Is it possible to obtain information on an old bus and its operator, a Commer Centaur? Registration CG 5931 which was used in our local Broughton/Stockbridge, Hampshire area during the 1930's? We have a photo, it is part of the history of our village, having been taken by a local resident when she was young. It would be good to add details to the photo in our local history book. Many thanks in anticipation.
John Perry
11/10/11 - 12:14
I cannot say what the vehicle and it's operator is, but I can say what it is not! The main company in the area from the 1920's to 1973 was King Alfred Motor Services (R Chisnell & Sons) of Winchester. They owned two Commers, these were Invader models, with Abbott 20-seat caoch bodies. They were new in 1930, registered OU5720/5721, and were "called up" by the War Department in 1940. They never returned to King Alfred service. At least two other operators served the Broughton area. One was a Charlie Emmence, who started out as a "carrier", operating two/three days a week. As he sold his service to Wilts and Dorset in 1932, he would not have owned the Commer in question, as it's registration CG5931 suggests a "new" date of 1933. The other operator was G E Martin-Cooper, who also ran a service from Stockbridge to Winchester on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. This began in 1928. Government legislation now enters the picture, as each operator had to have a license for each service following the Road Traffic Act, 1930. In this instance, King Alfred had also started a daily service, but much later than Martin-Coopers's. The territorial companies also wanted a slice of the cake (Hants & Dorset and Wilts & Dorset)and put in bids for a joint Salisbury / Winchester service travelling through Broughton / Stockbridge. In the Traffic Commissioners Court, the service was eventually granted as a joint service by both G E Martin-Cooper and King Alfred, with no involvement by the "big" companies. In the 1932 hearings, it had been stated that Martin-Cooper's vehicle was "unreliable". Now I can find no record of the vehicle(s) owned by G E Martin-Cooper. But it is a pure speculation that, having been granted an "official" part of the service, he bought a new bus for the service? And was that the Commer in the question? I don't know, but the suggestion itself may raise other memories or lines of enquiry. By 1949, G E Martin-Cooper was trading as "Empress Coaches". He was bought out in 1951 by Basil Williams (of Emsworth, Hants), who traded as "Hants and Sussex". Empress Coaches vehicles were described as a "motley collection of unreliable Leyland and Bedford saloons". On the joint Stockbridge service, an almost new Leyland PD1 was transferred to operate the route. But Basil Williams was not immune from troubles, and the Empress Coaches part of his "empire" was taken over by Holland Tours of Oldbury (Birmingham). They quickly resold it to A E Buddens and Sons, who were a local company. They continued to operate the route from April 1955, but dropped the "Empress" name. I don't have details of any later history of this operation, except that King Alfred operated their own part until they in turn were taken over by Hants & Dorset in 1973. Although King Alfred was the main operator, other small companies were Oscar Callaway, Kent & Everleigh, Whapshare (Winchester & District), Matthes (Greyfriars Service). These operated out to Micheldever, Alresford, Owslebury, etc. There was also a Broughton - The Wallops - Salisbury service operated by E W Mare "Speedwell", but this was bought out by Wilts and Dorset in 1932, so again is an unlikely contender as the owner of the Commer in question. Most of this information is drawn from "King Alfred Motor Services" the Story of a Winchester Family Business by J Freeman, R Jowitt and R Murphy (Kingfisher Railway Publications, 1984). Any errors in drawing down this info are entirely mine! I hope that it is of helpful interest.
Michael Hampton
12/10/11 - 06:26
As Michael has suggested, CG 5931 was indeed new to Martin-Cooper (Empress Coaches), Stockbridge, in 12/33. It was withdrawn in 6/50 and scrapped. So sayeth PSVC publication PK14.
Michael Wadman
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