Friends of King Alfred Buses - The Original King Alfred Running Day (Part 1) | 01/05/23

Monday 1st May 2023 (also known as the Early May Bank Holiday and May Day, as it was on the first day of May in 2023), is the first bank holiday/Bank Holiday Monday in May 2023. The Original King Alfred Running Day, organised by the Friends of King Alfred Buses (FoKAB), includes the majority of the fleet owned by the Friends of King Alfred Buses (FoKAB) running free vintage bus services from Winchester Broadway to villages in or out of Winchester and to some of the suburbs in Winchester, along with short trips around the city of Winchester via Morn Hill. The Friends of King Alfred Buses (FoKAB) had their latest acquisition in January 2023, RU 8678, a 1929-built Leyland Lion PLSC3 with a Short B33F body formerly operated by Hants & Dorset before being painted in the livery of Edinburgh Corporation and based at the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum (SVBM) in Lathalmond, Fife, Scotland, from 2003 until earlier in the year to become the oldest vehicle in the Friends of King Alfred Buses (FoKAB) fleet. This vehicle is painted in the King Alfred Motor Services (KAMS) colours to resemble OT 8609 and OT 8609, which were scrapped Leyland Lion PLCS3s that King Alfred Motor Services (KAMS) operated from 1929 before being withdrawn in 1943. Numerous visiting vehicles attended the bus rally, which usually had their services start from St Catherine's Park & Ride and ran trips to a number of locations and villages in and around Winchester, with most of the routes calling at Winchester Guildhall in addition to route 22, a free regular shuttle service between St Catherine’s P&R and Winchester Broadway. Two feeder services got people to the event, with both feeders calling at Winchester Broadway. One feeder service was route A, which ran from Bristol and was provided by Kelvin Amos using PWS 492S (2098), a 1977-built Leyland Leopard PUS3/4R coach with a Plaxton Paramount 3200 Express C45F body formerly operated by Bristol Omnibus before its successor, Badgerline. The other feeder service was route 69, which ran from Fareham and was provided by The Provincial Society using ECG 112K, a 1972-built Bristol RELL 6G with an ECW B44D body formerly operated by Provincial and owned by The Provincial Society in Gosport. This event also marked 50 years since King Alfred Motor Services (KAMS) closed down and ceased operations in Winchester. On Saturday 28th April 1973, King Alfred Motor Services (KAMS), the local bus company in Winchester, ran their final bus service at 10:35 p.m. (22:35) on route 13 from Winchester Broadway to Weeke Estate. Since there were so many passengers wanting to have the last ride with the King Alfred buses, two buses ran this route, and one followed the other all the way around Weeke Estate and back down to Winchester Broadway. The two buses that ran this route were 595 LCG, a 1964-built AEC Renown 3B2RA with a Park Royal H44/31F body, and UOU 417H, a 1970-built Leyland Panther PSUR1A/1R with a Plaxton Derwent II B52F body, which was the year that it also joined the fleet. Both buses have gone through other owners before joining the Friends of King Alfred Buses (FoKAB). After King Alfred Motor Services (KAMS) closed down and ceased operations, the buses they operated during that time were transferred to the local bus company Hants & Dorset, which ran some of the buses until 1983, the year that Hants & Dorset ceased operations, before some of the buses formerly operated by Hants & Dorset went into preservation over time. You can check out all of my feature videos on the playlist at:    • Feature Videos