1. (CRU 184C) Stratford-upon-Avon in June 1984 and a former Bournemouth Corporation Daimler CRG6LX with Alexander bodywork from 1965 waited patiently on the start/finish of the 45-minute tour just off from the town centre. Since then the buildings behind have been hidden from sight by the growth of the trees and the erection of a visitor centre, although the refreshment facility remains much the same.

2. (VOH 20J) Another Daimler was this Fleetline with Northern Counties bodywork circa 1970 that was previously West Midlands PTE number 4020. Again Stratford-upon-Avon in September 1984 was the location and the vehicle retained the roof, being used as a mobile or static advertisement for the company.

3. (KJD 225P) Although many of the company’s buses were roofless some did retain them for inclement conditions. Two were Scanias with MCW bodywork previously operated by London Transport as their fleet numbers MD 16 and 25. Both are illustrated here at the company’s Stratford base in January 1988.

4. (CHL 772) A fine vehicle and unique in the fleet was this Daimler CVD6 with Willowbrook B35F bodywork. Seen here in Oxford in September 1989 it was originally supplied to Bullock & Son of Featherstone, West Yorkshire in 1950, but soon afterwards the company was taken over by West Riding and became their fleet number 342.

5. (CHL 772) Worth showing again but from the nearside so to fully appreciate the half-cab aspect of the vehicle. Seen at a rallying event at Kidderminster in October 1990.

6. (WWR 419S) Seven Bristol VRTs with Eastern Coachworks bodies were operated on the York City Tour as there were no Atlanteans or Fleetlines operated locally. One is shown here on the stop that served the railway station in June 1990. This was originally a local stage service bus in the York-West Yorkshire fleet and operated as new as their number 3985 from 1977.

7. (YHA 274J) Back to the Daimler Fleetline this time another one with Alexander bodywork from 1970 and originally operated from new by the Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Company. Here the bus rested briefly between tours of the Wiltshire city of Salisbury in Market Street during July 1990.

8. (JJT 444N) Another in the fleet in July 1990 was this Bristol VR ECW more associated with the area, being as it was originally number 3332 in the Hants & Dorset fleet from 1975 during the era of the National Bus Company. With roof intact it was used on a three times a day service to the historic ancient site at Stonehenge, although on this occasion it was assigned to other more local revenue-earning duties.

9. (RFN 965G) Park Royal supplied the bodywork for this Daimler CRG6LX originally operated by the East Kent Road Car Company from 1969. But by September 1990 the vehicle had moved from the south east up into East Anglia and was found here as it passed through the railway station at the university city of Cambridge.

10. (KHC 814K) Another refugee from the south was this 1972 Leyland Atlantean, one of four acquired by Guide Friday with East Lancs bodywork originally operated by Eastbourne Corporation. A damp day in September 1992 found the bus outside Oxford Station as it awaited its next duty through the streets of learned fellows.

11. (264 ERY) The only half-cab double-decker ever in the fleet (unless someone knows otherwise), was this handsome Leyland PD3 with Park Royal bodywork. Allegedly it was the first bus operated by the company and was previously owned by Leicester City Transport and seen here at Stratford-upon-Avon in August 1993.

12. (JAL 880N) One of the many Leyland Atlanteans previously operated by Nottingham City Transport was this 1975 East Lancs bodied version. Complete with both roof and second doorway intact the bus passed along Princes Street, Edinburgh in August 1994 when employed for a while on a dedicated service to the Deep Sea World entertainment facility at North Queensferry.

13. (BTV 650T) A similar bus from the same source was this East Lancs bodied Leyland Atlantean again in Princes Street, Edinburgh. However, number 650 from 1979, along with several others were employed on the direct AirBus Express service that linked central Edinburgh with the main airport on the west side of the city. A feature of these buses was the sort of exposed staircase as shown here in August 1995.

14. (BTV 650T) Around the other side of the same bus though one can observe the two-door configuration of these vehicles, although the rather narrow entrance would not be too user-friendly for punters with anything larger than hand luggage.

15. (DWJ 566V) Slightly younger by about one year was a small number of Leyland Atlanteans with Roe bodywork that were originally with South Yorkshire PTE. Number 1741 from 1979 passed along Princes Street on the AirBus Express service around the same time.

16. (UKV 479R) Whilst north of the Border in August 1995 a visit was made to Dundee home of some rather nice marmalade amongst other things. However, on the bus front was yet another Daimler refugee from the East Midlands. Some may struggle to recognise the vehicle by the registration UKV 479R, but this was originally PAU 198R in 1976, the registration maybe used elsewhere during the interim.

17. (MNU 191P) Daimler CRG6 with Northern Counties bodywork was more recognisable as originally Nottingham City Transport 190, when it was captured as it passed along Dummer Street, Cambridge near to the main bus station in June 1996.

18. (FWT 956J) Few 1970-vintage flat fronted ECW bodied Bristol VRs are around these days but at least one was in use back in April 1997 in York. Here what was originally YVR 56 in the York-West Yorkshire fleet passed along the Ring Road adjacent of what remained of part of the ancient walled city.

19. (TYJ 2S) March 1999 and it is back to Princes Street, Edinburgh. By now the aged fleet of former Atlanteans and Fleetlines had been replaced. Their place was taken by a fleet of former London Regional Transport Leyland Titans, although one could again be forgiven for not recognising some of the buses as they had received non-London standard registrations. This registration TYJ 2S had previously been allocated to a Brighton Buses vehicles and this bus originally registered in London as KYV 396X. I suspect as has occurred many times, particular London registrations were retained by the London companies for varying reasons. Princes Street, Edinburgh in March 1999 however played host to what was T 396 on the revised and upgraded (for want of another phrase!), AirBus Express service.

20. (KYV 323X) A similar Leyland Titan, what was London T 323 passed over Waverley Bridge also in a sunny March 1999 with the main railway station beneath the roadway.

21. (264 ERY) By July 1999 the half-cab Leyland PD3 had been transferred down from the Bard’s home at Stratford to Royal Berkshire and assigned to the Windsor Tour. Here the bus passed through the nearby location of Datchet in a slightly revised livery from what it bore back in 1993.

22. (GSC 663X) The following month of August and a refugee from north of the Border that went south was this former Lothian Regional Transport Alexander bodied Leyland Atlantean number 663 from 1981. This had been relocated to Stratford-upon-Avon and had probably ousted the half cab.

23. (F60 RFS) Another refugee from over the Hadrian’s Wall and which provided something quite different was this MCW MetroRider midibus, originally Fife Scottish number 60 from 1988. In August 1999 it was route branded and dedicated to a stage service numbered 23 that served villages to the south and east of the town.

24. (KPJ 258W) This Roe bodied Leyland Atlantean had been through several guises before it was acquired by the company. Originally delivered to the London Country Bus Services subsidiary of the National Bus Company in 1981 as their fleet number AN 258, by August 1999 it was assigned to the Oxford Tour and is illustrated here as it passed along St.Giles towards the city centre.

25. (USJ 254) Another re-registration, this time on a Leyland Atlantean that hailed originally from Plymouth as WJY 759, here at Stratford-upon-Avon in August 1999.

26. (STK 125T) Plymouth City Transport 125 was a much younger Atlantean from 1979 and featured Leeds built Roe bodywork. Waverley Bridge, Edinburgh in August 1999 saw the bus in the company of the opposition in the shape of Mac Tours (of which there will be more in a future feature). Imposing buildings of the Royal Mile provided a fine backdrop.

27. (PCR 307M) Yet another Leyland Atlantean but this time with East Lancs bodywork hailed from another south coast city, this time originally Southampton Corporation number 307 from 1974. A sunny but cool February 2000 and Princes Street, Edinburgh was surprisingly quiet as was the tour bus on this day.

28. (HKL 826) And now for something completely different. Two splendid AEC Regals with Beadle B35F bodies registered HKL 826 and 836, were originally supplied to the Maidstone & District Motor Services company in 1946. Both were acquired by Guide Friday for use in Stratford and the Cotswolds and the former is seen here at Bourton-on-the-Water on a very busy day back in June 2000.

29. (HKL 826) At least one of these two (HKL 836) survives today within the heritage fleet of The London Bus Company based in Essex. Here though the offside aspect is shown as the other bus (HKL 826) trundled out of the idyllic Cotswold village of Lower Slaughter along a sylvan set lane.

30. (A159 FPG) By now it was deemed that the visual aspect of the company and the operational fleet required something of a makeover. Natural progression from earlier designs saw the appearance of the Leyland Olympian and by now one or two had found their way into the fleet. Here a 1994 Roe bodied version previously operated by the London Country Bus Services as their number LR 59 passed along Waterloo Place, Edinburgh in August 2000.

31. (GRC 888N) 1974 East Lancs bodied Leyland Atlantean also looked good in the revised livery in August 2000 as it wandered along Princes Street. But also note the small red based advertisement on the lower nearside front panel beneath the windscreen. It read “Powered by Calor Autogas”. The new century and perhaps the commencement of alternative propulsion that has brought us to our hybrids of today.

32. (WJY 759) This Park Royal bodied Leyland Atlantean wore a dedicated livery in 2000 for a direct service to the Leith Docks area wherein lay the retired Royal Yacht Britannia at the newly named Ocean Terminal. Another re-registration disguised the fact that this had previously been AN 152 in the London Country Bus Services fleet. Here the bus returned to the city centre at Waverley as it dropped down off of Princes Street with the North British Hotel in the background.

33. (KFM 190T) Chester City Transport operated buses for Guide Friday on the city’s sightseeing tour in 2002 and number 90 a Northern Counties bodied Leyland Fleetline passed along Northgate Street on a beautiful April day.

34. (J610 SJB) Another departure from the regular tourist trails was town services in Stratford-upon-Avon with a small number of former Reading Transport Optare MetroRider midibuses. Here what was their number 610 from 1991, wore a further revision to the company’s livery along with route branding as it headed down Bridge Street in April 2003. However, by now the company was in the hands of City Sightseeing Tours of Purfleet.

35. (P538 EFL) To bring this up to date and almost complete a full circle. Although the Guide Friday company was sold in 2002 to City Sightseeing, they in turn on the 19th April this year were themselves the subject of a further sale to a Spanish company, City Sightseeing Worldwide. So here a former Viscount (later Stagecoach owned), Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympian pulls onto the start/finish location for the Stratford-upon-Avon tour in June 2011.

36. (GHT 127) But let us not end on a modern note. Instead the honour goes to another fine half-cab double-decker. A 1941 vintage Bristol K5G with converted ECW bodywork once operated for Guide Friday by the Badgerline company down on the City of Bath Tour bearing a modified Guide Friday livery back in August 1993.

37. (WLT 163) But we are not quite finished. Even as late as the mid-2000s several buses still bore the name Guide Friday on them as shown here by one in Edinburgh. Once again it is the ubiquitous Routemaster that turns up, on this occasion number 2 in the Edinburgh Tours subsidiary fleet of Lothian Buses. With the London fleet number ERM 163 also on the bonnet this was one of several extended by the insertion of a complete bay in the centre, for tourist duties back in the English capital during the 1990s. Here it dropped down out of Hanover Street and across Princes Street by the Scottish Royal Academy in August 2005, in a further revised version of the original livery along with a red ‘Guide Friday’ name included on the panels.

38. (E304 MSG) And finally by comparison, one of several more modern Alexander bodied Leyland Olympians from Lothian Buses in the Edinburgh Tours livery, again with the Guide Friday name still evident during September 2007. Just shows though how weather conditions can alter the colours on vehicles as passed along Princes Street on not as bright a day as the Routemaster.