Sitting Down, Sitting Comfortably, Sittingbourne (1)

Several years ago fbb was contacted by one Clive Cheeseman who wanted some maps. After some discussion, fbb prepared a small series to provide background for Mr C's magnum opus about independent bus companies in and around Sittingbourne.

For a number of very good reasons, the magnum opus became a little less magnum and materialised as a delightful 64 page well illustrated A5 volume published by The Provincial Historic Research Group of the Omnibus Society.

This is the sort of book fbb likes. It is a genuine work of personal dedication and research. Its chapter headings show the scope of this modest but revealing work/.

The author builds his tale round one small operator, Jessops of Frinsted, a village south of Sittingbourne. 

There is an introduction to the firm in an on-line forum and fbb has done a bit of expurging to set the scene.

Percy Jessop purchased the Kingsdown Arms in Frinsted in 1924. Quite when he purchased his first bus is not known but an unidentified 'bus' was destroyed in a fire there in 1930.

It is thought he had an early school contract from Wormshill to Doddington after the village school closed around that time and I have heard local stories of a lorry or lorry-bus having been used.

The Friday service into Sittingbourne probably started before 1930 as Maidstone & District only then came out as far as Milstead.

The Jessop service operated on an express licence and never issued a timetable or tickets. No one seems to have photographed a vehicle operating it despite it surviving for so long.

Other operators in the rural area in the twenties were Elvy of Doddington and Fullager, of Milstead. It is not known if either actually ran a 'bus service' as such.

The story of the growth of public transport is ably covered in the early chapters, beginning with "horse and cart" general carriers, the purchase of motor buses, haphazard licensing in the hands of Local Councils and, of course, the introduction of Road Service Licensing in 1933. The steady takeovers of smaller companies by Maidstone and District completes the pattern that was repeated all over our Green and Pleasant Land. 

One of fbb's world famous commissioned cartographic creations gives an overview of Jessop's minimalist "network" ...

... based on the author's requirements.

Jessops were lovers of the ubiquitous OB; here MKP 810 is seen in its declining years.

Jessops closed down in 1973, allowing Maidstone and Disrict to extend its Tilsted service to Frinsted. The M & D service is long gone and current local operator Chalkwell gets no closer that Doddington or Rodmersham Green.

Their diagram is somewhat weak geographically ...

... and it would seem that the 343 no longer runs, possibly infected by the dreaded virus. Likewise the Doddington service currently only runs Monday to Friday, as per this timetable extract.

The apparent duplicate journeys refer to Schoolday and School Holiday variants - fbb forgot to copy the column heading notes!

It would be unhelpful for fbb to go into too much detail about the book's contents - suffice it to say that it is a good and informative read (perhaps a little easier to follow if you have a map of the area handy) and well worth the £9.95 cover price.

Sellers are already eager to take your money on-line and a company that specialises in the Omnibus Society publications can be found (here).

One delight of the book is the section at the rear entitled "Personal Reminiscences". Here is just one joyous extract.

It is stuff like this that turns noble history into something that is vibrant and real. This is not route history, or a list of vehicle types and their dates of operation although both are important and well covered in Clive's book; but this is real people, real bus drivers and real bus operation.

Wonderful stuff.

Having raced a little over-hurriedly through the volume to prepare this review, fbb wondered how much of the action of the book can be seen on the ground today.

There may be no buses at Frinsted but can we see where they once were?

Come back tomorrow and see!

Bicton College Bus Contract

Bicton College is a college with around 1,000 full-time and 3,500 part-time pupils, located near Budleigh Salterton, Devon, England. The college specialises in agriculture and currently offers courses in such topics as animal care, countryside management, horticulture, veterinary nursing, and agricultural engineering, aboriculture and floristry.

The college is not very far from fbb mansions ...

... located in Bicton House at Otterton, just north of Budleigh Salterton.

Despite the location, the contract for college buses from the start of the autumn term has been awarded to First Kernow - whose HQ at Camborne is a modest 110 miles away!

The services cover a wide area ...

... and are all scheduled to arrive at 0900 (9.00am) and leave the college at 1700 (5.00pm).

Farmers, as we all know, do not have any truck with novelties like the 24 hour clock!

The contract requires 12 re-liveried buses.

Big deal, big business, and with a bob or two in profit?

 Next Sittingbourne blog : Friday 21st August