I have many times gone to London as a kid on a Southdown coach from Steine Street. I also met relations from London at the same depot. Does anybody remember where the "halfway house" was where the coaches stopped so we could all stretch our legs? I think that it was somewhere in Crawley.

The half-way stop on the London to Brighton run was just north of Crawley Town at a place known as County Oak, which is now an out of town retail outlet.

Can anyone tell me exactly where the Southdown coach station was in Steine Street? Was it where the flats at No. 3 are now, or opposite? I have vague recollections of the inside of the building. Any other information would be most welcome.

As far as I remember the coaches would go up St. James Street, take the second right which was Manchester Street, then turn right about halfway down Manchester Street directly into the coach station. The coaches would exit the station into Steine Street, and then into Marine Drive. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

In my photograph you can see the entrance to the Coach Station behind the Southdown coach; that was in Manchester Street. Space was, to say the least, limited, with room for one or two coaches to load and for perhaps three more to be parked up on the left. All coaches left by Steine Street, which was (and still is!) narrow and rather unsuited to the 8' wide and 36' long monsters of the Sixties! There was a small coach garage in Manchester Street, which held about four more vehicles, and then there was usually a traffic jam in St James's Street resulting from all the express services arriving at once! Not only was there a London service, but the "South Coast Express" which linked Eastbourne, Brighton and, ultimately, Bournemouth, plus seasonal express services run by other companies in the BET group (to which Southdown belonged) such as East Kent, Maidstone and District and Aldershot and District. The main coach garage was in Kemp Town at Park Street, a mecca for bus and coach spotters at weekends when many excursion coaches were stationed there during the day.

To John Wall: You asked about Peter Hornblow. Well, my father, Frank Price, worked for Southdown in the 1940s/50s - first in Brighton, then Bognor, then Portsmouth. Then in 1958 we moved to Zimbabwe (or Southern Rhodesia as it was then!) where Dad worked at Salisbury United bus company (don't know what that's called now?!). I remember Mr Hornblow coming out a few years later with his family (I think he was the Engineer?). As well as working for Salisbury United, he also ended up with a chinchilla farm. I was pretty young at the time so don't remember the why's or wherefore's, but do remember the chinchillas! In 1963 we moved to Johannesburg and I am almost certain that the Hornblows went to Perth, Australia. Don't know what happened after that, I'm afraid.

Thank you Martin Nimmo for your information. Do you or anyone else, have photographs of any Southdown premises in Kemp Town. I am particularly interested in Steine Street,  Manchester Street; either interior or exterior shots.

Re the Southdown coach station at CountyOak (Crawley). Has anyone any photos or other info about its opening and closing dates please?
I have some background and history to pass on about the County Oak Southdown coach station, their exclusive refreshment stop north of Crawley, on the London to Brighton express route. I lived close by as a child, during the war for a time and later in the 1950s to 1970s. tonee12@talk21.com

I remember catching the coach to Maidstone from here on Sundays in the 1950s. My late father was in Preston Hall Sanitorium, and we used to go  visit him there. The driver always stopped at a fruit stall in Paddock Wood, where we could buy fresh fruit to take to my dad. Does anyone know the model of the coach used? I have just started collecting bus & coach memoribillia and would welcome any information. Please contact me at nico123@btinternet.com  Many Thanks.

Does anyone remember the coachworks in Victoria Road, Portslade?  I worked there in the bodyshop from 1954 to 1956 and then from 1958 to about 1960.

I remember travelling from Brighton to London, firstly on the Tiger PS1/ECW's, usually 1243, then PSU Royal Tigers / Leyland bodies.  The worst trip I had was on one of the new Rootes TS3 / Beadles which was very noisy, and had none of the smoothness of the Royal Tigers. But my all time favourites were the PS1's. Magic! We used to alight at Brixton, and then get a tram to Kennington. Usually an E/1. Brilliant!

There was a pub in Steine Street known as the King's Head. Its landlord in the 1920s was Henry Caleb Hiller who was the foster father of my wife's mother. I have a lot of information on Henry Caleb Hiller and his wife Edith Sarah Drew who was sister of Edmund Jury Drew who was successively landlord of the Russell Arms and the Hare & Hounds.

Hi Brian, yes I remember the Southdown "central" Works in Victoria Street Portslade, although I only visited there once, durring an open day in the 1970s; I worked for a food suppliers firm in Lancing for many years and used to pass by at least twice a week. I am now a bus driver for Stagecoach locally and have an interest in the old Southdown company, and collect old photos of such. I am trying to find photos of the 3 Land Rovers that were owned by Southdown (which I believe spent most of thier time at Potslade Works) can anyone help with this?

The pub in Steine Street was the Queen's Head not King's Head and is now called Three and Ten. If anyone knows why I'd love to hear from them.

I remember taking the green Southdown bus every day to school with my brothers when I was old enough in the 1950s. We used to catch it in Dyke Road from the top of Tongdean Lane and travel down the Dyke Road to get off at Port Hall Road opposite the park. In the summer months the number 27 open top bus would run on that route too so we'd really travel to school and home in style albeit with hair even more windswept and scruffy than normal. It ran on a route right up to The Dyke and back in to town.
We mostly sat on the lower deck on the longitudinal seats nearest the platform. We used to chat to the bus conductors who stood all day on the platform at the foot of the stairs. We had good fun with them. We were blessed with a particular bus conductor who would regularly open his ticket machine and give us the tail end of his roll of bus tickets. As you can imagine this was of very special interest to the other boys in the playground at school. In those days the tickets were dispensed by the conductor winding a handle on the side of the machine. The conductors wore the ticket machine around their neck hanging to their left side and a leather money bag hanging around their neck hanging to their right so the leather straps crossed over in the middle of their back. A particularly kind conductor would entertain us by taking off his ticket machine and his leather bag (no mean feat between bus tops) then whilst holding on the two handrails either side of the entrance to the lower deck, would do backward and forward summersaults often cheered on by us to do more. On days when I travelled with my mum and two brothers to go shopping in town or to the beach Mum would ask the conductor for 'One and three halves' to the Clock Tower or wherever, meaning full price for my mum and half price for us boys. After years of riding the same route we noticed a new bus conductor who would signal to the driver when there were no passengers to get off so there was no need to stop at the bus stop. (I suppose this would get them to their rest break early so more time for a cigarette and a glance at the Daily Mirror.) Mostly this would be by two rings of the bell but on occasions when he was upstairs at the front and not near a bell push he would simply stamp twice on the floor above the driver's cab. I remember one afternoon on the way home from school my brother and I were sitting on the top deck at the very front and thought we'd give this a try. To the astonishment of the poor man at the bus stop the bus went steaming past, leaving him standing there with a dropped jaw and us with the biggest laugh ever.
Thank you Southdown - happy schoolboy days.

My dad Bill Ward worked at Victoria Road works for 40 years. He retired in the 60s and sadly passed away 1977. His best mates were Sid Kingscott and Jim Brown. He also drove the coaches off the sea front at weekends and he always put his tips in his driver's cap for me to count up. I remember good christmas parties. Does anyone remember my lovely dad?

I remember Bill Ward - he was quite a big man as far as I can remember and worked in the bodyshop as a gang leader. I was also in the bodyshop. We used to rebuild the bodies from the chassis up (good times) until the advent of plastic filler and fibreglass came along! I think Bill also drove the works' bus which picked us up in the mornings and took us home at night. I was actually in Sid Kingscott's gang as a young lad so I remember him as well.

The Southdown halfway house (cafe) in Crawley was located in Betts Way, Manor Royal, Crawley just off the roundabout in London Road (on the west side of London Road). Betts Way was built after the halfway house was demolished.

I worked with Gwylim Allsopp for years. I was a driver on Southdown. We used to call him Bill. He was one of the nicest men you could meet. He was always cheerful. I worked on there until I took early retirement in 1981.

My family used to own East Grinstead Motor Coaches and Sargents of East Grinstead. In 1937 we sold some of the routes to Southdown, I am looking for a copy of the 1937 agreement between Southdown and East Grinstead Motor which resulted in Fred Sargent going to work for Southdown from 1937 to the end of the war. If anyone has any information on this agreement or any other agreements between Southdown and East Grinstead Motor Coaches / Sargents of East Grinstead please email me on home2968@yahoo.co.uk

I also worked with Bill Allsopp, I believe he was an inspector then, and I remember Joe Spring at Edward St depot, where I worked till about 1986. I moved to Newcastle in 1993 and worked for Go North East till 2007, when I had a stroke and had to give up driving.

Hi Joe, I worked at Edward St depot from 1970 till 1986 and I remember Bill Allsopp, a true gent.I remember you were in the special group. I have so many memories of Edward St, the dog tray next to the garage, Jack Wheeler would know where the spare drivers would be. Would love to get in touch with you Joe, as so much to reminisce. My e-mail address is peter_pb2801@hotmail.com

I worked for Southdown Motor Services when I left School at sixteen as a trainee in the architects in offices above the Manchester street coach station. I remember hearing the coaches pulling in to the coach station, the entrance was right under our office. I remember an incident one weekend where the floor of the coach station gave way when a coach pulled in to Manchester street, the investigation after found there were huge basement voids below the floor of the coach station that had collapsed. We moved in 1980 to a new building at the bottom of Freshfied Road, which later became a telephone exchange, ah happy days. Does anyone remember the miniature Southdown coaches that use to run round a track at Peterpans playground on the sea front?

Does anyone remember George Owen Holloway? He was a bus conductor at the Whitehawk garage. He clocked up 47 yrs there. His nick name was Titch. Those days you normally stayed on one route. The current 1 route, my wife thinks it was the number 3 then. He was my grandad. He died in 1979 which was a very sad time, as he was a wonderful man who had loads of stories to tell. Working on the Buses seems to be in the family as I worked for Southdown for 5 yrs in the 60s, and worked out of Edward Street garage, Charlie Trott was the manager then, and my son Simon has now been on B&HB for 7yrs, at Whitehawk and now at Newhaven.

Help please, I worked for Southdown in the 1960s, and was based at Edward Street. Does anyone remember a chap called Charlie Trott, he was the garage manager. Always wore a long coat with a trilby hat, also there was a fitter who looked like the Incredible Hulk. As you went in the gararge on the left was the bus schedules on the walls and a partition in the middle. When we had chance we used the snooker tables in Manchester street. My bus routes were mostly out in the country with the occasional 49s, 110,13, 22 to Steyning. 18 Hawkhurst, Tonbridge Wells bus no? We use to swap buses with Maidstone & District in those days. I loved the A.E.C buses they used. The old Guy buses with the five cylinder Gardner engines were somethig else. The old Queen Mary's. Single deckers Leyland Leapards, the Cubs and the old commer two stroke were great, mostly the sound. I'm not sure but I think Eastbourne routes were 112. Many happy times were had, great bunch of lads. My son works @ B&H in Newhaven dept on the coast routes. Cheers David M Hicks.

Hi David, I was a driver at Edward St from 1970 until 1985. I remember Charlie Trott. Do you remember Charlie Virgo, Bubbles Funnel, Ernie Archer all in despatch? I remember Manchester St with all the coach seats round the snooker tables. Do you remember the Queen Mary with the wrap around windscreen? I think the fleet no was 315. It was a good job, as you say a great bunch of lads, it was the 12 to Eastbourne,12a to Peacehaven annexe and the 12B and C to Seaford. Cheers, Peter Bradick.

Hi Peter, Just seen your reply today, its really great you worked at Edward Street as well for Southdown. I do remember Ernie Archer & Bubbles Funnell, Charlie sounds familiar too. I don't really remember the Queen Mary with the wrap-around screen. I do remember some of the Queen Marys were fitted with air / pre-select gearboxes, they were terrible on steep hills (like the clutch was slipping). My one great memory I have was driving the first Maidstone & District Daimler fleetline D/D fitted with the Gardner 6LXB engine into Pool Valley. You should have seen the other Bus drivers' faces (the bus was brand new as well). Lots of great times were had.

My Dad, Leonard Stafford, worked for Southdown for about 40 years, he was a driver, worked in the garages and when much older on the ticket machines at Portslade. He worked in Manchester street and Freshfield. There used to be a club room in Manchester Street oppposite the main garage entrance and Dad took me in there and I had a few goes on the billiard table they had in there. I also remember he had a friend called Reg Avery who worked at Freshfield depot and the name Kingscott mentioned earlier- I seem to recall him. Dad passed away in 1982 aged approx 72 so would have been at Southdown from the 30s up to about 1972, having left slightly early due to ill health. What lovely coaches and buses they were.

Hi Peter Bradick, God - a name from the past! I remember you from Edward Street and Moulsecoomb days. You must remember Boo Boo, Eddie Calvert, and Bill Allsopp. How about Roger (rent-a-tent) MacMullan?

Hi Graham, yeah it was a long time ago! I remember all the inspectors you mentioned. Do you remember Denis Crowe, Jimmy Brown and 'Fearless' Frank Swaysland? So how are you keeping Graham? I moved to Newcastle in 1993 and worked for 'Go Ahead' as a driver. Had a slight stroke in 2007 and lost my pcv license. Nice to hear from you, my e-mail address is peter.bradick@live.co.uk. There are so many more characters - Eddie Shrub, John Wild....hope to hear from you

My Father, Len Morris, now sadly gone, worked for many years at the Victoria road garage. Its difficult for me to remember dates, but it was well over 50 years ago. He drove a bus for many years and eventually worked in the shopbuilding and maint section. Remember so well the Christmas parties, which ended usually with a tour around the garage. What a treat for a 10 year old. Remember so well the minature coaches that went up and down Brighton seafront. I wonder what happened to them. My Father did have the honour to occasionally drive the coach for the Brighton Tigers Ice Hockey Team. When the team finished, I became the proud owner of the tiger emblem, that was put on the front of the coach when the team was driven around. Had the emblem for many years. A wonderfull tigers head in many colours. Sadly, as the years went by, I lost it, or it was swapped for something boy-ish. It would have been very collectable now. Strange how you remember some things and not others. Remember his red and black drivers badge, (KK and some numbers) and also the day he came home from work and announced, that bus drivers will eventually have to take the bus fares as well. How times have changed.

I worked for Southdown from 1969 til 1991 at Eastbourne depot so regularly visited Pool Valley on the 12 later 712 road and also the 25 road, also on South Coast Express and London services. I well remember a few of the names mentioned particularly Bill Allsopp, Jimmy Brown and Denis Crowe who always dressed immaculately even when the rest of us were sweaty and/or wet through. Talking of looking smart does anyone remember at the start of the NBC era when the crew room was downstairs in Pool Valley a glass case was put up with a dummy dressed in full NBC uniform inside upon which somebody ingeniously stuck notice saying SPARE DRIVER, IN CASE OF EMERGENCY BREAK GLASS. Absolutely brilliant,ah Happy days.

I am trying to find anyone who knew my beloved uncle, Lionel Coleman. I think he joined Southdown as a conductor in 1963, and stayed doing a job he loved until they changed to one man operation in the 80s. He carried on working for Southdown counting the money until 1990. I spent all my holidays as a kid going to see him. I would by a £1 day rider ticket and come up on the 700 from Portsmouth to Brighton on Bristol vr's which I love, sometimes they would use Atlanteans which was exciting. I would then change at Poole Valley and go to Old Steine to get the 37 to Southwick and get off at Overhill. I would wait at my grandparents' house watching the number 37 going up and down, which later changed to the 25a, I loved Southdown buses, and then I would go to work and ride the buses all day with him. I loved going up on the Downs and sitting on the grass looking down at Mile Oak watching the NBC buses going round on a summers day. Great days, great childhood. Wish Southdown NBC green buses were still here. If they were I would stop being a lorry driver and be a Southdown driver. So if anyone remembers my uncle, Lionel Coleman, please contact me and if anyone has any pictures of him at work even better. Thank you.