It was the place where chaotic student nights out ended, where people could travel across the city for little more than the price of a pint of milk, and where notorious ‘characters’ were regularly spotted.
But the legendary Magic Bus is now no more.
The 142, 143, and 147 services which ran from Didsbury to Piccadilly, via Fallowfield, the Curry Mile, universities, and Oxford Road, are now part of the Bee Network.
That means their iconic wizard and star liveries have disappeared, and have been replaced with the standardised yellow uniform of all Greater Manchester buses.
The Magic Bus seen ‘in the wild’ of Withington, in 2021
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The move to public control of buses has come with the promise of simpler fares, integrated ticketing across every bus and tram, and a single point of accountability – the mayor.
But the change also means many idiosyncrasies of Manchester’s bus network have been lost, including the quirky Stagecoach Magic bus, which saw single fares being far cheaper than regular tickets way before the £2 cap came in.
The Magic Bus was introduced to south Manchester in 1996, following Stagecoach’s takeover of GM Buses South.
The company painted some of the oldest double-deckers in its fleet into a blue livery with yellow writing.
And it soon became a huge hit with students who lived along its route, enticed by its regular service and £1 fares.
Now Mancunians have mourned the loss of the Magic Bus, which took its last journey last weekend (January 5).
Many remember fondly the notorious characters who became regular passengers on the service as it made its way along the Wilmslow Road corridor.
Magic Bus number 142 on Wilmslow Rd , Manchester
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
One Manchester Evening News colleague recalled seeing the ‘man with the rabbits’ frequently riding the bus.
The man would pull out three rabbits from his backpack and place them on the seat beside him, before putting them back in the bag when it was time to get off.
Another well known passenger was the ‘man with the chickens’ who would regularly be spotted on the Magic Bus carrying a box of live poultry. Manchester Evening News readers have also shared their memories of the bus on social media.
“RIP Magic Bus,” said Lauren Ash. “Had some good times on you.”
Many recalled the often raucous early-morning journeys onboard, as Magic Buses were usually the last-running services of the day. Kieran Alex Stevenson said: “Had many a good time getting home from work on these at 4/5 in the morning with a speaker keeping the party going.”
“There were 30 on the backseat of the bus…”
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Nathan Liu added: “There were 30 on the backseat of the bus…”, a reference to a game where passengers would try and cram as many people on the backseats as possible.
Nicola Lindsey Helen Mitchell explained she ‘shall miss (the) Magic Bus’, remembering ‘it was so lovely when the bus drivers at Christmastime dressed as Santa’. Fancy dress was also a theme raised by Dave Nimmo, who added: “I think the first ever Facebook group I joined was the petition to make Magic Bus drivers wear a wizard costume.”
That petition was successful, with operators Stagecoach introducing ‘Wizard Wednesdays’ in 2010, where drivers donned wizard outfits in an effort to raise awareness and funds for a prostate and testicular cancer charity. The campaign, supported by nearly 11,000 people, lasted several years.
The Magic Bus was famed for its striking blue and yellow livery
Former drivers also recalled fond times at work, with Andy Sheridan, who ‘drove the 141, 142, 143, 147, and one of the last ever 145s’, explaining he ‘had so much fun on them’ and ‘they were always packed’.
Michael Francis said he was ‘one of the first pioneers of the Magic Bus’ with the ‘142 [and] 143 from Princess Road Depot’.
“Why is it called the Magic Bus mate? Well stand there and watch it disappear,” he joked.
It looks like the Magic Bus might have disappeared from the roads, but still lives on in the minds of Mancunians.