"Bob the Bus" looks back on a life spent in the driving seat
By Ros Dodd Although it's a long while since he retired, Robert Roberts is still known locally as "Bob the Bus". For almost two decades he was a familiar face behind the wheel of the S28 and S30 services to Dolgellau and Minffordd that started from Bryncrug, in the days when the village had a depot. Now in his late 80s, Bob is still a familiar face on the same bus routes - but these days only as a passenger. "I live in Abergynolwyn now and occasionally catch the bus into Tywyn," he says. "I've always enjoyed being on a bus - either as a driver or a passenger." Although his long career included long-distance driving, Bob hasn't moved far since he was born in Tyddyn Bach (now a modern bungalow; then a house constructed with soil walls) on the Bryncrug to Craig y Deryn (Bird Rock) road in 1939. Later, the family settled in the village. Leaving school at 15, Bob worked on farms in the area before switching to driving haulage lorries, transporting l...
