Project to reprint the National Bus Company’s classic 1972-76 Corporate Identity Manual. Modernism heading up your street.
Joined May 2020
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17 Sep 2022
Out now: @modernistmag 44 with a piece on graphic designer Norman Wilson. His pioneering Manchester practice brought striking modernist graphics to industial Britain, famously the once-ubiquitous corporate identity for the National Bus Company. More here: nationalbusmanual.com/2022/0…
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National Bus Manual retweeted
Jun 10
Bumped into some familiar faces at London Waterloo today #NetworkSouthEast 40 years
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National Bus Manual retweeted
Jun 9
So many orange delights on display inside Queens Road Bus Garage at the 125 year celebratory open day on Saturday.
🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
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National Bus Manual retweeted
25 Nov 2019
Some classic typefaces present a challenge to designers.
Here’s @klimtypefoundry Klim’s new interpretation of Akzidenz Grotesk (Söhne) and my own (FF Real) from a few years ago. Same but different.
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It takes a thousand tiny details to make one good impression, as Cary Grant said. In this case, ahead of publication, that means removing decades of sellotape marks and garage oil from several beautiful NBC corporate identity posters.
Feel free to guess which one this is!
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National Bus Manual retweeted
May 18
Did enjoy seeing this Midland General Leyland National at the Heritage Bus Rally at Quorn and Woodhouse station on Saturday.
415 - XRB 415L wears the mid-blue version of NBC livery.
@BusManual
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Fantastic to meet Helen Clifford this evening a the @WminBusandCoach reception at the @ltmuseum at the unveiling of her blue plaque by @TfL chief operating officer Claire Mann. Helen was the first woman to qualify as a London Transport bus mechanic in 1984.
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It seems the website and blog went down earlier but is now back up and running again. We’re planning to publish the book in the coming months, so we’ll be less dependent on digital technology!
These photos are from NBC’s 1975 advert for Norwich Union, filmed at Norwich Airport.
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Read more on the blog - ‘Imposters in poppy red and leaf green’—> nationalbusmanual.com/2021/0…
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National Bus Manual retweeted
It is shameful that a major world capital city like London that has a pretty comprehensive bus network doesn’t have (even online) a map of that system!
Apr 4
This is sad news. I’ve got multiple (too many some may say…) copies of Mike’s excellent London bus maps indoors - the only printed ones available after TfL stopped printed ones
It was TfL’s long-gone printed bus maps that kickstarted my interest in buses in the early noughties!
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You’ll have spotted that there’s less on the blog while I focus on the book, which will include the re-issued manual, and a few surprises. Thanks to everyone who’s helped. Looking forward to sharing progress with you all soon.
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National Bus Manual retweeted
Another fab issue of this gorgeous, informative, entertaining, beautiful, engaging, lovingly designed and produced, top quality, stunningly illustrated, can’t-live-without magazine. Out now classicbusmag.co.uk
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National Bus Manual retweeted
1977 convertible open-top ECW-bodied Bristol VRT VDV 138S 'Warspite' is seen at the Strand in Torquay in 1981. From 1987, under Devon General Ltd. ownership, it ran with the name 'Illustrious'. 938 is preserved, and its current owner is renovating it.
Picture credit: Paul Jenkins
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Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus bawb, a diolch i holl gyn-weithwyr NBC yng Nghymru sydd wedi cefnogi’r prosiect hwn.
Happy St David’s Day everyone, and thanks to all the NBC employees in Wales who have supported this project.
#NationalBusCompany #cymrucenhedlaethol #southwales #crosville
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More detective work for you! Who has a copy of the A4-sized 1972 NBC Corporate Identity Manual? Here’s Page 14. But all copies seem to be missing Pages 15 & 16. Were they ever issued?
If you’ve seen them let us know!
#NationalBusCompany #NormanWilsonDesigner #WilsonNational
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The NBC identity was rigorously enforced on vehicles, but less coherent in publicity. On this timetable cover from 1972, Associated Motorways is being rebranded as part of the National network. The Manual later tightened up things like the position of the symbol & text.
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Local operating companies were given huge leeway with publicity, with major departures from the National brand, in contrast to the strict policing of the identity on vehicles. This early Southdown example, advertising express coaches, even neglects to mention the National brand!
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24 Dec 2025
Thanks to everyone who’s supported and helped with the NBC Corporate Identity project this year. We hope to have news on publication plans in the new year. Until then have a great Christmas and new year!
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13 Dec 2025
Congratulations to the people of Sheringham for defending their much-loved moderne concrete bus shelter, built by Eastern Counties in the 1950s, against demolition. Eastern Counties built several buildings in moderne/deco style, but few survive. #sheringhambusshelter #sheringham
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National Bus Manual retweeted
4 Dec 2025
For goodness' sake @NorfolkCC - yr process is clearly broken when 2,000 ppl tell you that they want to keep a building, which can obv be made fit for the future. Demolition and replacement is the least green or wanted route. @SAVEtoReuse you tell 'em...🙄 bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdrn…
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6 Dec 2025
NBC’s radical new uniform was designed to signal a break with the past and a decisive step towards modernity.
The Manual has a tab for a section on uniforms which was never produced. Can you help? If you know more about the design/production of the NBC uniform, do get in touch.
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