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George Curry (50 years), Vinnie Morrison (45 years), Jim Kelly (36 years), Andy McGillan (35 years) and Trevor Tracey (17 years) are retiring after a phenomenal 183 years of collective service.

Under the laws of probability, chances are one of them has handed you a ticket at some point.

“We'll miss the crack. We’ll miss all the boys,” says Andy, who joined in 1988.

Pictured at Pennyburn Depot are Translink retirees who accumulated 183 years of service. From left are Vinnie Morrison (45 years), Andy McGillan (35 years), George Curry (50 years), Trever Tracey (17 years) and Jim Kelly (36 years). Photo: George Sweeney. DER2326GS - 63

Vinnie reflects on the many changes the men have witnessed since they signed up in the 1970s and 1980s.

“I started driving in 1978. I was hijacked in 1979. I was married in 1981. I was hijacked in 1983. I was hijacked in 1984. Getting married was probably the most nerve-wracking! I was thinking back and asking was I married three times and hijacked once it's that long ago!

“That was the way it went in those days. It never took a wrinkle out of you!”

Andy recalls once getting into a pickle at the airport when doing the Limavady run.

Pictured with colleagues at Pennyburn Depot are Translink retirees with a collective 183 years of service. Centre of the back row are Andy McGillan (35 years), Trever Tracey (17 years) and Jim Kelly (36 years). Vinnie Morrison (45) and George Curry (50) are third and, fifth from left, in the front row. Photo: George Sweeney. DER2326GS - 64

“I was coming up from Limavady and I had the ‘Journal’ with me. They were slagging me saying you weren’t allowed into the airport with a 'Journal' anymore. I was coming in, to service the airport. There were two Ryanair jets in and I couldn't get out of the car park.

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"There was a wee Donegal car in the bus lane in front of me. So I got out and flipped the barrier so the wee man could get out and I could get out.

"The next morning an inspector says the manager's looking for you. He asked, ‘Were you down in Eglinton yesterday? I said, ‘Aye’. ‘Did you lift a barrier for someone?’ I said, 'Aye, it was a wee Donegal man’. He said, ‘He owes £50 in parking charges!’”

Vinnie remembers a single fare was just 18 pence when he started.

"It's £1.80 now. In 1978 it was 18p and a half fare was 9p. It went up to 24p in the mid 1980s. There have been big changes. We have a new fleet again with the electric buses coming into service now.”

Derry veteran Ulsterbus drivers hand in keys after 183 years!

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