Worthing Bus Gathering and Running Day

The oldest Southdown vehicle at Worthing was Stagecoach-owned Leyland TD1, UF4813. It has recently been placed on long-term loan to the Amberley Working Museum. It has the remarkable record of being in the ownership of its original company, or its successors, since new - that's 74 years.

Making a welcome return was car 1179 (DUF179) a Harrington bodied Leyland Tiger. this coach was a regular performaer at rallies in the late 1960s but only recently returned to the public gaze after restoration.

Worthing marked the debut of restored Leyland PD2 786 (RUF186).

Still in Southdown ownership (since Stagecoach have recently transferred its Coastline subsidiary back to Southdown Motor Services Ltd) is convertiable open-top Queen Mary 409 (409DCD). Here it arrives back at the rally on a 102 service on its way to Roundstone.

Another recently rescued bus is VR 615 (UWV615S) which returned to Sussex after spending some time in the ownership of Hedingham and District (Essex). The yellow livery is the remains of a promotional livery of a shopping mall in Clacton-on-Sea which is, I suppose, the Essex equivalent of Littlehampton!

Two further ex-Southdown buses to appear were BCD802L, one of the company's original batch of Leyland Nationals. It is now operated by Palaeobus. It was used on the Real Ale Country bus. Next to it is the former 1306 (ANJ306T) a Leyland Leopard with Plaxton body which has recently been added to the swelling ranks of vehicles in the care of the Southdown Historic Vehicle Group.

Southdown's fleet of Mark 2 Leyland Nationals was represented by the former 120 (GYJ920V) now in the bright yellow livery of Village Coaches. It too was used on the 5X.

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