When Merfyn Williams first stepped onto a bus in St Helens in April 1966, the world looked very different. Known to everyone as Taff, he began his career when Harold Wilson was Prime Minister and the internet was still decades away.
Now, sixty years later, the 81-year-old is still behind the wheel for Arriva Merseyside, earning him the likely title of the oldest working bus driver in Britain.
Originally from Colwyn Bay in North Wales, the source of his lifelong nickname, Taff moved to St Helens in 1966 after meeting his wife, Ann.
He has remained at the same St Helens depot for his entire six-decade career. This week, colleagues marked the incredible milestone with a celebration and a cake that was almost as large as the legend himself.
From Cold Journeys to Local Gossip
Taff’s entry into the industry was a family suggestion. He said:
“My mother-in-law was a bus conductor and she said, ‘why don’t you try the buses?’ and the rest is history.”
His early days were spent as a “clippy,” or bus conductor, during an era of open-platform buses. He said:
“There were no back doors on buses then, they were back-loaders, so it was freezing.
“The driver was the only warm person on the bus. I used to wear a really heavy coat in the winter.”
Over the years, Taff has driven every route in the area, noting:
“I know the town like the back of my hand.”
Currently, he works three days a week as a shuttle driver for Arriva staff, a role he thoroughly enjoys.
“I get to chat to colleagues and hear all the gossip.
“Don’t tell anyone, but I love it.”
A Legacy in St Helens
Taff’s presence in the town is so long-standing that he now works alongside people he once drove to school.
He said:
“I used to drive the buses that took kids to school, and many of those kids have their own kids now.”
His motivation has always remained grounded in his family, including five children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
He said:
“I’m always thinking about my family.
“I think I’ve stayed here for as long as I have because I was thinking about my pension and making sure everyone’s looked after.”
Though he considered retiring after 40 years, he decided to stay on for the shuttle role.
“I thought, why not, and I intend to hang on for as long as I can.”
Lisa Sloan, sites manager for St Helens, summed up his impact:
“Taff is an absolute one-off.
“In six decades, he’s become part of the fabric of St Helens depot.
“He brings a smile to the face of every colleague he meets and frankly, we’d be lost without him.
“We think Taff could well be the oldest bus driver in Britain, but more importantly, he’s one of the best.
“We’re really proud of him.”
Despite the long days, Taff finds the secret to his success in the people he works with. He said:
“It’s the camaraderie I like. It’s as simple as that.”
And while he might come home exhausted, his wife Ann, 79, keeps him humble. He laughed:
“She says to me, ‘You’ve been sitting down all day, how can you be tired?!’ I’m getting old, I guess.”
