A Day Trip To Spalding

I thought I would send these two photos as a matter of general interest. In May 1962 our family went for a day coach excursion from Bradford to the tulip fields around Spalding. The coach parked by Spalding bus station and everyone went for a meal except me. I had my camera with me and these two were part of what I saw in the day.

Not being standard Tilling fare, the AEC particularly fascinated me, but I don’t know much about their history. I think the AEC was Willowbrook bodied and it was a most unusual livery, the details of which I can’t now remember. I think this one is preserved by the LVVS.

The really odd one was this single decker, and no doubt some of our clever contributors will be able to tell me after all this time more about it and its operator. I suppose this area now is buried under buses with swoopy stripes and I was lucky enough to see country bus operations in their heyday. I did eventually see the tulips!

David Rhodes

12/12/13 - 12:27

FDO 573 is a AEC Regent III with a Willowbrook H32/28RD body. It was new in 1953 to Messrs J W Camplin & Sons, t/a "Holme Delight", of Donington, a village some nine miles north of Spalding, about halfway to Boston. Quite where the name "Holme Delight" came from I cannot say. The nearest place called Holme is a hamlet in Cambridgeshire, east of the A1, south of Peterborough, which is unlikely to be relevant. A bit more about this bus may be found at this link www.lvvs.org.uk/fdo573.htm
I cannot make out either the fleet name or the displayed destination of the Thames Trader bus in the second picture. If these details can be discerned from the original negative, they might help in finding out a bit more about this vehicle.

Roger Cox

12/12/13 - 12:27

Very nice David. I used to live in this area. The top picture is of the now-preserved Regent III owned by Holme Delight (Camplins) of Donington.
See this link www.countrybus.co.uk/holme.htm
The Boston - Donington - Spalding route had passed to Kimes of Folkingham by the time we lived there, and it was subsequently taken over by Brylaine. The other picture is also interesting. I have strained to read the destination blind, and I think the top line is Quadring Fen - a route operated in the early 1990s by Elseys of Gosberton, just once a week and passing very close to our house.

Stephen Ford

12/12/13 - 12:28

David Rhodes' post on a Day Trip to Spalding shows FDO 573. A picture of this bus and details as to its history can be seen at the following flickr page. www.flickr.com/photos/

Stephen Howarth

12/12/13 - 12:29

I've tried googling 761 FH but nothing's come up. I believe FH was Gloucester CBC, an authority likely to have registered relatively few psvs. The bus is very much the sort a non-psv operator might purchase.
In respect of the Holme Delight (Camplin's) Regent III, the one depicted is certainly preserved by the LVVS and images of it in preservation can be accessed on the net.
Talking about Holme Delight, does anyone have a photo of their other Regent III, HDO 661, either while with Holme Delight or with subsequent operator Davies of Halewood? I've never seen a picture of that vehicle.

David Call

12/12/13 - 15:31

Holme Delight only had two AEC Regents.
This one is held in preservation, but I well remember HDO 661, with a Park Royal body, running around Huyton (Merseyside) in the early 1970s.
I seem to remember that it was on staff duties for a building contractor, possibly Unit Construction.
When I first saw it I was staggered at the beauty of such a fine bus, as I had no idea who "Holme Delight" were.
Sadly, over the months it received many dents and damaged parts and a fair covering of mud, and then it vanished forever.
It just seemed so out of place on Merseyside.
For a history of Holme Delight see www.countrybus.co.uk/holme.htm

Dave Farrier

12/12/13 - 15:32

The following link regarding Elseys of Gosberton shows that the Quadring Fen service used to be (probably the 1960s) a well-served rural route, even running to a Sunday service. The timetable suggests that the second line on the destination blind would have been "Eversons Bridge". www.countrybus.co.uk/elsey.htm

Stephen Ford

13/12/13 - 11:59

One thing which isn't apparent from the above is the fact that Camplin's Regent III HDO 661, although being younger than FDO by a couple of years or so, was actually the first to go, it went before the sale of the stage service to Kime's.
Not having had any first-hand knowledge of Camplin's I can only surmise the reason - HDO couldn't have sustained some terminal illness, witness its sale for further (psv) service. Its manual transmission may have been considered inferior to FDO's preselect, you never know.
HDO was replaced by an ex-West Riding Guy Wulfrunian, and this passed along with FDO to Kime's - I've no idea whether or not they used it. There didn't seem to be too great a time lapse between the acquisition of the Wulfrunian and the sale of the stage service - I've always supposed that there was a connection between the two events! The sale of the service always struck me as strange, since the Camplin depot was conveniently situated about midway along its route, whereas that of Kime's was a significant distance away.

David Call

14/12/13 - 07:05

With reference to FDO 573, this is a photo I took at Kime's in Folkingham in June 1970, during an organised visit.
In the background is MTL 366, a Bedford/Duple owned at that stage by Padley of Anwick (staff bus?). MTL 366 had been new to Cream Bus of Stamford, then became Barton 899 after the takeover. Padley acquired it from Barton.

Bob Gell

14/12/13 - 07:07

I was under the impression that HDO was withdrawn first due to body condition. Maybe it was because it was steel framed rather than the similar Ipswich aluminium ones? I always found it strange that FDO was a big 9,6 engined/preselect Regent for use on the fens when surely a 7.7/crash model would easily cope and be more economical? I believe now however, that it was a cancelled order from a company in Cirencester. HDO was pictured new in Alan Townsin's book on post war Regents by the way.

Steve Milner

14/12/13 - 16:31

Holme Delight. Yes, but which Holme, as Roger asks. I did wonder about Holme on Spalding Moor, but it's nowhere near Spalding and is in Yorkshire's East Riding. Ah, well! Thanks for posting.

Pete Davies

23/12/14 - 05:25

Roger Cox mentioned that he couldn't understand the name 'Holme Delight' for the Campling operation. Possibly relevant is the village of Kirton Holme, on their bus route, between Donington and Boston!

Peter Roberts

23/12/14 - 17:07

761 FH was a Ford/Thames 570E, Duple Midland B42F, new 10/60 to Taylor of Gloucester.

David Call

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