Preparation for an MOT starts some 2 months before it is due. Sometimes the advisory from the previous year means the purchase of a new tyre or a little bit of bodywork. 596 had rust in the cab floor and o/s mudguard.

At first this was going to be a case of patch weld and paint but the holes got larger as loose rust was removed. In the end it was decided to replace the cab floor and find a new wing. Easier said than done! The wing had to be removed to get at the floor underneath. The floor was fabricated in 2 parts, as there are folds in 3 planes. Fitting was fairly straightforward with new wood fillets shaped.

The wing was a major problem. The wing on "Betsie", the prototype Renown we have for spares, was as bad as 596's. By contacting fellow restorers we found that AEC Renown wings are unobtainable and have to be fabricated. On looking at a Regent wing it appeared similar. On comparing the important measurements it was found to have the correct curvature but was smaller in circumference and other critical differences.

In the morning drivers rostered to drive her on running day used 704 for driving experience. With twin-steer she is rather different to the other vehicles in the FoKAB fleet.

In the afternoon, 595 as used, as one our new drivers had neither driven her before nor the routes rostered on running day.

Members and other new crews acted as passengers so that the trainee conductors learnt how to control boarding and alighting and the issue of tickets -at 1960s fares. Within the city 6p was the maximum.

It has been sometime since FoKAB provided a bus for the free service from Brighton, Poole Valley, to the Bluebell Railway. At rather unearthly hour a double crew and 494 set off from Winchester for the long drive to Brighton. Good progress was made and after a short stop at Arundel for coffee, Poole Valley was reached at 1053 - 7 minutes before our first service.

Three round trips were made before we were to depart home at 1815. But not before 494 gave us a fright! On pressing the starter button nothing happened. After further firm presses the engine thankfully burst into life. The engine was not stopped again until 494 was safely back home.

The electrical department tested the starter button and the circuit and found the solenoid to be suspect. Engineering went to remove the starter and on pressing the button the engine, of course, burst into life.

After several successful starts the problem came back. The starter is now being refurbished. One member who was part of the repatriation party commented that the starter is the same one they repaired while in Augusta, Georgia, USA, before driving 494 to Jacksonville for shipment to the UK in November, 1993.

Our 1956 Leyland PD2/24 was to operate two of the free bus services from the museum on Newport Quay. It had been specially requested by one of the organisers, Ben Bartram. 494 operated a Newport town service to Gunville and a service 5 to East Cowes.

At one point it parked with Derek Hunt's ex-Seaview Services 1950 PD2. Now they would make a fine sight operating together on KAMS routes at our running day (one day…).

The other vehicle was to be the 1961 Bedford SB3 coach. It can now be told that the idea was to swap it with 704 if the VAL had been ready in time. Alas that was not to be - or the SB3 making it to the IOW!

On the way from Winchester a whine started somewhere in the transmission which sounded expensive. Thanks to modern technology, the 1959 Leyland Tiger Cub was prepared for service at FoKAB HQ. Passengers were transferred and Tiggy and arrived 7 minutes behind 494 at the Royal Pier, Southampton.

For FoKAB members only an afternoon tour was arranged to West Wight - Brighstone, Brook, Freshwater Bay and Alum Bay. By the time we reached Alum the clouds had rolled in but this did not stop a very small band having an exhilarating ride on a SV open-topper to the Needles Battery. Unfortunately Southern Vectis has converted the service to OPO with Bristol VRTs. No longer the LDs or the 'Old Girl'.

Onnthe way back last year the Oriana past us against a beautiful red sunset. This year in the grey gloom of a wet and cold evening her sister ship the Aurora departed for the Mediterranean.

A number of members had indicated they wished to attend, so a special bus service ran to Catherington on what turned out to be as stormy evening - weather-wise! With the autumn leaves swirling around in the headlights, Roger Harris made steady progress along the A272 and A3 with the passengers all downstairs leaving the ghosts of passengers past to the upper deck.

Fr Brian met us at the church. After a celebration of his 35 years in the ministry we all enjoyed a harvest supper in the Parish Hall. A fitting farewell. We left soon after 9.00 p.m. those seeing us off watching until the warm glow of the interior lights of the bus disappeared into the dark of the night.

We wish Brian a long and happy retirement. Brian wrote to thank us for coming and commented that 494 was the most apt bus to bring as it was the start of his association with FoKAB.

5th Winchester 'Alternative Transport Day'
Sponsored by Mott MacDonald - Saturday 22 September 2001

Alternative Transport Day’ linked up with the European ‘Car-Free Day’ again this year. It was aimed at raising public awareness of travel issues and encouraging people to think about alternatives.

FoKAB took part having a stall to advertise our annual running day on 1^st January and the free bus services we operate for the benefit of the citizens of Winchester (Only Solent Blue Line buses operate that day into Winchester).

As alternative transport we provided the 1931 Little Dennis for rides around the city centre. We met the prizewinners of the Radio Solent competition at Winchester station and conveyed them on a tour of Winchester as part of their prize.

Possibly with fingers crossed, 592 to was rostered to carry out the free bus service at the Romsey Show within Broadlands. It is quite an intensive service from the pedestrian entrance to the showground, staring at 0830 and finishing about 1730.

Two drivers were used, Brian Goldsmith and Geoff Norris. The conductors were the Father and Daughter team of Steve and Rachel Webster. After two training sessions, this was Rachel's first time in control of the bus.

This year the bus service had competition from a land train serving the car parks. However, 1236 tickets were issued; a ticket for every person who travelled - plus quite a few dogs - but no Canary this year!

592 successfully came through this testing duty for a '34 year-old'.

The Southampton &District Transport Heritage Trust held a special running day on 26 August to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of a Daimler bus entering service in Southampton and the 20^th anniversary of rear-platform bus operation ending in the city.

Free tours of the Docks and the City were offered plus an opportunity to visit the Tram 57 Project. Various preserved SCT buses provided the service plus some of the visiting buses.

FoKAB attended with open-topper 590 and Leyland PD3 494
(a rear-loader). 590 completed one docks tour and one city tour. Unfortunately the weather forecast was rather out and about 2.00pm the heavens opened and it rained for some two hours.

590 sought cover under a low bridge (see picture opposite). While the bridge had a minimum clearance of 12ft, 590 is only 10ft 3ins high - as long as there are no passengers aboard, as was the case on this journey! This does, though, make a serious point. A driver must always be aware of the height of his vehicle.

A very special bus for a special wedding. Catherine Chisnell was married on Saturday, 18^th August at St Cross Church, Winchester. Catherine is the daughter of Richard Chisnell who drove the last KAMS bus back into the garage on the last day of King Alfred Motor Services in 1973. The Dennis carried the bride and groom to the reception and to the honeymoon hotel. FoKAB was pleased to provide the Dennis for this very special occasion.

A successful repeat of the free service 11 to Basingstoke with a visit to Milestones - Hampshire's Living Museum, was run Sunday, 12^th August. The bus used was again Leyland Panther UOU 419H.

With 704 not yet ready for service, the Silver Star 42 Group kindly offered to take FoKAB members for the annual outing in their 1962 Leyland Atlantean, 1013 MW.

This year's outing was to the Bluebell Railway. The outward journey was by way of Petersfield, Midhurst and Haywards Heath. Some three hours were spent at the railway, which included a round trip to Kingscote. The return journey was via Brighton and Arundel for as short break. We continued via Havant and the top of Portsdown Hill for fine views of Portsmouth Harbour.

Our 1931 Dennis 30cwt bus, OU 8296,was unfortunately unable to share the limelight with the Queen Mother on Saturday, 4^th August. While both share the same birthday, No. 6 is 31 years younger. The Dennis is even younger than Dave Sawyer is!

The Dennis is confined to the garage due a starting problem that surfaced at the Wonston Parish Fete. It is believed that the Magneto is not pushing out enough sparks to start when the engine is cold. Further investigations will be made once our engineer comes back from holiday.

On checking the rostered AEC Renown, 596, a few days before the rally it was found that the front destination screen had cracks. These made the bus unroadworthy and there was no time to replace the glass before the Sunday. Believing the weather forecasters, we decided to give 590 another day out.

Starting from Medstead & Four Marks station, the first journey of the day was made on service 15 to Alton. This was followed with another round trip on the same route. A longer trip was then made to Whitehill and Borden on service 13. The temperature was not as high as was expected so a few unscheduled stops were made on the way back to allow passengers to come down to the lower saloon.

After a long break, the afternoon was taken up with two circular town services on the same route but in opposite directions. A long trip was made on route 206 to Farnham via Bentley, now a very quiet village since the by-pass was built.

At the Wonston Parish Fete, 104 provided a free bus service to South Wonston and Stoke Charity.
The Dennis was rostered for these free services but after an nearly hour of trying we only succeeded in getting a few coughs and a flat battery!

Having had 595 (rather dramatically) and two other buses on the last running day suffering with punctures and 104's on the front off side going flat rather quickly on its journey to the Southsea Spectacular, you would have thought we had had our fair share this year! Not so!

On checking 494 at our outstation at Sutton Scotney, she had taken on a 'list to port' towards the wall. This time the near-side front flat had gone flat! 104 was used to take the spare from FoKAB HQ.
On inspection, a piece of thick wire had worked into the tyre and had punctured the inner tube.

There are now statues on the side and the name King Alfred with a small statue across the front. The rear panel explains that 590 is preserved by FoKAB and advertises this website.

As part of the millennium regeneration programme of the water front at Gosport, the local council has built Timespace Square (to describe what it is would take rather more than this page suffice to say there is a clock and a new pier).

FoKAB was invited to take 590 as it is part of Gosport's history, for it was on hire to the erstwhile Peoples' Provincial for three years from 1988 operated in Gosport and along the seafront of Portsmouth and Southsea.

After the dedication (and the buffet lunch at the Town Hall) we transported the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth and the Mayors of Gosport, Fareham and Havant and their partners to the new Forton Lake Bridge part of the Millennium Walk. The bridge crosses to the recently opened "Explosion" exhibition explaining the history of navel firepower at Priddy's Yard.

Where else should you be than at the seaside on a hot summer's day in July? For our journey from Winchester we followed the A272 (the subject of a very interesting book by a Dutchman!) to Pulborough before turning south to Littlehampton for our second visit to the Littlehampton Gathering.

In the morning we completed five leisurely circular tours to Rustington and back along the seafront. An intensive service was run in the afternoon between the Gathering in the town centre to Harbour Park.

We returned via Chichester to drop off the FoKAB chairman who had arrived late morning to help with the driving. Our journey then took us through Havant and to the top of Portsdown Hill. We had to stop there for the driver's break, have an ice cream and admire the view of Portsmouth Harbour before continuing on through Wickham to Winchester.

To further publicise our charitable aims to other local organisations, we took a group Commercial Transport in Preservation (CTP) members from Salisbury and showed them some of the historical routes of King Alfred Motor Services (KAMS) using Tiggy, our 1959 Tiger Cub.

We began our history lesson in Stockbridge, one of the KAMS out-stations, with a short talk given by Steve Webster on the history of KAMS. The 9 route was followed through Crawley to the Broadway where Steve gave another short talk, explaining its importance in the history of Winchester's transport.

Tiggy then climbed Magdalene Hill on 6 route but showed 21 as it has the final destination produced after the route revisions of 1970. This route passes the area where army camps were set up during the first world war. Robert Chisnell Senior first involvement in public transport was in 1915 transporting troops to and from them using a variety of small vehicles.

To return to Stockbridge the longer 8 route was followed via King's Somborne, Horsebridge and Houghton was followed. It is interesting to note that after leaving Flowerdown on the outskirts of the City, the two routes do meet until Stockbridge but even then on opposite sides of the road!

KAMS' 104, 419, 590 and 9286 along with SCT 401, H&D 677 and RB 2278 provided free bus services and tours at the "Strawberries & Cream" a midsummer extravaganza at the 5^th Copythorne Rally.

Malcolm Storey, having gained his "ticket" from Fr Brian the day before, drove the little Dennis for the first time with passengers. 419 and Mike Smith's Hants & Dorset Bristol LL6B provided a free villages bus service to Cadnam and Bartley to and from the rally site. 104, 9286 and Dave Russell's SCT AEC Regent provided a free park & ride service between the car park at the Parish Hall and the rally site.

All went well through Fisher's Pond, Wickham and down off Portsdown Hill. It was only going round the roundabout in Cosham the driver noticed the bus pulled to the right. We managed to get Tiggy off the main road into High Street before the offside front tyre was completely flat. Luckily FoKAB's engineer was at home and brought out a spare wheel - off a Bedford SB5 coach! Tiggy's spare had been used to replace a cracked tyre at the time of the MOT.

A very nice policeman left some cones and a "Police Slow" sign to protect the bus and the crew while changing the wheel. The consensus was that braking coming down off Portsdown Hill had built up heat in the tube that had caused it to blow. There was no damage to the tyre.

We finally reached Southsea seafront about 1.30pm. Fr Brian arrived later with the little Dennis and was soon pressed into the free service to the CPPTD in Old Portsmouth.

In March 1987 he achieved national fame in the press and on TV and radio after being stopped by his employers, Bournemouth Transport, from serenading his passengers. When newspapers spoke out on his behalf, a change of heart took place and Tommy was able to resume singing tuneful melodies on his routes around Bournemouth.

Tommy started his career in buses as bus conductor in 1979 at the Mallard Road depot, becoming a bus driver and then moving to coach driving before retiring from Yellow Buses in 1999. Some of his spare time is now taken up as a volunteer on the Swanage Railway.

His book "The World's Most Famous Bus Driver" is available priced £8.99 plus £1.50 p&p from
Tommy Steele, 77 Homelake House, Station Road, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset, BH14 8UD.

Two years ago 756 was used to clear the garage at Weald where the little Dennis used to be kept. For some time the engine had used copious amounts of water on running days. The drive on a warm summer's evening proved too much for her and she lost her cool in a big way.

On investigation the next day, She was unable to hold coolant. Water was leaking from what appears to be the liner drainage holes.

There she has rested until James Freeman agreed to buy her from FoKAB and initially finance the investigation into the viability of re-building of the engine.

The first week of the working fortnight concentrated on Leyland Panther 417, removing wiring and fixtures in the Chassis. Work started on renovating the chassis and bodywork, thanks to Keith, Melvyn and Goffy. This work is ongoing - more help wanted please if she is to run at the 2002 running day.

The Dennis and the open-topper, 590, were brought down from their store to prepare them for their MOTs. Work had already been done on the Dennis' brakes on the but needed careful running in (passed test on the Thursday with no advisories).

590 needed much work before she ready for her test. To minimise water penetration from the top deck, gaps between the fibreglass floor and the stair well were re-sealed. Two lower saloon roof panels were removed and extra supports fitted to reduce flexing of the floor above. Several of the seat backs and cushions upstairs were replaced (it was hard work wasn't it Ruth and Keith?). Two members, David and Lee painted the seat fixings in a dark shade of green and very smart they look! All the wheel centres have been re-painted in red by Fr Brian. When you see her next she will have a few other 'extras'.

One member, who also took up my challenge to weld a paintbrush, painted the wheel on 595: - thank you Malcolm.

On Saturday morning, 9 members met at FoKAB HQ to load Panther 419 with a set seats for 704 for their transportation to Hants & Dorset Trim, Southampton, to be re-trimmed. The opportunity was also taken to move the part set of Plaxton 'stripy' recliners from the Metro-Scania, 756, into the remains of the Shobden Coach.

Swapping his Setright for a Tim ticket punch, Dave conducted on a special trip to Owslebury on the old KAMS 15 route. A photographic stop was made at the terminus. In King Alfred days, though, there was not the turning circle and buses had to reverse into rather a tight lane.

A further surprise for Dave was a buffet lunch in the staff canteen at Winchester Bus Station, provided by the Depot Manager.

So if you ever come to Winchester you might just possibly find the last conductor working for Stagecoach, unless you know differently… Dave should be conducting again at FoKAB's next running day on 01/01/02.

On the take-over of Silver Star by Wilts & Dorset in June 1963, 42 was sold to Bristol Omnibus and was in public service between 1963 to 1964. It then moved to Super Coaches at Upminster between 1964 to 1967. Its final commercial service owner was Berresfords based at Stoke on Trent. The bus worked mainly in the Leek area of Staffordshire until 1977. It then stood rotting for over 10 years in Berresfords yard.

S&DTHT is planning to hold a special running day on 26 August to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of a Daimler bus entering service in Southampton and the 20^th anniversary of rear-platform bus operation ending in the city.

The next bus to arrive was ex-Southampton Corporation AEC Regent V, no.350, owned by Glen Turner. This bus took part in FoKAB's last running day, operating on the H&D route 47.

Some twenty members enjoyed a trip to Milestones - Hampshire's Living History Museum - on Leyland Panther UOU 419H. The Leyland PD2, 494, was to have been used but it could not be moved from its storage near Sutton Scotney due to FMD voluntary restrictions.

The old route 11 to Basingstoke was recreated as far as possible via Whitchurch and Overton. It gave the conductor a chance to issue free tickets using his 1972 fare chart. (Winchester to Basingstoke was 22p single then.)

The new living museum, Milestones, has been an overwhelming success since its opening in November 2000. It has been reported that four times the number of visitors expected have passed through the doors. Many visitors were expected during the school half-term holiday.

FoKAB was approached to see if we could run a free park & ride service on-site between the overflow car park and the museum entrance. After a quiet start on the Saturday, more and more visitors used the service. The highest number carried in one day was on the Thursday with 509 tickets issued. The total for the week was 2282 tickets issued.

An offer we had to refuse in the end was a 10-ton trolley jack.
Even though it was a bargain price it was found to be just 2" too tall to go under a bus. It even weighed nearly 10ton as well!

So if you saw a KAMS bus rather off route in St Mary Bourne you now know why!