POOLE BAY SERVICES

Paul Halligan's buses that ran across town for a while in 1987 and 1988

One of the ex-Plymouth Citybus Atlanteans MCO251H in Bournemouth in 1987. 

The second issue of the timetable leaflet for the 200 came out on 10th June 1987.  The alterations were minor with the hourly frequency maintained, but the span of the operating day and timing of departures from the two termini altered from 0745 through to1645 by making times an hour later, ie 0845 to 1745.

During the summer of 1987 a seasonal route 203 was introduced between Rockley Sands holiday park west of Poole, via Poole Quay and Parkstone to Bournemouth Square. This ran three times a day from 29th June to 4th October.  The vehicle commitment was now three, two for the original 200 and one for the new summer 203 (which partly reinforced the hourly 200 between Poole and Bournemouth).

Then the  main route was renumbered from 200 to 50 as from 18th October 1987 (perhaps because the Atlanteans used had only two track not three track number blinds?).  There was also a very short-lived route 51 for about a month from 18th October 1987 running peak hour only journeys of six return trips a day from Broadway Lane through Moordown and Winton to Bournemouth Square. One surmises whether it might have been an attempt to find useful employment for the vehicle and driver from summer route 203 given the timing of the introduction of the new 51.

For the summer of 1988 four ex-BadgerVectis Bristol REs were acquired. At this time the main Poole Bay route was split into two, with service 50 extended from Boscombe via Southbourne to Christchurch hourly, but without serving Boscombe Pier. Although shown in the timetable as diverted via Stour Road and Bargates to serve Christchurch railway station, this never happened in practice.  Route 50 was also cut short at its western end at Poole Arndale Centre / Rail Station and no longer served Poole Quay.  This was served instead by a new summer seasonal hourly route 52 from Boscombe Pier via Bournemouth Square, Compton Acres Gardens and Sandbanks Ferry to Poole Quay.  This was to run from 22nd May to 2nd October.

All Poole Bay operations ceased on 22nd October 1988 for financial reasons after eighteen months of operation, despite an increase in frequency on the 50 from hourly to half-hourly as late as 5th October. Seven drivers needed to look for alternative employment. Towards the end there had been an unsuccessful attempt to sell the operation as a going concern with a reputed asking price of £90,000 - the identity of a supposed mystery buyer intrigued the trade press at the time.

Poole Bay Services had run through two summer seasons and one winter, from 20th April 1987 to 22nd October 1988. Ultimately they had not succeeded in attracting enough passengers, difficult to achieve with a relatively low frequency operation competing against higher frequency and longer established operators with more flexible ticket and fares offerings. But they went out with style: in the very last week a hired Routemaster 109CLT was used on some of the workings.

This is the summer 1988 timetable (dated 22nd May) for new route 52 aimed mainly at
visitors and holidaymakers, running from Boscombe Pier to Poole Quay. Unlike the
original 200 this ran a partly coastal route via Compton Acres and Sandbanks.

In the last week of Poole Bay operation, a hired Routemaster 109CLT  ran on route 50.
It is pictured here at the Albert Road stop in Upper Parkstone (with the Rossmore Bus at rear waiting to depart).  At this time it was owned by Rotherham and District, and previously in the summer of 1987 it had been with Pulfrey in Grantham, Lincs. (photo PR)