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Aldershot Buses Centenary Celebration Raises Money for Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice
BACKGROUND: On the 1st June 1906 the very first motor omnibus service was operated between Aldershot and Farnborough by the Aldershot and Farnborough Motor Omnibus Co Limited, direct predecessor to the Aldershot & District Traction Company Ltd, (later to become Alder Valley), and of the current local bus operator, Stagecoach Hants and Surrey. On Sunday June 4th 2006, the Aldershot & District Bus Interest Group (ADBIG), Stagecoach Hants & Surrey and Southwest Trains, joined forces to organise a very special charity event to commemorate the centenary, not only with the aim of recreating some of the bus services running in the area over the last 100 years, but also of raising money for the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice. ADBIG organised a Bus Running Day with well over sixty veteran buses descending on Aldershot to give free bus rides over historic bus routes in and around the town. Many of these buses were survivors from the Aldershot & District fleet running in the area during the 1950’s and 60’s. Stagecoach held a Public Open Day at their Halimote Road Bus Garage, home of Aldershot’s buses since 1914 and Southwest Trains permitted the main Aldershot Railway Station Car Park, terminus point of the very first bus service in 1906, to be used free of charge for the day as the main centre of operations. June 4th proved to be warm and sunny and several thousand people attended the event, with £1000 raised from the sale of programmes, etc, for the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Appeal. Further information: email - bill.tutty @ ntlworld.com: web - www.adbig.co.uk |
