Latest update: 3 September 2010 

This page gives up-to-date major news items to supplement our monthly newsletter, •The London Bus• (TLB). Items noted here will be incorporated in the next issue of TLB in greater detail. News updates will usually be weekly, by Sunday evening, but if major stories arise we will attempt to announce them sooner. Reports more than a month old and already reported in TLB are deleted. Reports for the TLB Editors and communications to Society Officers can be sent by e-mail to "lotsed@tesco.net". TLB covers the operations and vehicles of around 120 companies working local bus services in Greater London and the Home Counties in the region roughly bounded by the old London Transport country-bus operating area. Each issue is typically 40 pages containing references to around 300 routes and 1000 vehicles, together with the business and political news, the publicity output of the companies, forthcoming exhibitions and rallies, and much more. To get the full picture, why not join now? Go to the Membership Page for details.

Society news

Forthcoming Conway Hall meetings 

Meetings are held monthly (except August) and usually commence at 19:30. Doors open 18:00 with sales stands available from 18:30. Meetings usually finish by 22:00. There is no charge.

Monday 20th September: "60 years of travelling on London's buses". John Parkin uses a digital presentation to show how bus travel and photography has been involved in the first sixty years of his life. For example, he says that it might show buses that were around from the time he started work in Epsom, then in Potters  Bar and elsewhere. Lived in places in outer south London, went out a lot on Red and Green Rovers, did last RT nights and so on.

Monday 18th October:  Andy Corbett will do a presentation on London Buses' iBus Project.

Monday 22nd November:  Graham Smith will do a photographic presentation, details t.b.a.

Monday 20th December:  No meeting in the Hall, but free Christmas Bus Rides, 7.30pm from Red Lion Square.

Conway Hall is located at Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL.
Nearest Underground station: Holborn (Central and Piccadilly Lines)
Buses: 1, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 59, 68, 91, 98, 168, 171, 188, 242, 243 & 521 stop nearby. 

The London Bus (TLB)

TLB 552 was posted on 17 August. The closing date for reports for TLB 553 is 3 September and it is due for posting on 14 September.

New sales items from LOTS

We are currently holding back a number of Postal Sales orders for certain of John Hambley's books, notably the RT Part 5.  Sadly, John Hambley died recently and there is a delay in procuring further supplies.  Orders will be fulfilled a.s.a.p.

The Summer 2010 London Bus Magazine, LBM152, is now available price £5.00 (note revised price).  The main article covers memories of buses in the Bromley area 1936-56. It also contains features on the passing of route 179 in Barking and bus blinds, plus the usual Around & About and book reviews.

Three other new items on the Sales List include two hardback all-colour albums from Capital Transport :  

The Bluebell Railway (£16.95) covers scenes from its years of existence.

The Colours of the South Downs book (£19.95) covers the 1960/70s period of Southdown buses with plenty of Brighton, Eastbourne and Portsmouth Corporations as well.    

And as a contrast, we have the 2010 edition of the Southdown Enthusiasts' Club Fleetbook, covering Stagecoach SE, Brighton & Hove, First Hampshire & Dorset (£6.50).

Orders can be sent to LOTS Postal Sales at Unit N305 Westminster Business Square, 1-45 Durham Street, Vauxhall, London SE11 5JH.  See the Sales Page for full list of sales items. 

Forthcoming events follow Latest News.

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Non-members may wish to look at a sample issue of TLB.
Hopefully this will whet your appetite for joining LOTS!

Latest news

Sunday 29 August

There are no significant news events to report this week.

Sunday 22 August

No major news events to report this week, so a few reminders of forthcoming events. Other than the mass of route changes in Surrey, slightly less in Essex, Herts, Berks and London(all listed in TLBs 551 and 552), there is the Ensign vintage running day on Saturday and the Colindale running day on Sunday (scroll down here to the Events list), not to mention the annual "West London bus rally" otherwise known as the Notting Hill Carnival which attracts well over 100 extra buses and four special bus routes. 

Sunday 15 August

1) Tiger Line's competitive route T5 Amersham- Hemel- St Albans- Hatfield duly began last Monday 9th, using ex Ulsterbus Leyland Tiger buses.  This Monday 16th Harlow will see yet more competition when SM Coaches increase their 18 to Bishop's Stortford and continue with their frequent 19/20 to Epping and Ongar, each against Arriva.  Olympus add the M2 to Staple Tye to their M4 to Latton Bush, also against Arriva. Roadrunner begin R3 from Harlow to Hoddesdon and Waltham Cross against Centrebus.  Arriva in Harlow are now using several Darts and Scanias from Excel, emphasizing their link between Arriva/ Excel/ T-GM.

2) The new network in NW Surrey from 28th August has now been settled and a full detailed listing takes four pages in TLB552, due for posting in the coming week. Notable is the amount of commercial operation from Abellio, Arriva, Countryliner and First which will have helped Surrey CC's finances and allowed retention of some threatened service cuts and introduction of several new Sunday services.  Arriva's single former Pegasus Dart for the 436 is now back at Guildford from repaint, and the others with Safeguard (x3), Southdown (x4) and Abellio (x14) are in the process of preparation and/or repaint.

3) London's 28th August programme is on course with the main changes to the 15/159 and 208/320 and several tender renewals in the Croydon area. The latter should see entry into service of at least some of the 27 Enviro400s (T 118-144) currently being delivered to Arriva to upgrade part of the allocations on routes 50, 198 and 250.

See TLB for earlier reports, or join LOTS! 

Forthcoming events
(updated 3 September)

Note that all other events are publicised as a service to the readership, on behalf of organisers; LOTS has no involvement or responsibility for any event noted. We usually confine ourselves to those events with an expected London bus interest or within easy access from the London area. All special operations that may be listed below are subject to vehicle availability on the day and passenger carriage may be at the discretion of the vehicle owners and crews.   

Saturday 4th September:  NLTS bus display (10am-4.30pm)  at Chingford, Royal Forest Hotel, plus local free rides with RT/RM/RML/RF to e.g:  Chingford Mount, Wake Arms and High Beech.

RT 3871 is due to run to the event from Dagenham New Road, departing 09:30.

Sunday 5th September  Country  bus running day based at Randalls Road Car Park, near to Leatherhead Rail Station.

Saturday 11th September: NLTS event at Theydon Bois. Bazaar in village hall open 11am-3.30pm entry £2 (accompanied under 16s free). About 40 sales stands, display of buses and classic cars nearby, plus local free bus rides over parts of former routes 20A,167A,175A,250. A combined programme for 4th and 11th September is £3.00 (or £3.50 by post from NLTS, 8 The Rowans, London N13 5AD).

 
Sat/Sun 11/12th September:  RAF Battle of Britain weekend, free bus service using buses from 1940 linking the RAF Museum with Colindale and Mill Hill Stations.

NEW Sunday 12th September: Amersham Heritage Day.

Sunday 26 September:
Showbus at Duxford 

Sunday 3 October :
Amersham runnning day