This is the postscript to SRG191's amazing final year in service with Crosville. At the end of the summer season, SRG191 returned like the Prodigal Son to Crewe depot where it saw just a few months service before withdrawal.

At the end of 1985 Crosville took delivery of a batch of Leyland Olympians with dual purpose trim for operation on the L1 service, which had not seen new vehicles since the ENLs were new in 1974-5. When the new double deckers went into service, a dozen ENL class Nationals were instantly rendered surplus to requirements on the north Wales coast. A number of these buses were earmarked for Crewe and the remaining SRGs there were wiped out almost overnight. Time was up for SRG191.

So it was that on a snowy morning early in January 1986 I came across SRG191 ticking over in Delamere Street bus station in Chester. Judging by the snow on the roof, I suspect that it was on its final run from Crosville premises, en route from Sealand Road Works, possibly to Martins of Middlewich, the dealers. The image is particularly poignant for me: having been fortunate enough to come across the bus several times during its Welsh holiday it was fitting to have the opportunity to mark its departure for posterity.

Happily, SRG191 went on to see further service as evidenced on page 77 of Simon Butler's book "The Bristol RE - A Family Profile", where it is reported to have seen service with UK Construction at Redcar, and later stage carriage service with Sampsons of Hoddesdon.

I know that SRG191 also operated out of [at least] Pwllheli, Porthmadog, Bangor and Holyhead during 1985, though I was not there to witness this. Any photos or information regarding its movements that year would be gratefully received [send a message via the front page first] and I may add a postscript to this collection if any material comes to hand.

I hope that this episode was of interest. In a microcosm it illustrates how Crosville, a seemingly uniform corporate body, was rich in diversity and character and not beyond throwing up a few surprises. What a loss to us all.