ON THE BUSES IN BRIGHTON, AND HOVE ACTUALLY
2 December 2023
ABOVE: Brighton & Hove 831 (SK67 FJO, John Johnson), a Wright Streetdeck, turns from Marina Way onto Roedean Road, on the eastern side of Brighton, whilst working route 7 from Brighton Marina to Hove. All Brighton & Hove buses carry names; John Johnson was the architect behind the building of the Brighton Clock Tower (of which more later). For the stories of all of the people who have buses named after them here, go to the Brighton & Hove website. All photographs in this article were taken on Friday 17th November 2023.
Ah, Brighton. One of the most popular escape routes for Londoners who want to go to the coast! A major tourist destination, then, but there's evidence of settlements here from the Bronze Age, and the settlement of Brighthelmstone is recorded in the Doomsday Book.
The Prince Regent, who became King George IV in 1820, built the Royal Pavilion. It's the "Happiest Place in the UK" according to a 2008 survey, and Queen Elizabeth II granted city status to Brighton and Hove as part of the 2000 Millennium celebrations.
I have certainly had some lovely times here as well. I've been visiting since I was a child, and I have a connection to the area, as you will see later. But, although I have travelled on some of the longer-distance bus routes to and from Brighton, I have never previously sampled the local City services, apart from up the hill from the Clock Tower to the station when my partner didn't fancy the climb back to the London train (and I don't blame her - it's steep, narrow and busy)!
The Brighton & Hove bus operation today is a direct descendant of the Thomas Tilling empire of the early 20th century. Tilling formed the Brighton, Hove & District Omnibus Company Ltd (BH&D) in 1935, as an autonomous subsidiary of the parent group. Go-Ahead Northern took over in 1993, and the operation has been part of the Go-Ahead empire ever since. Roger French, the bus blogger we all aspire to be as good as, was Brighton & Hove's MD for many years. Read his story here.
I have the freedom of the city, thanks to a comprehensive bus network and what I call my national bus pass (it has the word "Visa" on it). I'm in Churchill Square, one of two focal points (in my view) for buses in the city centre (the other being the Old Steine, which I come to later - literally).
The company is in the process of moving from an old red and cream-based livery to a new "teal and aqua" scheme.
ABOVE: Three Brighton & Hove buses are visible in Churchill Square in Brighton. Old-liveried 811 (SK16 GWP, Mabel Pratt, left), a Wright Streetdeck, works route 46 towards Hollingbury, whilst 331 (YX70 OJA, Courtney Brewer-Wren, right), an ADL Enviro400ER, is showing off the new livery whilst covering route 1 towards Mile Oak. In between them, 469 (BK13 OAO, Elizabeth Fry), a Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 in a promotional livery, is also working route 1, in the other direction to Whitehawk.
Numerous bus routes pass through Churchill Square, and I have the choice of any of them! It's late morning, and the first bus to appear is working route 5B towards Hangleton. Unusually for buses outside London, Brighton & Hove has made a conscious decision to move to dual-doored vehicles. My instinct as the front door opens is to wait to see if anyone is getting off. Well they are, but just not through this door!
Brighton & Hove has also embraced tap-on, tap-off ticketing, so I don't even need to confirm where I'm going as I board. This is one of the new-liveried ADL Enviro400ER vehicles. It's a hybrid vehicle with an MMC body, and an "extended range" that allows it to run in zero-emission mode in the city centre. It has audio "next stop" announcements.
I find a couple of things that I don't like, though, when I reach the top deck. There's a large advertising screen slap bang in the middle of the front window. From the front seat I can look round it but, from further back, forward vision is badly (and unnecessarily) restricted. To make matters worse, the livery includes what is, from the outside, a cloud pattern. But from within, it's just something, right in my eyeline, that blocks the view every time I go to look out of the window to my left.
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ABOVE: Advertising screen reduces the forward view (left), whilst the 'clouds ' on the left-hand window restrict the views on that side as well (right).
Routes 5, 5A and 5B link the city centre to the suburb of Hangleton, a few miles to the north-west. Between them they offer 12 buses an hour between the two points, via slightly different routes. On the way we pass Hove, Brighton's smaller and "tranquil, upmarket" neighbour (according to Google).
Lord (Laurence) Olivier, actor and director, reportedly coined the "Hove, actually" phrase that symbolises the reported rivalry between the two. You know the sort of thing - "I'm in / from Brighton ... well Hove, actually"!
Palmeira Square in Hove is certainly very pretty in the autumn sunshine, and it does feel as though we have left the noise and bustle of Brighton behind...
ABOVE: Palmeira Square, Hove, looking broadly west
Into Hangleton, an area that was developed after it became a part of the Borough of Hove in the 1930s, but with much older origins - its Parish Church was founded in the 11th century.
There's a focal point for this area around the 'Grenadier' Hotel. Although my map suggests that this is slightly short of what is officially Hangleton itself, the bus stops nearby confirm that we have at least reached the "Hangleton Road Shops", and this is where I bail out. The 'touch-out' reader is helpfully beside the centre door and I wonder whether the company experiences much revenue loss as a result of people tapping-off too early, given that the exit reader cannot be supervised in the same way as one at the front door would be?
ABOVE: Brighton & Hove 322 (YX69 NWK, Prince Regent), an ADL Enviro400ER, arrives at the Grenadier Hotel stop in Hangleton, at the start of a run across the city to Hollingbury.
The 5 group of routes don't just link Brighton with Hangleton. The services cross the city centre and head out to the other side of town. Route 5B heads to Hollingbury whilst the 5 and 5A go to Patcham.
I now head out of Hangleton on route 5; on time at 1225. This is another new-liveried Enviro400ER, with the same vision restrictions as its predecessor. This route goes deep into housing areas around Hangleton, West Hove and Aldrington (sorry, all these areas merge into one another so I'm not exactly sure where I am!) before heading back into Hove and then Brighton.
From the city centre, the bus turns north onto the London Road, passing the Community Fire Station at Preston Circus.
ABOVE: Preston Circus, with the Fire Station on the right. In the background you might just pick out the railway viaduct, which carries the railway from Brighton towards London Road station, and on to Lewes, Eastbourne and Hastings.
We pass Preston Park, a large urban park which incorporates Preston Manor, now a museum and exhibition space.
ABOVE: Distinctive housing along the Preston Road, heading north out of Brighton
This is the main A23 road to London, and will shortly intersect with the A27 which runs west-to-east, near the south coast, from somewhere west of Southampton (as the M27) to Polegate, near Eastbourne. Just before we reach that intersection, the 5 pulls off into Patcham, which is the area immediately to the south of the A27 at this point.
This area has important connections for me; my mother was born here, almost 92 years ago. I'm close to Ladies Mile, a local nature reserve to the east of the village, and leave the bus adjacent to the public house that shares its name.
I head back to the city on route 5A, on which I am greeted, on time at 1327, by a smiling driver - makes such a difference! This is another Enviro400ER - they are certainly very smooth running vehicles.
The A23 at this point is known as the Patcham By-Pass, and the road this bus is now traversing is the Old London Road, which speaks volumes of what must have once been the trunk road before the by-pass, less than 100 yards away behind the trees and houses, was built.
There's a stop at Audrey Close, where the audio announcement adds that we should "use the front doors at this stop" - not a surprise when one looks at the geography here (see Google Streetview).
I stay on board back into Brighton city centre, where the tap-off reader at the centre doors does not register. It's getting too busy to go to the front door and tap-off with the driver, but I'm past my daily cap by now anyway (a very reasonable £5). Looks like he's going to have a busy trip on to Hangleton.
ABOVE: A view from Brighton Pier, looking westwards. What is left of the West Pier (not much) is visible on the left in the distance. The pole in the centre of the picture is the Brighton i360, a glass pod that rises to 450 feet to offer amazing views of the city and beyond. It's evidently just landed. Opposite is the Regency Restaurant, which I highly recommend if you're in town.
I've come to the Old Steine, a garden triangle in the centre of a one-way system - think Shepherds Bush Green in London, but much nicer, and with the sea and the Pier in sight.
There are a couple of bus stands here for some services that don't venture into the centre. Key amongst these would seem to be route 25, to the University area. This was the last bendy-bus route in Brighton, in 2022, and runs every six minutes. Well that's the theory anyway; during a wait for something else later in the day, there are three route 25 buses along within three minutes of each other.
I'm heading elsewhere, though. I've always wanted to visit Brighton Marina, about a mile-and-a-half to the east of here, but it has always passed me by up to now (or rather, I have passed it by, I suppose). So today's the day!
I've jumped on a route 21 service. (I can hear readers who know this bus network tutting now...) This route starts at Goldstone Valley, just a mile from Hangleton, where I was earlier. However, only half of the service goes there, and this one is on a short working that has started at Churchill Square.
Why the tutting? Well it turns out that the 21 is taking the long way round. The very long way round. That mile-and-a-half as the crow flies is going to take 44 minutes.
The driver is very friendly. A woman asks if he serves "St Peter's", and his reply is a loud "YAAY"! This is an older vehicle in the traditional red and cream livery, single-doored and probably a Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 although I omit to check.
This route ventures high above the eastern side of Brighton, into the hilly suburb that is Whitehawk, a modern housing estate built in a downland dry valley. There are some stunning views of the city, the coast and the Whitehawk Hill Local Nature reserve to be had from this route.
ABOVE: Looking down to Whitehawk from Manor Hill, near Whitehawk Camp, one of Britain’s earliest stone age monuments. There's an old bus stop pole in view - doesn't seem to be in use as a bus stop now, but good to see a litter bin attached to what's left of it!
It's whilst circumnavigating the Whitehawk area that I stumble across a bus that has been decorated in the colours of Brighton & Hove Albion. Whilst very striking, the views from within are not going to be very good... Such a shame on a scenic route like this one.
ABOVE: Brighton & Hove 471 (BK13 OAS, Jacob Schilt), a Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, passes St Cuthman's Church in Whitehawk Way, Whitehawk, on route 21.
The bus is named after Jacob Schilt. Appropriately for a bus in football colours, Jacob was a local footballer, who played for Worthing United FC. He was born in Brighton and reportedly has a bright future ahead of him, until he was tragically killed in the Shoreham Air Show Crash in 2015, when a plane performing a stunt crashed onto the A27. A fellow player, Matthew Grimstone, died in the same accident. He also has a bus named after him, and painted in Brighton & Hove Albion colours. A very sad story but a nice tribute by the bus operator.
The bus twists and turns around Whitehawk but eventually makes its way back to the coast to terminate at the Marina. The Marina is described by Google as a "chic shopping hub with fashion boutiques, galleries, and craft shops, plus casual eateries".
ABOVE: The view from the top deck as we descend into the Brighton Marina area. Most of the main attractions are out of sight to the right.
The tap-out reader doesn't register my card, and I get the impression that the driver has already reset his ticket machine for the return trip.
The Marina looks inviting, but the light is starting to fade and I want to do a bit more while I still can. So I'm only in the Marina for two minutes before I jump onto the number 7 back into the city.
This is a single-door Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, and I am waved on as the ticket machine isn't working. There's an inexplicable contra-vision blob on the upper front windscreen.
Route 7 takes a direct route back into the city, running just out of sight of the coast along the Eastern Road and Edward Street in the Kemptown district.
There's an interesting bus parked up outside the Royal Sussex County Hospital. It's a Higer Steed electric bus, operated by The Big Lemon, a community bus company with green credentials - it started off by running buses using recycled waste cooking oil from local restaurants, and is now in the process of converting its entire fleet to electric power.
ABOVE: The Big Lemon's Higer Steed EV 822 (BIG 822), outside the Royal Sussex County Hospital
It's a busy run on the 7, despite the seven-minute frequency. But quick, especially when compared to the 21, and we're back at the Old Steine in 17 minutes (three times the number equals three times the journey time where the 7 & 21 are concerned)! I stay on for a couple more stops. There's no point testing the tap-off option this time as I didn't tap-on.
ABOVE: Brighton & Hove 836 (SK67 FJY, Phyllis Pearsall), a Wright Streetdeck, heads up a convoy of four buses on North Street in Brighton city centre, on route 7 to Hove.
Route 7 continues to Hove, but running via Brighton Station rather than through Churchill Square. It turns north at the Jubilee Clock Tower which is said to mark the centre of the city.
Built in 1888, in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria (1887), opinion is apparently sharply divided as to the clock tower's architectural merit. No matter, it is Grade-II listed for its architectural and historical importance, so someone likes it!
ABOVE: Brighton & Hove 401 (BJ11 XHA), a Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, passes Brighton Clock Tower, working route 6 from Brighton station to Down's Park Sainsbury's
It's now after 1530 and the light is fading fast. But there's just time for one last hurrah.
So I hop on a number 6 which is loading up in Churchill Square. This service, from Brighton Station, runs to the large Down's Park Sainsbury's store - near Portslade but seemingly described as West Hove (perhaps that's the area it serves rather than its specific location). It's a single-door Volvo B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 2.
Given the time of day, this is a busy run. Indeed, all of the buses around the city centre are busy now, and a couple are even marked as "Sorry, Bus Full".
This is a very direct run, staying with the Western Road from Churchill Square all the way through into Hove, where it becomes Church Road, then onwards towards Portslade-by-Sea. It's quite a vibrant town centre here (actually called Boundary Road until the station and then Carlton Terrace), and I'm tempted to get off here, as many others do. But I stay put and ride all the way to Sainsbury's, which takes another 12 minutes as we work through a grand tour of the residential area to the north of the district. There are three of us left by the end of the journey and the tap-off reader does not register my card.
Brighton & Hove 441 (BG61 XSX, Magnus Volk), a Volvo B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, at Down's Park Sainsbury's. Magnus Volk, the son of a German clockmaker, brought electricity early to his own house in Dyke Road and soon had the Royal Pavilion illuminated in the same way. He also brought the first telephone service to Brighton and then built the seafront railway that still runs today. This picture has been taken at dusk using the "night" setting and has come out really well. It looks much lighter than it actually is!
And a final run back to Brighton, this time on route 46. This starts on the coast at Southwick and circles inland to where I am now waiting. My bus comes quickly, but the other two people at the stop seem to have been waiting some time for a service in the other direction - apparently this is the third 46 towards the city since they arrived. A bit worrying as the service only runs every 20 minutes.
This is a dual-door Wright Streetdeck, and it's getting busy. Very busy.
I have a quick geography lesson as the bus almost immediately reaches Carlton Terrace in Portslade town centre - I had not appreciated that the long drive to Sainsbury's had been three sides of a square! We sit here for a few minutes as the level crossing is closed for a train to serve Portslade station. We left Sainsbury's five minutes late, a 1630, so this further delay won't help matters.
This service is a straight-forward run back to Hove and Brighton, albeit by a slightly different routing again to the ones I have used so far. I see more buses marked "Sorry, Bus Full", and my bus joins these ranks as the number of people waiting in Hove is more than it can handle. I know that a full bus maximises the economics of running a service, but I don't see how it encourages new passengers, and some of the existing ones who get left behind might decide to travel another way as well. Time for some frequency uplifts?
There's no discernible churn at Churchill Square and it looks as though many passengers are on board for the longer run out towards Hollingbury.
I leave at North Street. The bus is no longer completely full but it remains extremely busy (and no doubt more will be waiting around the corner at the Old Steine). The tap-off reader on this bus does work, but there's someone standing in front of it (as people do stand at the rear doors on busy buses), and I have to slip my card (wafer-thin of course, thankfully), behind them in order to tap-off, muttering an "excuse me" as I do so and hurry to get off.
ABOVE: A view of the side of the Brighton Royal Pavilion, looking down into Church Street from Marlborough Place. This has been taken from the route 21 bus that I describe above. In front is 204 (LJ61 NWL, John Boulting), a B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 on route 25 to the University area in Moulsecoomb, to the north-east of the city centre.
And that's my first serious look at the local buses of Brighton & Hove. There are many good things to shout about here. It's a comprehensive network of frequent bus services stretching out of the city in all directions (except south, of course, which is the sea). The fleet is modern, and nearly every route runs with double-deckers. Generally friendly drivers, and they all drove to a high standard.
On the down side, the hideous TV screens restricting the front view, and those 'clouds'. Plus of course, buses that are full, and tap-off readers that don't work. Sort out those quibbles before my next visit (which will be soon, I hope) and I'll be happy.
