What Happened To Their Heritage?
Our family vintage bus collection began in 1979 when we acquired our first bus, which was RT 3232, an AEC Regent ex London Transport.
Much to the angst of London bus experts, RT 3232 appeared in Ensign Bus livery ...
... but now wears something much more to its history.
Excellent!At that time the family owned Ensign Bus Company Ltd, based in Purfleet, Essex, and over time the fleet grew to around 60 buses and coaches.
But they didn’t just sit in a shed - they were used to do what they did best - carry passengers! It could be a Wedding Party, a Celebration, a Corporate event, travelling the streets of London helping out on service when there was an emergency- a whole host of things!
Our buses appeared in countless films and television productions, and you would be surprised at how many times you may have seen our buses on screen and not realised it
We sold Ensignbus to First Bus in March 2023, but the sale did not include the vintage bus collection and the family decided to build a Bus Museum to house them all.
We are a family with a passion for buses, and everyone has played a part in bringing this dream to reality
So come along and enjoy your time with the family!
But before we take a look at the museum, we needs to answer the headline question. We know that First Bus has abandoned route branding, local liveries and regional identities in favour of corporate dark blue ...
... not forgetting a logo from the doodles of ahn infant school youngster.
But none of this policy appears to have filtered from corporate tedium world into the local identity in Grays and Purfleet. No sign of First Ensign!
Unlike the rest of First's rapidly reducing empire, Ensign still produces a timetable book ...
... including a high quality network map showing 'favourites' like the X80 ...
... to Bluewater and the 99 ...... to connect with the ferry to Gravesend.
Only, of course it doesn't. The passenger ferry to Gravesend no longer exists but the 99 runs every 30 minutes to connect with it! fbb thinks that National Rail or C2C pays a wedge towards the 99 as a rail replacement bus for the closed station at Tilbury Riverside.
The timetable also includes - wait for the shock -- other operators' services as here at Grays!
And the booklet shows fares!
Somebody should tell First Bus how to do it elsewhere!
The highlight of the pre-First Ensign year was it's running day. A series of special routes were run as fully registered bus services and we do know that First has cancelled these registrations.
So no more Running Days with a truly eclectic mix of vehicles?
More modern buses of fond memory would turn up to the delight of enthusiasts.
fbb has never enjoyed an Ensign running day, but he has ridden the ferry from Gravesend and used the 99 to meet up with a train at Tilbury Town. It was almost as good as a Heritage day but far more spooky at the desolate Riverside!
But Ensign had another 99 ...
... this time named after the iconic ice cream plus flake.
Maybe it's a bit more pricey now? The seafront services at Sarfend were rejuvenated and richly rescued by Ensign. Let's hope that First doesn't "do a Cornwall" with these popular buses.
So Peter Newman, ex owner of Ensign has set up a museum.
(Sorry about the bodged reproduction!). It's not cheap!
The Isle of Wight bus museum is "donations only" - they reckon they take more money than they did when they charged admission,
The display looks rather boring, but the picture might have been taken during set up,
Poole Farm is just South of Great Yeldham ...
Bus 89 passes the entrance, but it is not particularly frequent.
But the Museum runs its own bus when the attraction is open, that's weekends and bank holidays only. Surely it should open during school holidays.
Worth a visit? Seems a lot to pay if you need a bus to get there - plus a train fare to Braintree.
fbb will be happy to publish pictures and comment. Send to:-
fbb@xephos.com
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First take a bit of etched brass ...
... and bend it using that brass etch bending tool.Solder the bends and joins for strength ...... then fit little brass cups into four holes.Exciting isn't it.
Fear not, this is not fbb at work.
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Traversing the Tone blog : Tues 14 Apr
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