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On the buses with Jeff Williams of Alpha Colour Printers

Fares please - Jeff Williams, MD of Alpha Colour Printers of Gloucester, has taken delivery of his latest piece of promotional material – a bright red double-decker London bus.

Jeff has bought one of the iconic Routemaster buses, seen around the world as one of the foremost symbols of the British Capital.

The bus will be used, not just to promote the Quedgeley-based hi-tech printing company, but Jeff is also lending it out free to charity customers to help them raise money by providing a ready made roadshow platform.

“It has already been used locally for a roadshow for the NHS anti- stigma mental health campaign with a picture of Gloucester rugby player James Simpson-Daniel on the back,” said Jeff.

“We are also planning to use it for the Pied Piper appeal and for the local Crimestoppers campaign.”

The 1966, 72-seater bus originally plied London Transport’s Route 73, From Victoria, to Seven Sisters via Green Park, Park Lane, Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road, Euston, King’s Cross and the Angel, Islington – a virtual Who’s Who of the Monopoly board.

“The Routemaster is probably the most easily recognised and best loved bus in the world and I’ve always loved them,” said Jeff.

“Most people around the world, when they think of London they conjure images of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and of course the Routemaster bus.

“They were built by the AEC company in partnership with London Transport between 1958 and 1968 and, incredibly, were still in general service until 2005. There has even bee talk of bringing them back

“And, of the 2,876 built, there are still more than 1,000 still in use all over the world.

“In engineering and technological terms they were in fact quite groundbreaking, incorporating aluminium and lightweight construction techniques developed in aircraft construction during the war which makes it two and a half tons lighter than the equivalent modern double-decker.

“They also had power steering, independent front suspension, a fully automatic gearbox and hydraulic brakes, features lacking in most cars of that era. In fact it is quite easy to drive."

Give Alpha a call on 01452 887000 if you are interested in utilising this iconic piece of british history.