Nick Larkin reports from the centenary celebrations of Surrey operator Safeguard
We were overwhelmed by the turnout and the atmosphere.” That was Managing Director Andrew Halliday’s summing up of the Safeguard Coaches centenary event, based at Guildford Cathedral in Surrey, paying tribute to the highly regarded family-owned independent operator.
Added Andrew: “Everything went really well, people had a great time and we would like to thank everyone.”
The event included buses and coaches old and new, on display and giving free rides. There were also official handovers of recent additions to the fleet – one having just celebrated its 60th birthday.
Preserved vehicles operated shuttle services from the cathedral to town centre locations, Park Barn and the Onslow park & ride. London Bus Museum and the Friends of King Alfred Buses were among the providers.
The event, on 16 March, raised £5,239 for The Fountain Centre, a charity based at St Luke’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey Hospital. This was chosen in memory of Safeguard’s late engineering manager Brett Lambley. Sales of a limited edition booklet and ‘goody bags’ helped raise the funds.
The centenary celebration aimed to offer something for everyone, with attractions also including performances by Farnham Brass Band and the Guildford Rock Choir. Model railways were also part of the mix along with a mobile farm and mask making.
[wlm_nonmember][…]
By subscribing you will benefit from:
- Operator & Supplier Profiles
- Face-to-Face Interviews
- Lastest News
- Test Drives and Reviews
- Legal Updates
- Route Focus
- Industry Insider Opinions
- Passenger Perspective
- Vehicle Launches
- and much more!
Safeguard’s history and future were an important theme of the event. Local historian David Rose gave a talk on the fascinating story which began in 1924 with Arthur Newman, a coal merchant and haulier, fitting a charabanc body to a lorry chassis operating excursions as ‘The Safeguard Coaches.’ In 1927 he started a bus service from Guildford town centre to the newly built Aldershot Road estate.
Today Safeguard is still owned by the Newman family. There are 70 staff, 16 buses and 18 coaches. As well as a huge variety of coaching work, Safeguard operates high frequency town bus services seven days a week.
Recent investment in new vehicles has included two Plaxton Leopard-bodied Volvo B8Rs, the first PVSAR compliant coaches in the fleet. SA24 SAF was officially handed over at the event, the other example being SG24 SAF. These vehicles represent an investment of more than half a million pounds.
Five MCV Evora-bodied Volvo B8RLEs have joined the bus fleet. Representatives of the chassis and body manufacturers of all the new vehicles were invited to the event.
A further ‘official’ welcome into the fleet was rather different. Not so much an entry but a return after 55 years. Plaxton Embassy-bodied Bedford J2, registration 644 HAA, was new in 1963 to Cookes of Stoughton. Safeguard acquired the coach on taking over the operator in 1966, running the vehicle for two years.
Eventually preserved, the Bedford ended up with Empress Coaches in Hastings, East Sussex. Owner of the long-standing operator Steve Dine is a big J2 fan, having owned and operated several examples, passing on 644 HAA to Safeguard last year.
‘I’m delighted that the coach is back at Safeguard and I know it will be superbly looked after and enjoyed,” Steve said.
The Bedford joins Safeguard’s well-known heritage vehicle, 1956 Burlingham-bodied AEC Reliance, registration 200 APB, new to the operator in 1956. This bus was sold to Safeway, South Petherton in 1961 and purchased from another Somerset-based operator, Rexquote. in 2002. Both were displayed during the centenary day and are available for private hire.
Also seen during the event were two now privately preserved former Safeguard vehicles, 1976 Duple-bodied Leyland Leopard OPC 26R and X308 CBT, a 2000 Optare Excel new to Tillingbourne.
Vehicles on the shuttle services included NLE 600, an AEC Regal IV new to London Transport in 1953 as RF 600. UMP 227, a 1949 Park Royal-bodied AEC Regal IV prototype, ran with London Transport and is now part of the London Bus Museum Collection.
From the same source came AEC Regent RT 4779, registration OLD 566, new in 1954, which provided a welcome splash of London Transport red to the proceedings. The museum also brought along XX 9591, its 1925 Dennis four-ton bus new to the Dominion Omnibus Company.
The Friends of King Alfred Buses (FoKAB) provided 1964 Park Royal-bodied bodied AEC Renown 595 LCG and 1970 Plaxton-bodied Leyland Panther UOU 419H.
A vehicle with many local connections was 1950 Strachans-bodied Dennis Lancet HOU 904, new to Aldershot & District.
The public event was followed by a reception for Safeguard staff, customers, friends and associates. This included the cutting of a cake by Safeguard director Jane Newman, and tributes to the company from Managing Director Andrew Halliday, director David Newman and Association of Local Bus Managers chairman Bill Hiron.
