My Sunday Lost Scenes today comes from April 2003...
16291 - R291HCD - Portsmouth (The Hard) - April 2003
The 69 once was part of a large number of cross-Hampshire routes operated by Stagecoach Hampshire. The 69 operated from Southsea all the way to Winchester, via The Hard, Portsmouth city centre, M275 / M27, Fareham, Wickham, Bishop's Waltham, Fair Oak and Twyford). Unfortunately in 2005/6ish, due to EU driving regulations, the Fareham-Southsea section was cut. This meant Portsmouth no longer had two Stagecoach companies operating in Portsmouth, and took away some of the variety.
The 69 was operated by a variety of Volvo Olympians and Volvo B10M single deckers during this period, with the odd Dart thrown in now and then. Here is a typical scene from The Hard back in 2003, with 16291 on the 69 in Portsmouth.
Plus the occasional Leyland Olympian too!
ReplyDeleteI recall going out on a route test to try and establish just how far we could get from Winchester within 50 kms, and even omitting certain parts of the route (not that I can remember what they were now) we got about halfway over the Rudmore flyover . . .