THE M & D AND EAST KENT BUS CLUB

The Hants and Berks Explorer Saturday 16th August 2008

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Tour report by Brian East. (first published in Invicta 674)

A total of 31 members travelled on the last Club tour of 2008 with our transport being a DAF coach from New Enterprise.

Our first stop was to view the various operations in Reading .  The main operator being Reading Buses is now an all low-floor operation with its various Scania types and its latest Scania OmnCity Bio Ethanol buses and the older Optare Spectras all in very colourful route branding liveries.  The only vehicles seen in the Reading Buses corporate livery of cream and maroon were their Optare Solos.  Also seen was Newbury Buses operations plus the Scania OmniCity Bio Ethanol YN07 LHD in service with Reading Buses having been last used by London United.  Other operators seen were Arriva. First, Thames Travel and Motts Travel.

Leaving Reading it was off to Newbury where at the bus station it was really quiet with only a Newbury Buses Dart and Optare Solos in evidence.

Then it was off to Eastleigh to visit BlueStar Buses depot (formally Solent Blue Line) where members were shown around the depot and offices and on the premises were Wilts & Dorset Bristol VRs and ex Stagecoach Volvos (previously new to Southdown) in purple also one of their remaining Dennis Darts in red to be repainted into blue and just as we were leaving a Southern Vectis Dennis Dart (ex-Brighton Transport) on loan to BlueStar arrived.

We then moved on to Southampton & District Transport Heritage Trust’s storage site to view their other preserved vehicles using their own ex-Southampton AEC Regent plus a Guy Arab which then took us on to Southampton.

In the city centre there were plenty of different types of old and new BlueStar and First vehicles including ex London NV class Olympians with First and other operators including Stagecoach and Independents A2B Express Travel and Brijan Tours who were using their ex-East Kent Metrobuses on football Park and Ride duties.

The final visit of the tour was Brijan Tours’ premises at Botley with a selection of interesting vehicles who also own former MKII Metrobuses from East Kent (7764/5) and Maidstone & District (5201) and thanks go to the friendly staff that moved vehicles for photography and provided everyone with tea and biscuits.

My thanks go to David Cobb for organising a very interesting and enjoyable tour.

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