Porters (Dummer)
1949
Bedford OB
Duple C29F

HOD 75 was new to Western National in 1949. It has a Duple C29F body on the Bedford OB chassis, and the first view shows it in the Southsea rally on 8 June 1980. In this view it is in the livery of Porters of Dummer, near Basingstoke.

This second view, taken in The Broadway, Winchester, and shows it in the markings of Mervyn’s Coaches of Innersdown, also near Basingstoke. It is about to pass NXL 847,  AEC Regal from Eastern Belle. The date is 1st January 2009 and it’s another King Alfred running day.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies

03/04/17 – 08:43

In case anyone is (a) not familiar with the area and (b) interested, Dummer is the home village of Sarah Ferguson, Price Andrew’s "ex".

Pete Davies

04/04/17 – 07:05

Is this the same OB that turns up in all those wartime dramas pretending to be ten years older than it is?

Ronnie Hoye

04/04/17 – 08:45

Not ten years Ronnie. It was in Foyles War from 1941/42, and I think Miss Marple – So only seven years ish.

Pat Jennings

20/05/18 – 06:08

I’m pretty certain that was the exact same coach that used to take us to school there was two that took us and Porters rotated them sometimes we had the vintage one in the photo and other times we had their ultra modern brand new one.

Paul

14/11/20 – 08:01

It appears in "Woman in Black Angel of Death", supposedly in 1941 – eight years before it was built!

Ed

16/11/20 – 06:09

Not as bad as the Routemaster that turned up in Foyles War.
For a moment I thought I was watching Dr Who, and the Tardis had changed its disguise.

Ronnie Hoye

17/11/20 – 06:20

I understand that the series of Foyle’s War was filmed in Dublin, and the Routemaster was all that was available there.

Peter Williamson

Lodge (High Easter)
1956
Bedford SB
Duple C37F

MJB 481 was new to Chiltonia, of Chilton Foliat, in 1956. Chilton Foliat is near Hungerford and is mentioned in the television series ‘Band of Brothers’. It has a Duple body to the C37F layout although BLoW has it listed as C41F, we see it in the markings of Lodge, High Easter, near Chelmsford. It is at Duxford on 28 September 2003. Yes, it’s Showbus and it’s been raining!

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies

26/03/17 – 09:32

Lodges are getting quite a collection of vintage Bedfords.
WTL
BXM 568 Duple since 2/08 (under restoration)
OB’s
CFV 851 Duple Vista acquired 9/16 (under restoration)
LTA 752 Duple Vista open side 12/10
TMY 191 Duple Vista 11/06
FFS 867 Burlingham Seagull 2/17 (awaiting restoration)
SB’s
MJB 481 Duple Vega by -/89
EDD 685C Duple Bella Vega 2/14
VAM’s
DJL 126D Duple Bella Venture 2/14 (awaiting restoration)
HDL 126D Duple Bella Venture 8/15 (spares doner for DJL 126D) also
Chevrolet X
ES 8440 charabanc replica 4/15

John Wakefield

13/06/17 – 07:30

Re John Wakefield post Lodges coaches.
Bedford OB CFV851 is shown in a photo elsewhere taken by John showing Isle of Wight destinations. I believe this coach operated on the Island in the 1970s. Does anyone know who with and when

Andrew Mead

24/06/17 – 06:26

Andrew Mead asks if Lodges Bedford OB CFV 851 body has ever operated on the IoW
not according to the history I have on it. Although I don’t have a town for Couchman. After that it appeared to have spent time in Surrey, Gloucestershire & London before going to Fisher of Southend in 1976. It then spent 38 years in preservation with Doug Payne of Thundersley, Essex before going to Lodge in June 2016.
New to Wood t/a Seagull Coaches, Blackpool 3/48
?/?? Couchman, -?-
5/70 Chivers Coaches, Elstead
?/?? McCann, Forest Green
1/73 Taylor. London
1/74 Baker, -?- (dealer)
?/?? W.E. Preservations, -?-
-/76 Fisher, Southend
-/78 Doug Payne, Thundersley – kept at Castle Point Transport Museum
9/16 Lodge, High Easter 9/16

John Wakefield

14/02/20 – 06:42

Just to add to CFV 851’s history. Looks like it worked for Crouchman Garage on Maidstone Road, Lenham, Kent 1966-70 and prior to 1966 was with an operator on Station Approach in West Byfleet, Surrey for a few years after leaving Blackpool (possibly since 1957?). From 1/72 it operated for Tony McCann t/a McCann Coaches at Forest Green Garage, Dorking Surrey. Don’t know if anyone can further enlarge the info on Richard Haughey’s flickr photo!

Peter Hadfield

15/02/20 – 06:23

The only things I can add to the history of CFV 851 is that Wood withdrew it in February 1952, after which it passed to Howarth, West Byfleet (no dates recorded) and the Lenham operator was Couchman, rather than Crouchman, and it was acquired by him in October 1966.

John Kaye

16/02/20 – 06:07

Douglas Payne, the long time owner of CFV 851, published a booklet dated October 1989 containing a brief history and a number of early photos of S&J Wood Ltd, the coach’s original operator. Douglas had restored the coach to Wood’s Seagull Coaches livery, though whether it remained like that I do not know. In it, he records that he purchased the coach in May 1978 (recorded as -/78 above).

David Williamson

20/02/20 – 15:52

CFV 851 remained with Doug and in Seagull livery until he sold it the Andrew Lodge in 9/16 when it was painted in Lodge’s livery. For most of its life with Doug it was housed in the Castle Point Transport Museum on Canvey Island. In latter years it did not venture far, but now back into revenue earning service as part of Lodges heritage fleet. Numerous pics of it on Flickr.

John Wakefield

Berrys Coaches (Taunton)
1960
Bedford SB3
Duple C41F

107 GYC is a Bedford SB3 with Duple C41F body, new to Bowerman, Taunton, in 1960. In this view, it is in Lodmoor Car Park, Weymouth, showing ‘Berrys’ in the indicator box and visiting the annual rally, although it doesn’t appear to be taking part in it. I have recollections of submitting this in the past, but it hasn’t been published (possibly as too dark) but I have a new editor now, and I’ve managed to lighten it! The date is 1 July 1979.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies

22/01/17 – 13:03

(pic by ‘Showtrac’ via Flickr).

Bedford SB3 Duple Super Vega, 107 GYC passed to Andrew Hall, Winkhill by 1997 & then to current owner Roger Chambers of Bristol for preservation in 9/05, pic taken just prior to the move to Roger Chambers.

Sister vehicle 108 GYC also new to Bowerman, was last known with Redwoods of Hemyock. My pic shows it withdrawn in a barn at the rear of Brian Redwood’s bungalow in April 2004. Is it still there?
Both coaches had 7ft 6in wide bodies for the narrow Devon lanes.

John Wakefield

23/01/17 – 07:36

What a superb preservation of a grand unpretentious vehicle. My admiration of Bedford/Duple coaches knows no bounds – they "did what it says on the tin" and grand style and with no empty embellishments.

Chris Youhill

26/01/17 – 10:28

I have recently spoken to Redwoods & they still have 108 GYC in the shed as in my pic above. They have no plans to sell it at this time.

John Wakefield

28/04/18 – 07:47

That SB showing Doone Valley may have been ridden in by me, as it was a regular summer afternoon ride on Berrys from Taunton, including up Porlock Hill, along the narrow lanes to the Doone Valley Farm for tea, then Lynmouth (adults into the pub), and home immediately up Countisbury Hill.
The old Bedfords just engaged bottom gear and wound up the A39 1 in 4 gradients. It was a bit difficult for the cars behind on the steep hills who couldn’t quite manage the slow walking pace on the uphill.

Bill