COLIN MORRIS
One of the great names of the British bus and coach industry was Royal Blue, whose vehicles were a familiar sight on the express routes between London and the West Country. For many years, Royal Blue was the name adopted by the Southern National and Western National companies for their express services, but the origins of the name date back to the late 19th century when a horse drawn coach service linked Bournemouth with the Southampton and Dorchester Railway.The Royal Blue operation grew under the ownership of the Elliott family until it was acquired by the two subsidiaries of the Tilling Group. As part of this group, the company ultimately ended up integrated into the National Bus Company and its individual identity was lost with the creation of NBC's long-distance coaching arm, National Express. In September 2000, Ian Allan Publishing released "Glory Days: Royal Blue", which explored the history and vehicles of Royal Blue from the company's origins through to the creation of NBC. The success of this book, which quickly sold out, along with the vast range of additional material unearthed by the author during his researches, allows for the publication of this second volume devoted to the operator.Whereas the original volume dealt predominantly with the operator's history, this new addition examines the day-to-day operations of the company and how it interlinked with the other operators in the areas that it served, and in particular covers the operator's express operations in the period up until the mid-1960s. Colin Morris is a highly-regarded and successful commentator on the history and operations of bus operators in southwest England and this new volume will be essential reading for all those interested in the operations of one of the greatest names in the British bus and coach industry.
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