders en route, just hammered its way up to Putney Bridge almost non-stop.

[@FuncargoBlues]

Thanks for this. I used to live off London Road, Mitcham, from 1980 to 85 not far from this roundabout. Love to see all the "old" cars which of course were quite new then. Brings back memories of the dirty old Routemasters.

[@peterg957]

I lived in Morden between 1956 and 1963... ( 71 Grasmere Avenue )... Many happy memories and the Half a Crown Red Rover every Saturday... Nice video... Thank you my friend...

[@michaelsandford1015]

Iove the opening shot of the bus

[@passat992]

great to see morden I lived at morden and drove most of the routes shown while working as a bus driver at merton garage.i now live in Lincolnshire happy days.

[@piehusband]

great footage, i was 11 when this was shot, my nan used to live on the M1 route, this is how i remember Morden with proper shops serving the community, not as it is now, thankyou for posting this

[@Springamatul]

I moved in Morden in 81 with my family and I remember the 93 bus and the other routes as DMs. Inside the seats were of blue and green checked upholstary. My parents still live there and I live in Putney where I also used to live with my family.

[@BaddaBigBoom]

The M1!! First bus I ever rode on without me Mum! I even remember the funny little transparent box you had to shove your pennies in next to the driver :-)

[@tonygrossmith6223]

Exact fare only

[@foordd154]

Have noted the Sutton Garage vehicles on the 157 and 293, allocations on which were Sunday-only at this time so this must have been shot on a Sunday. The initial give-away on the Sutton 157 is the intermediate blind display with its needlessly blanked out reference to 'Norwood Junction'. After the 154 was withdrawn between Croydon and Crystal Palace in April 1981, only about half of the Sutton fleet (mainly the D class) were fitted with new blinds (incorporting the short-lived Route 254) and in a slight case of over-reaction Sutton Garage staff blanked out 'Norwood Junction' on all old and new blind sets for both the 154 and 157 - when it only made sense to do so on the 154 intermediary display on buses still carrying old blinds. Furthermore, even in buses fitted with the post-April 81 blinds, many 154s ran with the doctored 157 intermediary display 'Morden-Carshalton-Wallington-Croydon'. This nonsense carried on for about 2 yrs, the incredible stupidity of which really wound me up. Anyway, thanks for the video, also brought back fond memories from the era. I used to love riding the 154 mainly which at this time didn't ran Sundays. I also remember that odd use of the give way line on that roundabout, forcing the buses to stop mid-way. This caused several accidents and has since been changed to conventional give way.

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

now the 154 runs 24hrs on Fridays & Saturdays which is a massive contrast

[@eyeateidiots]

Nice to see old DMSs, very rare!! Do you know of more DMS footage out there? They are popular now- 30 years too late I know!!! Nice vid.

[@xanadudawn]

Spent 5 years as a conductor on the 118's. It was more like a five year long party; than going to work. Wonderfull times

[@Lordtowerskp]

I worked as a trainee motor mechanic at Mann Egertons in Morden Hall Road, 1978-82. In 1985, I became a bus driver & worked out of Merton garage and drove the 49 bus, which was an RM & 155, which was occasionally a DM. I still visit Morden every Sunday for lunch. 2023

[@wimbledan]

So many memories. I remember when the M1 changed to 293 the old folk moaned like anything. The 157 went to Raynes Park then and the 164 just to the Station. Prestos was was in front of crown house and the old cinema was B&Q.

[@tonygrossmith6223]

And before prestos it was caters

[@wimbledan]

@@tonygrossmith6223 before my time. I moved there in 1982. Only moved from Wimbledon and it seemed like a million miles away

[@mpiz1600]

Wow, my everyday ride for last 8 years - 93 & 293

[@vivamalta127]

At 3:10 look at all the fumes when that DMS pulls away!! Diesel was full of sulphur then or its just a poorly serviced bus haha. Do miss the sound of the DMS engines though. nice vid:)

[@MannyAntipov]

Proper bus 😉

[@MarkTheMorose]

Wheatlands, Hawes, Woolworths. Zebra crossings, not traffic lights. Pavements with no railings. All gone. Morden is so depressingly crap now. I think there'd have still been green 293's at the time. I'd have been 14 in 1981, and going to Rutlish high school. A mate's dad had one of those 2-piece video recorders, but a couple of years earlier, I think.

[@ia285]

MarkTheMorose oh I remember Woolworths. I think it closed in like 2008. They also removed a lot of the railings now

[@gracelove886]

brings back memories for me as well. I lived in north cheam and got the 93 to morden and 157 to carshalton college...1981-1983.

[@Littlealan1959]

good to see u have captured the M1 on this video as this route is no more now the 163 80 cover parts of this route . also 157 went to raynes park was two part route carshalton wrythe green - raynes park some did do the full route raynes park - crystal palace

[@Springamatul]

I remember the M1 bus when we first moved to Morden in October 1981.

[@paulaherne3915]

M-1 was originally a flat-fare route with an Autofare cash-box for exact fare only.

[@thelabrooys]

What a great video. I know Morden during those times. Tks

[@leeyeowell4620]

Wow, just found this Video. I lived in Buckfast Road and Morden house the flats were there Milk place was. grow up in Morden all my life. Shame you was not down at Presto's I think it was called now the libary. I would have been 12 years old. Quality Days, and seeing the M1 was great again.

[@busspottinginlondon1349]

Why does the 157 go to my area in this video? Even the M1 lol

[@tonyclifton265]

amazing to think this simple home video was probably made for fun and the maker could have had no idea that one day it would be viewed by 26,000 people around the world

[@nabadoon.jimcaale.xaayoow.3063]

Woow. Loved morden

[@adrianattrell7808]

SPENT MY YOUTH ON THESE BUSES TO SCHOOL AND THEN WORK

[@Croydondms]

If you state this is December, then it has to be 1981. Reason for saying that is the bus at 4:25 is DM 1241 which operated from Sutton between 1/81 and 5/82 only. This is a superb video though - also identifiable is DMS 1842 at 3:50.

[@mitchellgiffard1978]

interesting used this route most days on no 93 bus route in late 90,s

[@razorheadinjapan73]

I loved the Leyland Titan, especially when they replaced DMSs on my local route the 22A, but was the DMS really as bad as LT made out?

[@oliverdann9161]

Great post. Do you have any other Morden videos from the 80s? I would've been 9 when this was shot and grew up around there. Thanks!

[@whitemanstand72]

Not referring to the Civic centre building but I can't believe after 40 years we still have this decrepit building where super drugs and job center used to be now they have the Irish pub. I swear Morden needs a real renovation Its like living Mental Hospital here !

[@UraFlight]

Good video! The cars looks funny

[@peterthegrate1]

definately not 1983 as the DMS's in service started to be replaced by B20's in 1982.

[@sundayakpan2663]

Great video of this

[@davidwilkinson8791]

Hold on a Fleetline subbing for an RM on the 93, long before B20s took over.........quite rare s**t and I bet the local TGWU Union rep had something to say about this !

[@Xd4rk35tbl4koutX]

I live at buck fast road now and on blanch land before

[@1974cfjl]

I can't say 100% for sure but i hink this footage was filmed end of 1982/ begining of 1983, the reason i say that Route 93 was coverted from RM to DM in September 1982.

[@Littlealan1959]

rare to see a DMS on the 164

[@FuncargoBlues]

I don't know how to edit the but my previous comment said Routemasters, actually I meant DMS buses.

[@lovelyzayn7733]

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG I, yes that's me, myself gust moved from buckfast road!!!! I was about 2 when I moved there now I am 19 and just got a house of my own gust of central road!

[@route144]

SHAME THIS IS NOT WOOD GREEN IN 1981!!!!! still a good video though!

[@DANEBLUEGNOME]

Yeah, I know was it... Just sad it is now. :(

[@filmsforallnations]

It looks a lot like Gants Hill roundabout near Ilford in East London.

[@bossletlet]

It's definitely 1981, all the buses are promoting the ill-fated "Fares Fair" campaign of that year. Very nostalgic scenes!

[@vickielawless]

All those interesting cars, Saab, Citroen DS, MGB, but why has the Mini at 2.34 got it's foglamp on in broad daylight?

[@danieljones6072]

You never see 293 double deckers nowadays haha

[@vincentdeguard4726]

How did you convert the VHS to digital format?

[@supunwedasinghe1]

I live in morden

[@paulbennell3313]

Morden enough...

[@dez3540]

Where on earth were you standing? Seems like you were in the road lol :S

[@Raminator137]

Morden used to have a Bus Route M1?

[@vincentdeguard4726]

King of Transpørt That what I was thinking!

[@tracytimmermans]

Yes!!

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

route 80, 413 & 163 replaced route M1 in stages

[@BaddaBigBoom]

Yep, rode it many times from Grand Drive, up Hillcross Ave then on to Morden ...usually with a skateboard under my arm!

[@crsmale]

Used to get it from Raynes Park to Lower Morden for school. It replaced the 118 if I remember correctly. Intially with single-decker MBS buses with "One Man Operation"!!! Back in 1973-1976, a single to school was 1d, until they started charging adult rates before 9 - then it went up to 2d!

[@HaiderHaider-kk1dz]

باصات لايلند احسن الباصات واقواه

[@prairiewolfo9274]

Pity this video doesn’t show alderman (nee councillor) Laevers “falling” under one of the buses! 😏

[@sanchoodell6789]

Nice seeing all these 'Ron' buses which were ubiquitous around this era. With that ugly backside which gave rise to the insulting term "she looks like the back of a bus" 3:08 These 'Rons' were quite filthy. Not jus inside but look at all the sh!t they use to chuck out. Today's buses and, infect. all other motor vehicles in general on today's roads are much cleaner than back then. The air back when this was shot was atrocious. so much exhaust fumes and what a contrast now.

[@HaiderHaider-kk1dz]

Leyland atlantent bust buses