Of course there were many later deliveries of Bristol Lodekka buses, totalling 92 eventually. Of these, sixteen were converted to open-top (including two red and cream ones - 53/54. 53 inaugurated the Tour of Brighton in 1964). Twenty were 30' long front entrance vehicles seating 70, and 16 were short front entrance buses, introduced from 1961. 33 (VAP 33) was the first bus with an illuminated offside advertisement, in its case for the Brighton and Hove Herald. From number 55 onwards, all rear entrance Lodekkas had doors for safety (and warmth!). The open-platform Lodekkas were modified so that part of the platform had low access for the elderly, a first for Brighton. Once Southdown took over the fleet, the Lodekkas were fairly rapidly ousted, some of the later ones going to Scotland in exchange for vehicles of more modern appearance.

I remember my mum and I getting the number 17 open-top all cream bus to Rottingdean before 1959. I was about 7 or 8, so it would have been 1952 or 53. Does anyone remember these buses? I would be interested to know. My e mail address is: gswaller06@aol com.

There are a couple of responses to your similar message on the Conway Street, Bus Garage Fire, item. The cream open-toppers were a feature of the Brighton Hove and District fleet from before the Second World War, and certainly very popular until at least the late 1960's.

I used to catch this number 17 bus with my nan in the 1950s and early 1960s. We would board at the Palace Pier & ride to Rottingdean. Many happy memories of this well loved bus. In fact I have just bought a model version, and am starting a collection of 1950s/60s Brighton buses.

Yes, there were certainly open top cream double deckers on the 17 route prior to the Lodekkas coming into service with BH&D. Immediately prior was the Bristol K5G. There are photos at
http://www.bvbg.org.uk/images/GHT127%20Pics/050522%20 Harbourside%20004.jpg and
http://gallery38049.fotopic.net/c27424.html also
http://www.bvbg.org.uk/GHT127%20photo%20gallery.htm.
The following text was taken from this latter's website.
Vehicle history: This bus was new in wartime to Bristol Tramways Ltd and entered service in March 1941 from (we believe) Lawrence Hill depot. Its body was given a major overhaul by Bristol Carriage & Tramways Co. Ltd. in 1951 and it was sold out of service by the end of 1954, when it passed with several others to Brighton Hove & District. They converted it to open top, and subsequently repainted it in a cream and black livery. It later passed to Thomas Bros. Port Talbot, South Wales and received a blue and cream livery. It then passed back to Bristol Omnibus Co. It has since been painted in Tilling green and cream (1975), original Bristol blue & white livery, cream and green Bath open-top livery (1985) and in Guide Friday's version of its livery. Current situation: GHT127 is in good condition after restoration in 2004, and will be appearing at a number of rallies during 2007.

There were open-topped cream buses on route 17 from the start in the mid-1930s. They were inaugurated by the then newly formed Brighton Hove and District Company in about 1936, as a tourist attraction, which they certainly were. The initial open-top fleet were AEC Regents, which had entered service some years before with Tillings, the precursor company. Of course, in the 1920's most buses had been open-topped, but by 1936 it was unusual to have the opportunity to travel "al fresco"!

Can any of you bus experts remember the B&H D bus which turned over in Woodingdean in or about 1955? Have ctc the Argus for info. Please reply to Neil Slade email neil_jan@tiscali.co.uk. Many thanks.