National Bus Manual

13/07/2026

A subscriber writes: “Dear Ms/Mr/Mx Manual, Was the NBC symbol ever used officially on roadsigns?” Yes it was. Fairly inconsistently, in truth, but it was used.

Here’s a fine example from King’s Lynn, taken on a bike ride from Ely long ago, showing the NBC and BR symbols doing their jobs, in combination with the word ‘Stations’, efficiently conveying the information you need and nothing else. This was still in situ until a few years ago, but with changes to the road layout, it may now have gone.

Did the symbol make it into the official Traffic Signs Regulations and General (TRSG) Directions? Who knows?

If you have any, please do share your photos of the NBC symbol out in the wild.

02/07/2026

Logo Histories: Norman Wilson’s 1972 National Bus Company symbol, an N and its shadow, forming an arrow. Together, we’re really going places.

23/05/2026

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!

11/05/2026

Fantastic to meet Helen Clifford this evening a the Women in Bus and Coach reception at the London Transport Museum at the unveiling of her blue plaque by chief operating officer Claire Mann. Helen was the first woman to qualify as a London Transport bus mechanic in 1984.

Women in Bus and Coach is a national network to encourage, represent, support and retain women in the bus, coach and community transport profession.

10/05/2026

It seems the website and blog went down earlier in the weekend - they’re back up and running again. We’re planning to publish the book in the coming months, so we’ll all be less dependent on digital technology!

These photos are stills from NBC’s advert for insurers Norwich Union, filmed at Norwich Airport in 1975. Read more on the blog - ‘Imposters in poppy red and leaf green’ —> https://nationalbusmanual.com/2021/02/05/1974norwichunionad/

NBC’s televised corporate identity spectacular for Norwich Union left a bus fleet in disguise