A-Z Of National Bus Company Subsidiaries: Hants & Dorset

Here is another episode of A-Z Of National Bus Company Subsidiaries. in this episode we look at the history of the bus company Hants and Dorset. They were based in south Hampshire and Dorset and served important places such as Southampton, Winchester and Bournemouth.

They were known for taking over several bus fleets during their lifetime, including neighbouring Wilts and Dorset during the days of the National Bus Company.

I hope you enjoy this video, please remember this is only a potted history of the company. Trying to squeeze over a hundred years of history into a ten minute video may result in things being left out. If it's something important to you I apologise.

Please share your memories of Hants and Dorset in the comments below. I love reading your comments. If you do enjoy the video please like and share it and don't forget to subscribe to my channel so you don't miss my future releases in this series.

#busvideo #automobile #bus #hampshire #dorset #southamton #winchester #bournemouth #busmania #hants&Dorset
#coach

[briangentle]

Thank you for this video. I often watched Hants & Dorset at my aunt's in Romsey. We went on a bus trip with friends to Bournemouth from the Woking area by Aldershot and District to Winchester and then on to Southampton and Bournemouth with H&D. Lodekkas and RELLs if I remember correctly. Such a great time. I missed it when they brought in those "new fangled" Leyland Nationals...

[paulleighton]

Thanks Jake for another interesting bus video I am looking forward to the Wilts and Dorset video as I was an apprentice at the Salisbury workshop in the 1960s Paul

[marksinthehouse]

Pants and corset, 😂love it, I saw a Convoy of brand new Bristol /ECW VRs going down the old A3 in the mid seventies they rare times poppy red shined and gray wheels, I saw new because I asked grandad what was the number plates and he said they were trade plates, 😊
Thanks Jake
Mark 😊😊

[kevinbargery]

I had an aunty and uncle who retired down to Highcliffe in Dorset from London in 85 and travelled on several W+D VR's and Nationals when visiting. From memory the main 121/122/123 Lymington to Bournemouth routes ran along Smugglers Lane at the rop of their road and two 121 journeys per day (one in each direction) were routed along Forest Way where they lived. I always kept an eye out for them and just once got a National with the family from outside their house for a day in Bournemouth. There was also a once a week route that passed Highcliffe and went to Salisbury X31 I think?🤔 we went on it anyway! Also a trip on an Olympian (150?🤔) along the cliff tops near Swanage whilst on a school trip comes to mind. Another cracking video👍

[leschase]

I can still remember the old green Hants & Dorset from Bournemouth to Lymington. The 121 and 122 would operate the same route from Bournemouth to Hordle, then a 2 hourly service 121 to Pennington via Wheel Inn, and the 122 via Everton to Lymington. The original 123 from Bournemouth would only go as far as Barton on Sea, where the 124 would be a half hourly service from Bournemouth to Lymington past Barton, New MIlton and Milford on Sea, Everton to Lymington. This was back in the early 1970's. Also there was a weekly bus from Lymington to Ringwood Market on a Wednesday, going around the houses and lanes to get there. In the late 1960's my late gran used to take me on the Ringwood bus for a ride from Everton village Hampshire, just outside Lymington and I can still remember this trip even now, and the bus overflowing on the odd journey.

Also in around 1978, when I was around 13, I had a run about day ticket, and I got a bus ride from Everton Hampshire to Lymington, then on to Southampton. Then on to Salisbury, Bournemouth and I think Weymouth, and back home to Everton near Lymington in just one day on a run about ticket, studying the timetables to do this journey. I would call my parents on payphones for journey updates as the day went along, pre mobile phones. Great video, and brought back memories. Thanks.

[andyaccount]

I went to school, and lived, in the Basingstoke area, which was served by Hants and Dorset buses. I began going to school on half cabs, which I thought at the time were Routemasters, with either front or rear door entries. I now know that these were Bristol Lodekkas. In the later years this was served mainly by Bristol VRT's (3 Series). Before I moved to the Reading area in 1988 I also remember Hampshire Bus services.

[ianpotter]

I grew up in Basingstoke in the 1970s and neither of my parents drove so we used the bus to get into town and go shopping. My earliest memories are of accompanying my Mum on red double deckers that were 2 man operation with a front entrance door of the concertina type. As I was only about 4 years old I didn’t know what model they were but we called them “Fan Buses” as there was a large grille and fan on the lower deck in the middle of the partition behind the drivers cab. Later Basingstoke became Leyland National and Bristol VR territory and each model worked specific routes. Our route (the 330 to Hatch Lane South) was exclusively operated by Nationals and I have such strong memories of them revving up when pulling out of the bus station. My Nan lived on the Berg Estate and this was always served by Bristol VR Double Deckers (route 324 I think to South Ham). I always looked forward to a trip into town with my Nan as it was so exciting to see the big double decker swing round the top of the road and pull into the stop. The VR’s seemed very special to me with a much more pleasant engine sound. If my memory serves me correctly in about 1979 the Hants & Dorset buses were sub branded with local names. The buses had transfers added to them - in Basingstoke ours was called “Venture Bus” which was an old private operator that had once run buses in the town. I also remember seeing the Andover bus arrive in Basingstoke sub branded “Anton bus”. Thanks Jake for your video that brought back all these lovely memories for me🙂

[smogmonster]

Pants and Corset 😂😂😂. Lmao. Never heard that before. Can’t wait for Potteries Motor Traction or PMT now 😂😂😂
Interesting episode Jake yet again.
Safe travels.

[pacerchaser]

Another great video Jake! @7:48 one of the pre-production mk.3 VR's with N- suffix registration

[pedanticradiator]

I remember going on holiday to Bournemouth as a kid and noticed the local NBC company was Hants & Dorset but we went again a year later and it had become Wilts & Dorset

[kevanhubbard]

Living in the north east not a NBC i ever went on but I remember seeing a white National coach somewhere with Hants and Dorset on it.Speaking of National coaches that United one to the left of the Hants and Dorset bus was nice.

[_autoverse]

Hants & Dorest are slightly before my time, I’m more familiar with Wilts & Dorest (from the passenger perspective) so this vid filled in some gaps.

Thanks for making this series of videos, they’re providing a neat insight into modern history.

[richardwillson]

There is a "Hampshire Bus" livery bus going around the Salisbury area at the moment.

I see it quite often.

[nicholasgross]

I loved coming down to Southampton in the 1940s50s to visit my fathers family and the H&D

[filmclipuk]

Note the rendition of the Royal Blue livery by the pre-ortho emulsion of the day 🤔 2:00

[highpath]

Of course the two storey bus garage/ station at Bornemouth was the gem in the company at The Square, until it became virtually destroyed by fire - I remember seeing the cracks in the wall. Hants and Dorset buses then terminated at The Triangle. Also the cutaway single deck (and double?) bodies for use on the Swanage Ferry.

[adamlee]

Thanks for making this video. @8:12, the Leyland National looks like i is in Sheafline colours, or very close to them.

[StephenAllcroft]

Thanks Jake. ShamRam had only recently been sold by George Ewer to BET when NBC happened, a little while beofre that they had taken over Charlies Cars of Bournemouth who famously owned only two coaches that weren't Harrington bodied Albions.

[russellbenton]

I just remember them in Swanage . 1976 heatwave . Poppy red buses - Bristol REs I think . Then took a trip to Poole on a Fleetline . So what appended to the Swanage area because it’s not Stagecoach now

[darren-hhcw]

This wasn't split for sale but to return management to a more local level. Also you forgot the fourth split of the coaching operations (Shamrock & Rambler)