Alder Valley
Encyclopedia
The Thames Valley and Aldershot Omnibus Company, trading as Alder Valley, was a former bus operator in England
.
(A&D) and Thames Valley Traction
(TV) in January 1972. The name Alder Valley was an amalgamation of the former names, but not representing any geographical feature or area. Despite the merger, the company initially maintained two divisions, Reading
(covering the former TV area) and Aldershot
covering A&D's area, each of which continued to issue its own timetable booklet. From 1 November 1973 these divisions were renamed North and South. Thames Valley had also managed the South Midland express services between Oxford and London, but these had been transferred to City of Oxford Motor Services in 1971. The new company's head office was at the former TV headquarters in Reading, but the Aldershot office was retained as a divisional HQ, and, in 1981, became the Head Office, allowing the Reading site to be sold for redevelopment.
carried a silver and red livery in honour of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Later, coaches carried a livery of white with an angular application of black and red horizontal stripes; this was also applied to the company's open-top double-decker based at Aldershot depot (see illustration). Coaches used on the London express services carried "Londonlink" branding from this point. There were, however, a large number of variations from the above standards.
company with a varied fleet including mostly Dennis Loline
s and AEC Reliance
s, Thames Valley had a typical Tilling Group fleet comprising almost entirely Bristol
vehicles. Some cross-border swapping of vehicles occurred between the two divisions after the merger. Through NBC days, Alder Valley adopted the Leyland National
and Bristol VRT as its standard single and double deck buses. In the early/mid-1970s there was a severe shortage of vehicles, resulting in the hiring-in of a varied fleet which included a Trans World Airlines
double decker noted on services from Aldershot, including the service 12 to Reading in 1974; a number of elderly City of Oxford AEC Reliances in maroon and green livery, which operated Aldershot local services; and at least two ageing Sheffield United Tours coaches which operated daily on the Farnham to London service. Vehicle shortages (together with poor staff morale and retention) led to poor customer service at this time, with many service cancellations.
In the lead up to deregulation, Alder Valley was again split into North and South. Initially, North and South were added to the company names. The NBC red livery was maintained initially, although it wasn't long before Alder Valley North experimented with various combinations of red, yellow and grey.
. Oxford Bus ran them as Wycombe Bus, but sold them to Arriva
in 2000 (after Oxford Bus had itself been sold to the Go-Ahead Group
). In 1992 the Bee Line sold the Reading and Newbury operations to Reading Transport. In 1993 the company expanded when the former London Country North West
depot at Slough
was acquired from Luton & District, although this led to the closure of Maidenhead
depot. In 1996 the remaining operations were sold to Centrewest London Buses Ltd, which was then merged into First, who renamed the company First Beeline Limited and rebranded it as First Berkshire
.
. In 1992 the rest of the company was sold to Stagecoach
as Stagecoach in Hants & Surrey. The once impressive Londonlink network also went into terminal decline. The remnant of the network is a Green Line
service from Bracknell to London operated by First Berkshire.
, with depots there and in Staines
. As of February 2008, the company operated four routes on behalf of Surrey County Council
: services 84 between Bisley
and Camberley
(Collingwood College
), 85 (Ash
and Collingwood College), 690 Winston Churchill School to Brookwood
and Worplesdon
and 828 Knaphill
to Guildford
. The company ceased trading on 22 May 2009, its vehicles and routes passing to Atbus
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The NBC era
The Thames Valley and Aldershot Omnibus Company was formed by the merger of two National Bus Company (NBC) subsidiaries, Aldershot and District TractionAldershot and District Traction
Aldershot & District Traction Company Limited was a major bus company operating services in East Hampshire, West Surrey and parts of adjoining counties for sixty years during the 20th century, from 1912 until 1972 when it became part of Alder Valley....
(A&D) and Thames Valley Traction
Thames Valley Traction
Thames Valley Traction Company Limited was a major bus company operating services to and from Reading, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Newbury, High Wycombe and Oxford and surrounding areas for over 50 years during the 20th century...
(TV) in January 1972. The name Alder Valley was an amalgamation of the former names, but not representing any geographical feature or area. Despite the merger, the company initially maintained two divisions, Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
(covering the former TV area) and Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
covering A&D's area, each of which continued to issue its own timetable booklet. From 1 November 1973 these divisions were renamed North and South. Thames Valley had also managed the South Midland express services between Oxford and London, but these had been transferred to City of Oxford Motor Services in 1971. The new company's head office was at the former TV headquarters in Reading, but the Aldershot office was retained as a divisional HQ, and, in 1981, became the Head Office, allowing the Reading site to be sold for redevelopment.
Liveries
The buses began to be painted in dark red and cream, with small Tilling-style Alder Valley fleetnames with gold coloured lettering in early 1972. In keeping with the NBC policy, however, poppy red was soon applied (from December 1972), with a white stripe at waist level (single-deckers) or above the lower windows (double-deckers), along with white double-N logo, bold white fleetnames and light grey wheels. The logo later appeared in red and blue on a round-cornered white rectangular background. In the early days of the NBC livery, cream coloured NBC-style fleetnames/logos were applied to those vehicles which retained A&D two-tone green/cream or the early red/cream liveries. Alder Valley coaches were painted white all over with the red and blue "NATIONAL" fleetname and logo, with the Alder Valley fleetname less-prominently. "Dual-purpose" vehicles (i.e. bus -bodied vehicles fitted with coach seats and used mainly on long-distance stage-carriage services but also on express services, private hire, excursions and local stage-carriage services) were painted poppy red below waist level and white above, with red fleetnames and logos. A variation was a white livery with broad red band at waist level. In 1977 (and for some time afterwards) a Dennis LolineDennis Loline
The Dennis Loline is a double-decker bus built by Dennis between 1958 and 1967. It is essentially the same as the Bristol Lodekka but has an upgraded Dennis chassis.Aldershot and District Traction was the largest operator of the Dennis Loline....
carried a silver and red livery in honour of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Later, coaches carried a livery of white with an angular application of black and red horizontal stripes; this was also applied to the company's open-top double-decker based at Aldershot depot (see illustration). Coaches used on the London express services carried "Londonlink" branding from this point. There were, however, a large number of variations from the above standards.
Vehicle fleet
While A&D was a BETBritish Electric Traction
British Electric Traction Company Limited, renamed BET plc in 1985, was a large British industrial conglomerate. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by Rentokil in 1996, and the merged company is now known as Rentokil Initial.- Early history :The company was founded as...
company with a varied fleet including mostly Dennis Loline
Dennis Loline
The Dennis Loline is a double-decker bus built by Dennis between 1958 and 1967. It is essentially the same as the Bristol Lodekka but has an upgraded Dennis chassis.Aldershot and District Traction was the largest operator of the Dennis Loline....
s and AEC Reliance
AEC Reliance
The AEC Reliance was a single-deck bus or coach chassis with a mid-underfloor-mounted engine, built by AEC in Southall, west London, England between 1953 and 1979. The name had previously been used between 1928 and 1931 for another single-deck bus chassis....
s, Thames Valley had a typical Tilling Group fleet comprising almost entirely Bristol
Bristol Commercial Vehicles
Bristol Commercial Vehicles was a vehicle manufacturer of in Bristol, England. Most production was of buses but trucks and railbus chassis were also built....
vehicles. Some cross-border swapping of vehicles occurred between the two divisions after the merger. Through NBC days, Alder Valley adopted the Leyland National
Leyland National
The Leyland National is a British single-deck bus built in large quantities between 1972 and 1985. It was developed as a joint project between two UK nationalised industries - the National Bus Company and British Leyland. Buses were constructed at a specially built factory at the Lillyhall...
and Bristol VRT as its standard single and double deck buses. In the early/mid-1970s there was a severe shortage of vehicles, resulting in the hiring-in of a varied fleet which included a Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
double decker noted on services from Aldershot, including the service 12 to Reading in 1974; a number of elderly City of Oxford AEC Reliances in maroon and green livery, which operated Aldershot local services; and at least two ageing Sheffield United Tours coaches which operated daily on the Farnham to London service. Vehicle shortages (together with poor staff morale and retention) led to poor customer service at this time, with many service cancellations.
Depots
Depots were maintained at Newbury, Reading, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Bracknell, Aldershot, Guildford, Woking, Hindhead and Alton.Operation
As well as local services, Alder Valley also ran frequent express coach services from Farnham and Reading into London, and seasonal services to the south coast. With changes in legislation in the early 1980s, the London services were mostly switched to the motorways (M3 and M4) and re-branded as "Londonlink". These services enjoyed a healthy boom period for a decade or so, with greatly expanded commuter services.Decline
At the same time, local services were in decline and the Market Analysis Project (MAP) resulted in severe reductions in mileage, the end of any remaining two-person bus operation, and a reduction in the fleet size. Local fleetnames were applied to buses and publicity, and the Blackwater Valley MAP scheme saw the revival of the Aldershot & District name, while other areas were less fortunate (Forestride, Weyfarer, etc.). These names vanished after a couple of years.In the lead up to deregulation, Alder Valley was again split into North and South. Initially, North and South were added to the company names. The NBC red livery was maintained initially, although it wasn't long before Alder Valley North experimented with various combinations of red, yellow and grey.
Alder Valley North / The Bee Line
With deregulation in 1986, Alder Valley North rebranded as the Berks Bucks Bus Company, trading as The Bee Line, and went for a yellow and grey livery adorned with bees. It was sold to Q Drive in 1987. The company was shrinking. It retreated first from High Wycombe, where the operations were sold in 1990 to the Oxford Bus CompanyOxford Bus Company
Oxford Bus Company is a bus operator serving the city and surrounding area of Oxford, England and is the trading name of City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd. It is now a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group...
. Oxford Bus ran them as Wycombe Bus, but sold them to Arriva
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
in 2000 (after Oxford Bus had itself been sold to the Go-Ahead Group
Go-Ahead Group
The Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...
). In 1992 the Bee Line sold the Reading and Newbury operations to Reading Transport. In 1993 the company expanded when the former London Country North West
London Country North West
London Country North West was a bus operator in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, England. It was formed in 1986 when London Country Bus Services was broken up, and acquired by Luton & District in 1990.-History:...
depot at Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
was acquired from Luton & District, although this led to the closure of Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
depot. In 1996 the remaining operations were sold to Centrewest London Buses Ltd, which was then merged into First, who renamed the company First Beeline Limited and rebranded it as First Berkshire
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley is a bus operator serving Bracknell, Slough and Wokingham, in England. It is part of First Group, a major bus and train operator with a turnover of nearly £2.5 billion a year and 62,000 employees across the UK and North America...
.
Alder Valley South / Alder Valley
Alder Valley South, meanwhile, was also privatised in 1987. It dropped the South from its name and adopted a two-tone green and yellow livery. It was sold again in 1988 to Q Drive, but the new owners sold the Guildford/Woking operations in 1990 - they eventually became part of ArrivaArriva Guildford and West Surrey
Arriva Guildford & West Surrey is a bus operator based in Guildford, England, part of the Arriva group. The company operates services in West Sussex and Surrey, as part of the Arriva Southern Counties division...
. In 1992 the rest of the company was sold to Stagecoach
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
as Stagecoach in Hants & Surrey. The once impressive Londonlink network also went into terminal decline. The remnant of the network is a Green Line
Green Line Coaches
Green Line is a commuter coach brand in the Home Counties of England. It is owned by the Arriva group.Green Line has its origin in the network of coach services established by the London General Omnibus Company in the 1920s and 1930s...
service from Bracknell to London operated by First Berkshire.
Alder Valley Travel
The Alder Valley name was revived in 2002, when a new firm, Alder Valley (South) Limited, was registered, trading under the name of Alder Valley Travel. The company operated a fleet of vehicles on private hire work, school contracts, stage carriage bus services and rail replacement services, and was based in AltonAlton, Hampshire
Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...
, with depots there and in Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
. As of February 2008, the company operated four routes on behalf of Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 80 elected councillors.The council is controlled by the Conservative party.The leader of the council is David Hodge....
: services 84 between Bisley
Bisley, Surrey
Bisley is a large village in Surrey, England, which is notable for rifle shooting. Bisley's immediate neighbours are West End, Chobham and Knaphill.- History :...
and Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
(Collingwood College
Collingwood College, Surrey
Collingwood College is a state secondary school located in Camberley, Surrey, England for 11-18 year olds.-Admissions:It is one of the best secondary schools in Surrey, and the third biggest in the UK, with over 2000 pupils, including more than 400 in the Sixth Form...
), 85 (Ash
Ash, Surrey
Ash is a village and civil parish in the borough of Guildford, Surrey, with a population of 17,549 according to the 2001 census. It is at the far west of the Guildford borough, and the urban development in the parish runs directly into Aldershot, which is on the western side of the River...
and Collingwood College), 690 Winston Churchill School to Brookwood
Brookwood, Surrey
Brookwood is a village in Surrey, located about 5 km west of Woking, in a semi-rural location. It lies on the western border of the Woking Borough ....
and Worplesdon
Worplesdon
Worplesdon is a village in Surrey, England, located three miles north of Guildford. Worplesdon is also the name of the parish that also includes the settlements of Fairlands, Jacobs Well, Perry Hill, and Wood Street Village. Nearby villages include Pirbright and Deepcut, with significant military...
and 828 Knaphill
Knaphill
Knaphill is an urban village in Surrey, UK. To the east is Woking, to the west, eventually, is Aldershot, while to the south and north on the A322 – which forms its effective western border – are Brookwood, and Bisley, respectively. Some of the village is set on a hill, hence the...
to Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
. The company ceased trading on 22 May 2009, its vehicles and routes passing to Atbus
Atbus
Atbus Ltd is a UK bus operating company formed in March 2006, which operates a fleet of buses from depots in Staines and Normandy, Surrey. The company's office is at Ashford, Surrey...
.
Other uses
Alder Valley Coaches Ltd has a presence on the web but is the fictional "company" of a model bus enthusiast.Further reading
- "Aldershot's Buses" by Peter Holmes
- "National Bus Company: The Early Years" by Kevin Lane
- "National Bus Company: The Road to Privatisation" by Kevin Lane
External links
- ADBIG website
- Alder Valley Travel website
- Model Bus Zone collectors' page - diecast scale models of Aldershot & District, Thames Valley and Alder Valley buses