Nostalgia Fest

If there’s one transport icon for which Bournemouth is famous – other than the Sunbeam trolleybuses, of course – it’s the large fleet of Alexander-bodied double decks new in service between 1969 and 1981.

There were 126 in total, on both Daimler and Atlantean chassis. Seating the almost-customary 74, the Alexander bodies changed little over the period and remained remarkably modern looking. Above all, though, they were pretty. With their reassuringly rounded domes and mouldings, they had curves in *all* the right places. As a bonus, the body style was not dissimilar to the 30 Weymann and 20 Metro-Cammell bodied double decks preceding them in Bournemouth, from 1964. All featured the unusual and informative four-indicator destination displays, with route numbers appearing on the nearside, long before DiPTAC suggested thus format should be the norm.

In total, 20 Feeltline/Alexanders were to convertible open top specification, during the years when Bournemouth Corporation and later Bournemouth Transport needed significantly more than Transdev Yellow Buses now requires.

One such open top Alexander bodied bus is in service this summer so, if you want a nostalgia fest, head to Boscombe. It’s on the new service 11 – itself a special number – linking Boscombe centre, car parks and its pier. Formerly Bournemouth Corporation no. 111 (DLJ 111L), it's a 1973 Daimler Fleetline CRL6/Alexander, formerly H43/31F but converted to permanent open top following an accident. It’s operated by Shamrock which has also numbered it 111.

The front and side destination indicators are recognisably pure Bournemouth, the headlights are neatly lower as delivered, the side traffic indicators have been replaced with frontal side/indictor clusters, the PAYE illuminated sign’s gone as has the front badge. But it doesn’t take much imagination to ‘see’ it as it would’ve been during its heyday. It also operated in the blue of Christchurch Buses.

At a fare of just 50p, this trip must be the bargain of the year.

This year's open tops