A History of Eastbourne’s Buses

As home of the oldest motor bus company in the world, Eastbourne forms an excellent basis for a detailed analysis of bus transport. The history of that company, latterly Eastbourne Buses Ltd, is charted here from its beginnings in the early twentieth century up to the present-day controversy of the takeover by Stagecoach. Author Mick Hymans is uniquely placed to write about life on board Eastbourne’s buses, with thirty-eight years’ service as a bus driver in the town. He details everything from the ‘tomfoolery’ of the early days as a conductor to the advent of the one-person-operated buses. Using previously unpublished photographs from the company’s archive, this book offers a powerful insight into the operation of a bus service in a changing society, focusing on the camaraderie, personalities and real-life stories of those men and women who work ‘on the buses’.