Part 2: Book Launch

After the previous day’s activities of surprising one of our members, we were back out the next day on Sunday 30th June. This time we were at a different event; a book launch. The book that was being launched was 'A 1950 Southampton Childhood' written by local authors James March and Penny Legg. Our involvement with the book dates back to late October 2012 when we received an email from Penny asking if we had a suitable bus image to complement the chapter on buses in the book.

After searching through the archives we found a suitable image to use. The bus which was to be used in the book was 204 – GTR 466; a Guy Arab III with Park Royal body. This was new to Southampton Transport in 1950. Due to the picture having to be scanned at high resolutions so that when printed in the book there was no problem with the quality of the picture, Tom, who did not have the equipment to scan the picture, arranged to take the picture to Penny and James to scan at high resolutions. As there was a deadline for the book to be finished we managed to find the picture for the book and have it to Penny and James a little over a week after they first contacted us.                                       

                                                            (204 - GTR 466)

After a few months of not hearing from Penny and James we received an email in February 2013 saying that the book was going to print in the next few weeks and they were going to arrange a launch for the book in May at The Dolphin Hotel in Southampton, and asked us if there would be any possibility that we could being 71 – LOW 217 along to the launch to allow guests at the launch to reminisce about buses in 1950s. After considering the request we obliged and agreed to help. Originally the launch was going to be on Sunday 19th May but due to delays in the printing of the book the launch was subsequently delayed also, until the book was ready and a new date was set. The new date was finalised and the launch date became Sunday 30th June.

On Tuesday 16th April David and Tom attended a meeting at The Dolphin Hotel along with Penny and James and Hotel manager Neil to go through the details of the launch. Also as part of the launch it was decided that guests would go for a small ride on 71 around town and stop off for a picnic along the way. The first choice to have the picnic was Mayflower Park in Southampton but for a number of reasons this could not happen so another location was looked for. The location that was chosen was Royal Victoria Country Park just outside the city in nearby Netley.

So after the original email some eight months ago the day of the launch had arrived. After the previous day’s busy activities, it was an early start with drivers and conductors arriving at ‘Mini Portswood’ just after 10:30am. Due to the number going to the launch it was also decided that 1 – JOW 499E would make an appearance. Just after 11:30am the buses arrived at The Dolphin Hotel and picked up the guests of the launch and headed out of the City over the Itchen Bridge and along Weston Shore to Royal Victoria Country Park.

                                           
                                                          (1 - JOW 499E & 71 - LOW 217)

A lovely hour or so was spent at Royal Victoria County Park where guests enjoyed the picnic and learning about the buses. We all headed back to The Dolphin Hotel where Penny and James gave a talk about the book. After an enjoyable time we headed back to the yard but a request by our chairman David was to picture the buses in Queen's Terrace in the city as major road works are currently being carried on Queen’s Terrace and the road system is to be changed. He wanted to get pictures of the buses before the roads are changed.

                                         
                                                       (1 - JOW 499E & 71 - LOW 217)

If you have a request that you think we could help with, why not contact us via email or via our social media – Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. In recent weeks to keep up to speed with the modern world we have uploaded some information to Wikipedia about Southampton Corporation Transport. If you have some information that you think needs to be added to it why not edit it or let us know and we can add it to the article. Also just to let you know that both Facebook and Twitter now use Hashtag # and our Hashtag is #oldsotonbus.

Part 1: Planning a surprise

Being a volunteer group most of our events take place during the weekend. Sometimes events do take place in the week but this is rare. Over the weekend of Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June we had two events; one being a simple event in the form of a book launch, and the other being something we never done before; a surprise afternoon out for one of the members of the Trust. On the face of it, it would seem simple to organise but as the member who was going to be receiving the surprise is a very active member of the Trust, it proved somewhat difficult.

So where did the idea to surprise one of our members come from? The member in question was Charnie Holden, a big contributor to the Trust. The story starts on Thursday 23rd May when our chairman David and website manager Tom went to the wash-up meeting for the Southampton Maritime Festival that happened in early May. After the meeting David and Tom were discussing another event that was happening at the end of June; that being the launch of a new book at the Dolphin Hotel in Southampton on Sunday 30th June, entitled ‘A 1950s Southampton Childhood’, written by local authors Penny Legg and James Marsh. The authors had contacted the Trust in late 2012 with a request for a picture of a Guy ‘Arab’ bus for the book, which we were happy to assist them with.

The book was due to be launched in May but due to the book being delayed the launch was put back to Sunday 30th June. 71 – LOW 217 was offered to be used as part of the launch to show guests attending the launch what buses would have been like in the 1950s. With 71 – LOW 217 coming out of where it’s kept for the weekend; somewhere in deepest darkest Hampshire, David and Tom discussed what else 71 could be used for over the weekend. Tom then had a thought. It was Trust member Charnie Holden’s 40th birthday in July so with 71 being down why not have a surprise outing? And so began the surprise plan.

Over the next couple of weeks the plan went a bit quiet, until the next Trust meeting on Monday 10th June where the matter was discussed, in particular on the matter of whether we could actually pull off such an event with the support of all of the Trust members, whilst also ensuring that Charnie remained none the wiser. The first job to do was to secretly contact Charnie’s wife Karen and let her know our plans and if she was up for it. So Tom messaged her via Facebook, and a few days later she replied saying “Sounds like a lovely idea - have you spoken to Ian?” Ian is Charnie’s right hand man. Charnie and Ian are childhood friends and Ian loves to pull a joke on Charnie from time to time. The next thing for Tom to do was to contact Ian, who was quite up for the idea.

Following this, Trust chairman David sent an email out to members announcing the idea but here was where we hit our first problem as most of our internal communication is done via email, so we had to make sure all members were aware that no email about the weekend could be sent to Charnie. Luckily no emails were sent to Charnie before the event and a number of checks were done the week before the surprise, with Tom texting Charnie to see what he was up to and even Tom sending Charnie a picture of the event he was supposed to be going to on Saturday 29th June. There was a bit of a panic at one stage as a few days before we received a text from Dave, another member, to say he was going to work on 402 - KOW 910F on Saturday evening as 402 had suffered a fuel starvation problem a few days before the planned surprise. 402 was the bus Charnie and Ian had rebuilt the side on a few months ago; Charnie’s wife was messaged to let her know his plans for Saturday and to make sure he was in at 4pm for a knock on the door that he would never expect.

                                     
                                            (71 - LOW 217 & 361 - BTR 361B) 

By this time only a few days before the event the plans were finalised. The plan was for trust members to meet at ‘Mini Portswood’ at 3pm on the Saturday and get the buses ready. It was decided that three buses would be used. 71, which was down for the book launch the next day, 402, which Charnie has spent countless hours on over the last few years, and a very special guest in the form of an East Kent Coach, which is owned by one of our members. This vehicle is normally kept in Kent but was on a visit to Southampton and so was able to come along for the surprise as well. The route, which was also planned comprised of a short tour around Southampton, ending in Riverside Park for a small buffet.

The day had arrived and after weeks of planning it was time to put the plan in action. Members arrived at ‘Mini Portswood’ at 3pm on Saturday 29thto get 71 – LOW 217 and 402 – KOW 910F ready for the off. East Kent Coach FFN 446 was being kept elsewhere so mobile contact had to be given as we were leaving the yard to ensure that the coach would be in position ready for the surprise. ‘Happy Birthday’ banners were attached to the buses. As we set off to depart however, we were hit by an unfortunate problem. 402 would not start, so it was decided at the last minute to leave her at home and take 361 – BTR 361B instead. Then just before 3:30pm the buses were off and heading for Woolston. We knew that Charnie would be in as he was not planning to go up to 402 until late in the evening as Ian said he was working late and was unable to make it until later on in the day. We knew however that this was not true and was part of the surprise. It was arranged that all three buses would meet at Peartree Church just outside of Woolston and then head off in convoy to Charnie’s house. 
                                    
                                       (East Kent - FFN 446 & 71 - LOW 217)

Before the buses got to Charnie’s house for the shock of his life, family and friends were picked up and then the buses were put in position. Then, after weeks of planning the moment had arrived. It was time to knock the door and give him the surprise of his life. It was decided that long time friends of Charnie, Ian and Dave would knock the door along with Tom, who was filming the moment. They were stood outside the house and it seemed like ages before the door was opened and when it finally was Dave said “Is Charnie coming out to play”. Within seconds of the door opening where a shocked Charn stood and speachless. Then he realised that he had been got and that everyone had mangled together to plan the whole event without him knowing.

                                           

                                                 

                                                             (Charnie and Karen)

After a few minutes everyone was loaded onto the buses for the off. The first stop on the tour was Ocean Village, and from there we headed through the City Centre up to Portswood, passing what was the home of Southampton Transport for many years before the depot closed in 2010. After going through Portswood we headed for ‘Daisy Dip’ in the north of the City between Swaythling and Bassett, where Charnie spent most of his childhood. Finally we headed for Riverside Park where we would enjoy and small buffet and celebrate Charnie’s coming of age. Thankfully the weather was pleasant and we didn’t experience the rain that is normally a main feature of the British summer. After an enjoyable hour or so it was decided to round everyone up for a group picture and then start the journey back. 361 headed straight back to the yard as some members had other things planned, the East Kent Coach went back to the yard where it was being kept, and this left 71 to take Charnie and his family and friends back home, before heading back to ‘Mini
Portswood’.   
                                      

                                      


              We would like to thanks everyone who was involved in organising the event.

In Part 2, we take a look at the day after the surprise when we went to a book launch with 1 – JOW 499E & 71 – LOW 217.