'Prince Bladud' at Bath Bus Station ? 1991

Image: © Alan Murray-Rust Taken: 6 Jul 1991

This is a bus with a long and colourful history. It started life with Bristol Tramways & Carriage Co in 1941 before moving to the Brighton, Hove & District company where it was converted to open-top for sea front service. In 1965 it was bought by Thomas Bros of Port Talbot, then passed back to Bristol Omnibus in 1969, operating tours in Weston-super-Mare for many years. It went into preservation in 1979, then again reverted to Bristol Omnibus in 1985, operating with it and its successors until 2003, since when it has been in the hands of the Bristol Vintage Bus Group. In the 1990s it was operating open-top tours in Bath in conjunction with Stratford-based company Guide Friday, and is shown in this condition in this view. The location is the old bus station in Bath, subsequently built over by a large Debenhams store, the future of which is uncertain at the time of writing. The Royal Hotel in the background was key to the exact location of this view.

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