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Sussex Buses
History of Southdown Motor Services
Southdown Motor Services, a subsidiary of the British Electric Traction Company, once dominated the county of Sussex, with a history dating back to 1915. The National Bus Company took over in 1969 and the company was split up in the 1980s, with the Brighton and much of the East Sussex areas becoming ‘Brighton & Hove’, bringing back memories of the former Tilling Group operator of a similar name.
Other Operators in Sussex
Brighton Corporation also ran buses in that town, as did neighbouring Eastbourne, both with fascinating fleets, though both concerns are no longer operating. The northern part of what is now West Sussex was the territory of London Country, particularly around East Grinstead and Crawley. In East Sussex, Maidstone & District ran most of the services around Hastings.
Current Bus Operators
Today Stagecoach and the Go Ahead Group are the principal bus operators in Sussex, with their operations supplemented by various small, but interesting, independents.
Photographer’s Perspective
John Law has been photographing the Sussex bus scene since the early 1970s and presents here a wonderful selection of his photographs, bringing back memories of vanished operators and vehicles.
