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| Photographer / Copyright: Philip Hambling Images should not be reused without permission. Date added to site:14/09/20 | ||
| Details: I do like photos which show a bit of context in addition to the vehicle itself, particularly for older views. Some things which seemed familiar at the time now look decidedly odd. Take this view of Bedford Astra van 3458B parked outside Manor House in November 1988. The first thing I noticed was the bright yellow British Telecomm Bedford HA van parked behind. I used to see these all the time but.... Anyway, then I looked at the bus, a Bristol VRT belonging to Eastern National and most likely being used on route 359. How strange it seems now to use green and yellow, single-doored buses in service in London. Route 359 had only been introduced in 1986, to replace the northern section of route 259, and it was to disappear again in 1994. I suppose I should say something about the service vehicle! 3458B was new in December 1986 and was one of several large batches of Bedford/Vauxhall Astras leased through the 1980s for use as inspector's cars. Most were fitted with illuminated roof-roundels, these being passed down from one generation to the next. This was one of several allocated to the big north London garages (Tottenham and Wood Green), which meant there was little chance of confusing it with consecutively numbered 3459B, which had a similar reg D991HNG but was based in the south west. | ||
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