As discussed on a previous blog entry, Stagecoach in Hampshire operate the Sunday route A between Eastleigh and Hedge End. It always offers a rare photo opportunity - and Stagecoach buses in regular service well away from their usual routes.
Now, I like to think that 18519 technically isn't off its branded routes, as the A does run alongside the River Itchen in Mansbridge for a part of its journey. Therefore you are still going with the flow across Hampshire along the Rivers! This is the first time I've managed to photograph one of these Tridents branded up - due to a lack of effort rather than not being able to find one. I do think the branding is slightly unnecessary as it doesn't really give much information regarding the routes, and is used across such a wide area - Hampshire, Surrey and Wiltshire (when these go wandering on the Activ8 route from Andover). However, its just something a bit different and friendly, and makes the bus seem a little more special.
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The branding is supposed to make the buses more noticable and encourage people to find out more about where the buses go. It would help if all the buses had supplies of timetables for 'the rivers' routes available on board - this is the one discipline that Harry Blundred was good at, and even today it is normal for Stagecoach buses in Oxford (which were of course Thames Transit) to carry timetables for their route freely available from racks inside. BlueStar are also getting quite good at this now, too.
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