Old Gems...... Tellings Golden Miller

This week I am going to be going back through my old photo collection, finding some old gems of interest to post on here that I'd thought I'd lost or forgotten about. I'm not that old though, so my photos will only go back to 2002, but that's nearly a decade now. Fotopic crashing does have its advantages - I've been meaning to sort these out for years! First up - remembering back to the days when Tellings Golden Miller operated some NX routes, and the X27 Southampton - Portsmouth service.

My records, especially from 2004, are not especially accurate, but I have this down as R595GDX, operated by Tellings Golden Miller on the 030 to London. TGM no longer operate these routes - I think it is now Lucketts but that's not 100% certain. The coach also appears to be gone - I can't find any record of it on the web. Photographed on 9th May 2004 in The Hard Interchange, Portsmouth.

Now, I'm going to be honest, I completely forgot that Tellings Golden Miller operated coaches on the X27 before they introduced the single deck buses. Here in the first photo we have W433UMX, and in the second photo W627UMV. I think they are both Volvo B10M/Plaxton something-or-others, but my coach knowledge isn't as good as my bus knowledge. As can be seen, the X27 coaches displayed branding for the service - note also via Cosham and Bitterne - and carried front boards advertising the service as the Solent Clipper. At this point, the service doesn't appear to have gone via Fareham as later day routes did. Both photos are in The Hard- the first in Feb 04, and the second in May 04.

What I remember well about the TGM operation on the X27 were these - Volvo B10BLEs with Alexander ALX300 bodywork. 4 operated the X27/X47 service, which was also now stopping at Fareham on some journeys. This bus is W906UJM, pictured at Clarence Pier, Southsea, a year later in June 2005.

Thanks for viewing, I hope this was of interest. Comments/corrections welcome.