Princess Coaches (Southampton)
1963
Bedford SB5
Plaxton C41F

Here we have another example of what a coat of paint can do to a vehicle’s appearance. In the first view, 103 GAA is in the Southsea rally on 10 June 1990, in the livery of Fishwick, Darlington. She is a Bedford SB5 with Plaxton C41F body from 1963. The second view shows her, back in her original markings (Princess Coaches of West End, Southampton) and she is in Winchester for the King Alfred running day on 27 April 2003.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies

04/09/16 – 13:40

No doubt about it, the lower image is much better.

David Wragg

05/09/16 – 06:30

Yes, even before we get down to the wheel trims! Thanks, David.

Pete Davies

05/09/16 – 06:31

Sadly 103 GAA is not in that condition now, it passed from preservation with Brian Guilmant of Southampton in 2004 to Collins of Dartford who left it neglected in a yard at Flexford until recently bought back by Ian Barfoot a descendant of the original owner who I understand plans to restore the coach.

John Wakefield

05/09/16 – 08:04

Thanks, John. Flexford is, I believe, the compound used by the King Alfred preservation group, between Sourhampton and Romsey – unless there’s another one hiding in some obscure part of the map! Ian lives, or used to live, in the Bitterne area of Southampton. His mother asked me to provide a shelter at the family’s local bus stop.

Pete Davies

05/09/16 – 14:55

Indeed Pete, its the North Hills Saw Mills Yard actually listed at Baddersley near Chandlers Ford. Still a lot of old buses in there, along with caravans & other vehicles. I don’t think FoKAB use it much these days

John Wakefield

06/09/16 – 06:24

Two more long term residents at Flexford.

HDL 285 a 1952 ex Southern Vectis Bristol LL5G ECW B39R is another bus that has been in the Flexford yard for a number of years with nothing being done to it other than the occasional new tarpaulin, PSVC list owner as Porter, Chandlers Ford. Crazy that someone should buy a bus, pay rent to store it, & leave it to rot. My picture shows it next to 103 GAA in January 2011, but I have seen a more recent picture of it still there in June this year.

Also still languishing in the yard is very derelict 692 AEH an AEC Reliance Weymann B44F new to Potteries 1957 also seen in Jan 2011. Owner is listed as Paynton of Totten. There was an attempt to rescue this a few years back by someone in the Potteries area, apparently it came to nothing.

John Wakefield

06/09/16 – 08:33

Indeed, John. All we need to do is look at the various preservation sites up and down the country – railway centres as well as bus centres – and note how many of them are able to keep all the items under cover. The percentage is quite small. Until that cover – I don’t mean a tarpaulin! – is in place, the exhibit just rots.
Yes, it may be a wonderful opportunity for the preservation group to acquire the only example of its type ever produced – but shouldn’t the covered accommodation be there prior to its arrival on site, rather than being the subject of an appeal? If the money is raised, what is the guarantee the local authority will allow planning permission for the new building?

Pete Davies

29/09/19 – 07:13

692 AEH an AEC Reliance Weymann B44F, has been rescued the Potteries Omnibus Perseveration Society if you take a look at their twitter page.

Mr Anon

15/10/19 – 05:43

103 GAA has apparently now (11/19) been sold by the Barfoot family to someone in the Taunton area for preservation.

John Wakefield

15/10/19 – 13:37

Quantock, perhaps???

Pete Davies

17/10/19 – 05:57

Not to Quantock they are not into Bedfords.

Roger Burdett

17/10/19 – 13:57

Thank you, Roger!

Pete Davies

South Wales Transport Co Ltd
1955
AEC Regent VMD3RV
Weymann H33/26R

Seen at the Swansea Bus Museum Running Day was this AEC Regent V MD3RV010 bearing Weymann body M6709 H33/26R and new to South Wales (447) in 1955. South Wales were loyal AEC customers over the years. For several years the livery was all-over red without the cream waistband.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Les Dickinson

02/09/16 – 06:48

A lovely photograph Les, and thank you for posting it, as it brings back happy teenage memories. Sister vehicles MCY405/8 were acquired by Samuel Ledgard in late 1966, closely followed in early 1967 by NCY453/5 from the 1956 batch. When "Sammie’s" was taken over by West Yorkshire in October 1967, the South Wales quartet were among the vehicles retained by the Company, and were given fleet numbers DAW1-4. Initially allocated to WY’s Otley depot, the vehicles were later transferred to Harrogate, where they soon settled down to duties on local services 1/2 Bachelor Gardens-Woodlands, and 9 New Park-Oatlands, plus occasional stints on the 11 Roche Avenue-Cawthorn Avenue and 12 Fountains Avenue-Starbeck routes. Their delightful melodic tones and wonderful throaty exhaust notes immediately endeared my brother and I to their charms, and at every opportunity we would endeavour to catch one into town, even though this meant a five minute walk up to Skipton Road from our usual stop on King Edward’s Drive. As I had a morning paper round covering Bilton and Bachelor Gardens, I was also party to ‘The Regent Symphony’ early each day, when often the only other sounds to break the stillness were birdsong or the occasional car. The sound of the AECs barking away up Bachelor Gardens or the Hill Tops could be heard quite a distance away, and gave an indication of whether I was running late, or to time on my busy round. I’m not sure if the residents living along the route would have shared my love of such sound effects, but as a 14/15-year old, I no doubt felt that "sometimes there’s just no pleasing some people!"

Brendan Smith

02/09/16 – 14:08

My word, surely one of the best ever pictures of a superb preservation achievement. To think that our Ledgard quartet, as described above by Brendan, once looked like that !! Much as I loved them in Ledgard territory I was never as lucky as Brendan in hearing them bellowing their lusty way up the steep Skipton Road from the A 61 Ripon Road – and in one of the lower gears the contralto/soprano accompaniment from the gearbox must have been glorious !!

Chris Youhill

03/09/16 – 06:28

I would imagine that the use of these Regent Vs by West Yorkshire must have been a rare case where drivers preferred buses from an operator taken over to their own native stock!

Peter Williamson

06/01/17 – 11:10

After service with South Wales, MCY 407 went to Whippet Coaches of Cambridgeshire and then between 1968 and 1978 was with Charlton-on-Otmoor Services of Oxfordshire. I passed my PSV test on her in 1975! It went back to Wales for preservation from C-on-O

Andrew Dyer

Lees Motorways (Worksop)
1951 
Austin K8
Kenex C12F

We start with a conflict. The PSVC entry for 2012 says LVO 530 was new to Lees, Worksop, while Jenkinson’s book of 1978 say it was new to Symes, Devonshire Hill. While the sources agree that t is an Austin K8 with Kenex body, PSVC says it is of the C12F layout, but Jenkinson says it is of C14F layout. Jenkinson says it was new in 1950, while PSVC says it was new in May 1951. Regardless, we see her at Duxford on 24 September 1995.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies

28/08/16 – 09:44

It was new to Lees, Worksop. The entry for Symes in Jenkinson Preserved Buses 1978 is the last known owner at time of publication. The notes on page 6 of the book state the column 7 listing as the ‘Original or Last Known owner’.
As for seating it would have been a C12F originally but was presumably up seated at later date, certainly by the time it reached Kenzie.

The history I have on LVO 530 is as follows:-
Chassis No 14844
New to Lees, Worksop 5/51
Bisby, Sheffield ?/??
Kenzie, Shepreth 12/54 (C14F)
Sworder, Walkern 9/55
Symes, Devonshire Hill, London N17 ?/??
Surbey, Clifton, Beds by -/97 (preservation)
Almond, Kettering 10/03 (preservation)
Bernard Staniforth, Aylesbury -/08 (preservation)
Leach, Telford 11/09 (preservation)

John Wakefield

28/08/16 – 10:56

Thank you, John!

Pete Davies

31/08/16 – 10:18

I have often heard and read people describing minibuses as ‘breadvans’ and thought that they were referring to the Ford Transit generation, but this old-timer reminds me of the breadvans of my youth.

David Wragg

31/08/16 – 16:06

Quite so, David!!!

Pete Davies

01/09/16 – 14:06

According to the Nov 1995 issue of "Buses" (on p27, in a report on Showbus), this coach "began its career with Skills of Nottingham"!
I suppose their reporter must have picked up the wrong end of the stick on the day?

Graham Woods

02/09/16 – 06:37

The ‘breadvans’ of my childhood were all horsedrawn, as were the milk ones, save the Co-op which had pre-war electric floats! When I first saw the K8’s, I thought they were so sleek and streamlined, unlike any other van on the streets at that time and have never really shaken that view off. As passenger vehicles, I would think that were a bit ‘bouncy’ with such a short length and the front axle laid back, too.

Chris Hebbron

02/09/16 – 06:37

Given the comments sections on almost any article you choose on the online newspaper websites, most reporters a) cannot spell, b) are unaware of grammar, c) should still be in kindergarten and d) get the wrong end of the stick.

Pete Davies

02/09/16 – 06:38

Graham, yes, that report would seem to be erroneous, I have a Skills fleet history which I’ve perused thoroughly and there’s no mention of this vehicle. Skills only ever bought three Austins and this wasn’t one of them.

Chris Barker