Issue 33 • April 2015

Martin thinks we're a class act...School route driver transfers with contract - see page 4

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In this issue

We trial a new state-of-the- art WrightbusPage 5

Kids enjoy their day at Mandela Way Page 8

Matthew's amazing medal findPage 10

WHEN a young child’s favourite toy goes missing, parents know there will be no peace until it’s found!

Four-year-old Mimi accidentally left her toy bunny on a bus when she went swimming with her mother and baby brother. When they arrived home and realised it was missing, Mimi was distraught.

Her mum, Alex Mannion, promised to try and get Bunny back, but it was already late and the lost property office was closed.

Alex decided to email BBC London radio presenter Eddie Nestor during his show in the hope that he would ask his listeners to help with her search.

Fortunately for Alex and Mimi, London Transport Commissioner Sir Peter Hendy was in the studio for a regular phone-in and was keen to assist.

Sir Peter phoned colleagues at Go-Ahead London to ask if they could help find the lost toy. A message went out to drivers via CentreComm, asking if anyone had seen Bunny.

New Cross driver Ebrima Jawo had found a toy bunny on his bus when he started his shift. He had already planned to hand it in when he got back to the garage. When he heard the CentreComm announcement, he wondered if this could be the one they were looking for.

He called his controller at the next stop to describe the bunny he had found and was pleased to discover that it was the one everyone was looking for.

Ebrima said: “I knew when I found it that a child somewhere could be crying because they had lost it. I remember an instructor on a CPC

course saying that it was very important to hand in anything you find on your bus. He said even if something didn’t look precious to you, it could be like a diamond to the person it belonged to!”

Ebrima was amazed when he heard about all the publicity surrounding the missing toy but was really pleased that he was the one who had found it. “I heard that even John Trayner had got involved in the search!”

The story was reported in the London Evening Standard, where Mimi’s mother was quoted as saying: “He (Bunny) is now banned from travelling, he has had his passport revoked. I just can’t take her losing him again.”

We hop to it in hunt for Bunny

Go-Ahead answers little girl's SOS plea

Pictured left: A very happy four-year old Mimi is reunited with her bunny, and probably wonders what all the fuss was about!

Pictured below:New Cross driver Ebrima Jawo who found the missing bunny on his bus.

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A good day out is a racing certainty!

By Tom McGlewSO THERE you are, sat at the lights. The lights turn green and a person in a red car tries to cut across you competing for the single lane available ahead. The driver is sounding their horn and gesturing through the window. You edge forward. The red mist descends. The car now like a red rag to a bullish bus driver. “Wait your turn,” you’re shouting. “Wait your bloody turn!”

Suddenly, a young boy on a mobile phone steps off the kerb and you press hard on the brake. Passengers lurch forward. You manage to stop… just in time.

TfL recently ran a TV and radio campaign called Share the Road, which was asking all road users to think about their attitudes on the road. If we were all a bit more considerate, rather

than competing and losing our temper, then we'd all have better, safer and less stressful journeys.

As a professional driver, you will experience inconsiderate attitudes from other vehicle drivers and the more vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.

While you cannot control the actions and attitudes of the person in the red car, or the cyclist wobbling in the cycle lane, using your bus as a 12-ton bargaining tool is not only dangerous but a crime. Getting involved in a slanging match won’t make you feel any better and will only leave you feeling

stressed. And you’ll carry that stress with you long after the incident has passed, maybe even for the rest of the day.

You can, however, control how YOU react. That person in the red car may be on their way to hospital or a funeral or who knows where or why, or what their state of mind is. It doesn’t justify their actions but, hand on heart, could you justify your reaction?

If you stop, calmly let them pass and leave them to stress their day away, what is it really going to cost you? Ten seconds? Ten feet of road space? Once they have gone, the moment has gone. You can then go on your merry way, calm and professional. It really is up to you.

Further details on the Share the Road campaign can be found at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/campaign/share-the-road

FAMILIES and transport enthusiasts alike will be heading to London Bus

Museum at Brooklands in Weybridge on April 19 for the Spring Gathering 2015.

About 200 modern and classic buses and coaches will be on show as well as children’s entertainment, heritage bus rides, collectors’ markets and food stalls.

This is the 42nd year of the popular show, and Go-Ahead London will again be operating a special heritage Routemaster excursion to the event.

RM9 will operate as route 36X with a driver and conductor, starting at Lewisham High Street at 8.30am. They will pick up passengers at New Cross, Peckham and Camberwell bus garages, then Oval underground station and Victoria station before heading off to

Brooklands.Frank Dodge, who works part-time in

the commercial department, has been organising the excursion for 10 years and said: “People start phoning us from around

February to ask if we are running it again – it’s very popular.”

Tickets for the bus trip can be bought on board and cost £8 single/£10 return for adults or £7 single/£9 return for children and seniors. Go-Ahead London staff can get a 10 per cent discount on the fare.

Brooklands' Spring Gathering tickets can be bought at the entrance for £7/£12/£13 for children/seniors/adults respectively with discounts available if bought online in advance. The ticket price includes entry to the Bus Museum

and Brooklands Museum, which features aircraft, racing cars and bikes.

More information can be found on the website at www.londonbusmuseum.com/spring-gathering-2015.

Let it go – you’re the pro

T H E

C O L U M NH&S

RM9 on a previous excursion.

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double-deck vehicles (17 PVR). Contract begins on August 29, 2015.n Route 202 (Crystal Palace to Blackheath), converting to double-deck vehicles (15 PVR). Contract begins on September 12, 2015.n Route 246 (Bromley North to Westerham), won from Stagecoach Selkent, using existing diesel single-deck vehicles (4 PVR). Contract begins on September 12, 2015.n Route 352 (Bromley North to Lower Sydenham), using new flywheel hybrid single-deck vehicles (6 PVR). Contract begins on September 12, 2015.n Route 358 (Crystal Palace to Orpington), using new flywheel hybrid single-deck vehicles (17 PVR). Contract begins on September 12, 2015.n Route 405 (West Croydon to Redhill), using new and existing double-deck vehicles (10 PVR). Contract begins on August 29, 2015.Arriva London Northn Route 149 (London Bridge to Edmonton Green), using New Routemaster vehicles (38 PVR).

Contract begins on October 17, 2015.n Route 349 (Stamford Hill to Ponders End), using existing diesel double-deck (16 PVR). Contract begins on October 17, 2015.Arriva London Southn Route 198 (Thornton Heath to Shrublands), using existing diesel double-deck vehicles (13 PVR). Contract begins on August 29, 2015.n Route 264 (Croydon to Tooting), using existing diesel double-deck vehicles (15 PVR). Contract begins on August 29, 2015.n Route 312 (South Croydon to Norwood Junction), using electric single-deck vehicles (7 PVR). Contract begins on September 5, 2015.London Unitedn Route 116 (Hounslow to Ashford Hospital), using double-deck vehicles (7 PVR). Contract begins on August 29, 2015.Metrolinen Route 168 (Old Kent Road to Hampstead Heath), won from Arriva London North, using double-deck vehicles (21 PVR).

Contract begins on September 26, 2015.n Route 324 (Stanmore to Brent Cross), won from London Sovereign, using existing diesel single-deck vehicles (6 PVR). Contract begins on October 24, 2015.Metroline Westn Route 226 (Golders Green to Ealing Broadway), using existing diesel single-deck vehicles (16 PVR). Contract begins on October 17, 2015.n Route A10 (Uxbridge to Heathrow Airport Terminals 1, 2, 3), using existing diesel single-deck vehicles (5 PVR). Contract begins on August 29, 2015.Stagecoach Selkentn Route 354 (Bromley North to Penge), using existing diesel single-deck vehicles (5 PVR). Contract begins on September 12, 2015.Sullivan Busesn Route 692/699 (Winchmore Hill to Potters Bar, school service), won from London General, using existing diesel double-deck vehicles (3 PVR). Contract begins on November 21, 2015.

Tender NEWS

frOm AcrOSS the cAPItAL

IN OUR regular column, we highlight recent announcements made by Transport for London. All are retentions unless stated otherwise.

Go-Ahead London Blue Trianglen Route 674 (Romford to Harold Hill, school service), using existing diesel double-deck vehicle (1 PVR). Contract begins on October 17, 2015.London Generaln Route 675 (Walthamstow to Woodford, school service), won from C T Plus, using existing diesel double-deck vehicle (1 PVR). Contract begins on October 17, 2015.Metrobusn Route 119 (Croydon, Purley Way to Bromley North), using

NORTHUMBERLAND Park garage welcomed new school route 657 on board at the beginning of March.

The route, won from Arriva London, runs between the Crooked Billet roundabout in Walthamstow and Woodford Wells. It transports pupils to Trinity Catholic High School and Bancroft’s School.

Driver Martin Mannion transferred from

Arriva with the route, which he has been working on for the last four years.

Martin feels quite at home at his new garage as there are a lot of familiar faces. Many of his former Arriva colleagues transferred to Northumberland Park with route 192 last November.

“It’s a really nice garage,” said Martin. “Everyone has been very welcoming and

helpful. I enjoy doing the school run as you get to know the children and it’s great to watch them growing up and becoming more mature and responsible.

“I like to encourage the children to take personal responsibility, particularly with respect to looking after their bus pass."Pictured above: Route 657 driver Martin Mannion.

martin sticks with the school run!

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YOUR chance to have your say will be coming soon in the form of an employee engagement survey.

Go-Ahead London is working with outside agency ORC to conduct a survey of all employees to better understand their views. It is hoped this will help measure and improve employee engagement.

The on-line survey is due to take place in May and will be completely confidential, meaning no one will know who said what.

Look out for announcements about the survey on garage screens and on the portal. All employees will be emailed a link to the survey as soon as it’s

available.It is hoped

that everyone will complete

the survey as the company believes

that communicating with staff is key to

identifying ways to make Go-Ahead

London a great place to work.

We want your views

A WRIGHTBUS Streetdeck is being trialled at Camberwell garage to

assess its performance and fuel efficiency.

The new model weighs less than existing double-deckers, which helps to reduce fuel consumption, and has a Micro Hybrid system, which recaptures energy during braking.

The bus is being trialled on route 12, which runs between Oxford Circus and Dulwich.

Go-Ahead London will be comparing the fuel consumption it achieves with both the New Routemaster and the Volvo V6, to see which is most fuel efficient.

Engineers will be giving feedback to Wrightbus, the manufacturer, on recommendations for modifications to the model.

Engineering Manager Mick Reavill said: “The bus has a new Daimler engine and is easy to work on and service, which means we can get it back on the

road more quickly.“We have suggested to

Wrightbus that one of the filters should be moved, though, as we were concerned it could get damaged out on the road in its current position.”

Drivers have had type training on the double-deck vehicle and found the bus nice to drive. Wrightbus also makes the New Routemaster, so the Streetdeck has a similar dashboard which many drivers are already familiar with.

Gary Chappelle, who has taken the Streetdeck out in service, said: “It’s lovely to drive, very comfortable and the mirrors are good. The only downside I found was that when you open and then close the rear door, you have to pump the brake before you press the accelerator, which delays pulling away from the stop.”

Another positive feature of the bus is that it complies with Euro 6 emission standards, making it very environmentally friendly.

New micro hybrid bus on trial

New corgi bus models for saleCORGI has produced some limited edition models of a Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 operating on our route 74. We have acquired a batch which we are able to offer to staff at a discounted price of £20.

There are two blind options (a) with Baker Street or (b) with Putney.

Please send your requests to Valerie Clark at No. 18, indicating your preferred blind. Cheques should be made payable to London General, or cash for personal callers.

Driver Gary Chappelle with the Streetdeck.

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We welcome two new faces...COLIN brings a wealth of experience to his new role at Go-Ahead London, having worked for London Transport, Stagecoach, Arriva and the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

His engineering career started in 1978 when he joined London Transport as an apprentice fitter. He later held Engineering Manager roles at Stagecoach and Arriva.

Prior to joining Go-Ahead London on March 2, Colin was the Technical Executive at the Confederation of Passenger Transport. In this role, he had dealings with all

the main passenger transport companies and says: “Go-Ahead is one of the top transport providers.”

Colin hopes to bring his experience and commercial knowledge, gained from a broad range of transport organisations, to his new role, in order to improve efficiency and productivity.

Outside work, Colin enjoys watching motor sports including Formula 1, Touring Car racing and Le Mans. “I used to do rally driving, but you get a bit bashed up, so I prefer to watch now!” he said. “I also enjoy football – West Ham, of course.”

u COLIN MOORE Engineering Manager Bexleyheath and Belvedere

fAce 2fAce

Q: What was your first car? A: A Vauxhall Corsa.

Q: What would be your dream car? A: A Ferrari 458 Italia, in yellow and convertible of course!

Q: What is the favourite place you have visited, home or abroad? A: The culture and galleries of Paris and Delft in The Netherlands, famous for its blue pottery.

Q: What famous person would you like to meet? A: Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters – I think he’d have some good tales to tell!

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? A: I enjoy travelling around and, despite being only 25 years old, I already have National Trust membership as I enjoy architecture and history.

Q: As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? A: I wanted to be an RAF fighter pilot.

Q: What would make a good weekend for you? A: A trip to New York – I’ve never been, so I’d like to go for some sightseeing and shopping.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job? A: The variety and the day-to-day challenges. Every day is different, you never know what might come up and I enjoy all the different people I meet.

IN OUR Face 2 Face column, we chat to Ben Trotter, an engineer at Peckham garage who has worked for the company for just under five years. We ask Ben a series of light-hearted questions.

A WARM welcome to two colleagues who recently joined the Go-Ahead London team.

and engineering duo join croydonCROYDON garage has recently welcomed a new Engineering Manager and new Engineering Management Trainee. We talked to them both to find out what they hope to achieve in their new roles.

CARL has lots of plans for the engineering department at Croydon, and he’s ready for the challenge.

He took up the Engineering Manager position on March 11, following the role of Workshop Manager at Camberwell.

Carl wants to put more detailed systems in place in order to improve maintenance standards, with an emphasis on preventative work.

“We have a lot to achieve at Croydon, the spotlight

is on us,” said Carl. “But there’s a friendly atmosphere here and I really feel people want to see things improve.”

“The important thing for the business is to get vehicles back on the road, in the best possible condition.”

When he’s not working, Carl enjoys carp fishing and clay pigeon shooting. He also spends time helping his father restore motorbikes. “I think we’ve restored every model of Triumph motorbike there is!” said Carl.

u CARL WEBBER Engineering Manager Croydon

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We welcome two new faces...A WARM welcome to two colleagues who recently joined the Go-Ahead London team.

NICK has been with Go-Ahead London since the beginning of March but has spent his entire career in the bus and coach industry.

His previous appointment was Operations Manager at City Circle's Coaches London branch. Prior to that he held senior management positions at coach companies in the United States of America.

"Thus far, I have found everyone here to be extremely friendly and welcoming,” said Nick. “There is always much to learn when starting a new role, especially so coming from a commercial market into a regulated one. It's fortuitous that Go-Ahead is willing to invest in the training and development of all its

employees."I am highly passionate

about our industry; we are very much a customer-focused business and our drivers have a demanding job. They are the pilots of the road and over the coming months I hope to build upon our already high standards by developing the ethos of pride and professionalism.

“I believe my experience working overseas in a different and diverse culture has helped define the way I communicate as a manager of people.”

Outside of work, Nick likes to spend time with his wife and family. His interests include travel, the theatre, walking in the countryside and buses and coaches.

u NICK MORTON Operating Manager

and engineering duo join croydonCROYDON garage has recently welcomed a new Engineering Manager and new Engineering Management Trainee. We talked to them both to find out what they hope to achieve in their new roles.

SEVENTEEN years and seven different Go-Ahead garages is Paul Daly’s tally after joining Croydon engineering department in March.

Paul is now on an engineering management training programme and is fulfilling the satellite manager role at Croydon as part of his training. He has just finished working in the same role at Northumberland Park.

Thirty-one years ago, Paul joined London Transport as an apprentice and he’s been in the business ever since.

Before joining Croydon, he worked at Merton, Sutton, Stockwell, Putney, New Cross and Northumberland Park garages.

Paul said: “Go-Ahead London is the best bus company to work for in London without a doubt. They look after their staff and they’re really good at training.”

Outside work, Paul enjoys playing golf. When he’s not playing, he’s driving his 12-year-old son Dexter to play at golf tournaments. Dexter plays for Surrey Futures under-13s team.

u PAUL DALY Engineering Management Trainee Croydon

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PUPILS from Kintore Way Children’s Centre enjoyed a return visit to Mandela

Way bus garage earlier this year.Seven special needs children

and seven staff from the nursery in Southwark were picked up from the school in a single-deck Mercedes bus by SGA Jan Howell and driver/mentor Carol Ellington.

The four and five-year-old children went on board various buses, including one of the New Routemasters. The bus wash experience was very popular, as was sitting in the driver’s cab and pretending to steer.

At the end of the visit, the pupils were driven back to school in a New Routemaster, with a detour via Tower Bridge.

The children all sat upstairs to enjoy a better view.

The garage presented a story book to the school and a little red model bus to each of the children as momentos of their day out, which followed a successful visit in 2013.

“The visit went very well,” said Jan. “The children really enjoyed it - as did the adults.”

Employee portal rollout completeEVERY Go-Ahead London garage now has an iPad installed in the depot so all employees can access information via the employee portal.

The portal can also be accessed from any smartphone, tablet or computer connected to the internet.

At the end of February, Croydon was the final garage to have the iPad installed and ‘super user’ Lance McFarlane was on hand to show employees how to use it.

Lance was impressed with how well Croydon employees got to grips with the system and said: “The drivers at Croydon adapted well to the OARS system and it was a pleasure to be located there to give advice and assistance to those who requested it.”

AccessAll drivers now have their

own allocated Gmail address which they can use to access the portal. The next step is to replace all generic email addresses used by admin staff with their own individual Gmail address.

Currently, employees can check emails, staff notices and OARS (Online Allocation Request System) via the portal, but the plan is to expand the information available.

Lance said: “We have listened to suggestions from drivers on the Have Your Say forum and will be updating the current employee portal with duty cards, wage slips, updated management information and much more. The revamp will give the portal a brand new look.”

If anyone has any problems or queries about the portal which can’t be solved at garage level, Lance can be contacted at head office on 020 8545 6109 or by email on: lance.mcfarlane@goaheadlondon.com.

THE Marsden March has become a real family affair for Merton Engineering Supervisor Mark Titcombe.

It’s the fourth year in a row that Mark’s family and friends have taken part in the charity walk, which was held on Sunday, March 22.

The 14-mile or five-mile sponsored walk between hospitals in Chelsea and Sutton raises money to help The Royal Marsden, a world-leading cancer centre specialising in diagnosis, treatment, care, education and research.

Mark, his partner Tracie and their three children have a special reason for supporting the charity – Tracie’s father, Dick, died from

cancer last year.“Dick was a firefighter,” said Mark. “So

this year, the family all did the walk wearing firefighter hats in his memory.”

Sons Harry, aged 11, and Adam, aged nine, joined Mark for the 14-mile walk, while daughter Jessica, aged six, and Tracie did the five-mile course. Mark hopes to raise around £500 for the charity and between the group of family and friends, they are aiming for £2,500.

The Titcombe family would like to say a big thank you to everyone who sponsored them.Pictured above: Mark Titcombe, centre, with family and friends at the Marsden March.

fundraising family march together for charity

children enjoy bus garage visit

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Rewind years...10

THE past few months have

seen a number of changes

in management personnel at

garages.Those promoted are: Mark

Cambridge, appointed

Assistant Operating Manager

at Merton, Sheldon Malcolm,

appointed OM at Peckham

and Nigel Wood appointed

OM at Merton.

Operating Managers

transferred are: Ted Dalton to

Camberwell, George Martin to

Bexleyheath and Trevor Pirks

to Sutton.Nigel Wood returns to the

garage he calls “home” –

he began his career in the

industry 10 years ago as a

driver at Merton.

Shortly afterwards, he moved

to traffic control at Putney.

Since then he has worked as

a Night Controller at Stockwell

and Camberwell and has

assisted Brendan Cassidy in

road management.

In 2003, however, Nigel

changed direction when he

was appointed Assistant

Operating Manager for Merton

and Sutton.“I’d always wanted

experience in garage

management,” said Nigel, “and

it was an ideal opportunity that

came at the right time.

“We have an excellent team

of drivers here and my job

is to ensure we continue to

deliver the best performance

possible.”Assisting Nigel is Mark

Cambridge, who was London

General/Central’s first internal

management trainee. Although

aged 24, he has already

worked at all the company’s

garages.He began his career as a

Garage Support Assistant

at Camberwell, trained as a

driver and then went on the

management training course.

He is now studying for a

management diploma via an

internet scheme.

“This is my first full-time job

since completing the training

course,” said Mark, “and I love

it. I’m dealing with people and

learning a lot. It’s great.”

Sheldon Malcolm takes over

the reins at Peckham. He

joined the industry as a driver

in 1995 at Battersea before

transferring to Waterloo. He

was appointed GOS at the

Red Arrow depot in 1998 and

later became a Base Manager

in the summer of 2002.

Most recently, he has worked

at head office on special

projects with responsibility for

public relations.

He continues to look after PR

until further notice and reports

to Bexleyheath and Peckham

general manager Karl Blair.

Settling down to their new jobs

Farewell to the last of Central's RMs

NEW CROSS staff said a fond and emotional farewell to the

last of their Routemasters on January 28.

They were joined by thousands of enthusiasts crammed onto

buses and into strategic photographic spots along the route to

get visual records of the RMs’ final bow from London Central.

But none could have felt the poignancy of the occasion

more than driver Carmeene Pitters and conductor El Hassane

Koulibaly who crewed the last Routemaster in service.

They left Queen’s Park station just after midnight and brought

RM9 (NX 15) into New Cross garage more than an hour later.

Throughout the day, the Routemasters were cheered by

crowds and honoured by enthusiasts and other operators

running tribute services.

Some 15 famous buses from yesteryear operated an

‘unofficial’ service, including RT 1702, which was part of the

gathering when crew operation ended at Camberwell last year.

The Routemasters have been replaced by new, fully-accessible

low-floor buses. While most were sold on, 10 RMLs were

reallocated to Putney garage.

General Manager Trevor Johnson said: “It was certainly an

eventful day. I’d like to think of it more in terms as a celebration

of a fine bus and a tribute to the drivers and conductors who’ve

operated the service successfully for so long.”

DOESN’T 10 years fly? Hard to believe it’s that long since one of the original Routemasters ran its final service on London Central’s route 36. Meanwhile, at London General, some familiar names were taking on new challenges in new places…

London General's staff newspaper Number 55 . March 2005

March 2005 No 76

Nigel Wood, left, and Mark

Cambridge at Merton.

Driver Carmeene Pitters and conductor El Hassane Koulibaly.

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A SMALL glint of gold in the mud alerted Camberwell driver

Matthew Virgo to a surprising find on the banks of the Thames in February.

After taking the small disc home and washing off the mud, he discovered it was a medal inscribed with ‘F A French, 19028’.

Matthew belongs to a group called Thames Mudlarks and enjoys searching for historical artefacts along the mud banks of the Thames a few times a month. His interest stems from being taken there by his father as a child.

He posted details of his find on the Thames Mudlarks' Facebook page. Amateur historians linked to the group were able to establish that it was a First World War Victory Medal, which belonged to a soldier called Francis Arthur French.

Francis was born in Harpenden in 1899 and fought in both the First and Second World War before dying in 1958. Through contacts in Luton, the

historians were able to trace members of his family.

Matthew, who joined Go-Ahead London in November last year, said: “It was such a brilliant feeling finding this part of history. It’s so rare to come across something of good value.”

He has offered to hand it back to the relatives if they want it but said it would be nice to keep it if they don’t. Meanwhile, he is planning to get a copy made just in case.

No one will probably ever know how the medal ended up in the Thames but one of the Mudlarks has speculated that Francis may have hurled it in to purge his harrowing experiences in the trenches.

mudlark matthew makes muddy medal discovery

PUTNEY Lions football team has made it to the final of the George Arnold league cup in the Morden and District league, following their most successful season to date.

The team originated in the 1970s at Putney Garage but now includes employees from Putney, Camberwell, Stockwell and Mandela Way garages.

In recent years, they have expanded to field both a first team, which plays in the first division, and a reserve team, currently in division four.

Go-Ahead London has provided sponsorship to the team for a number of years, along with the sports and social clubs of Putney and Camberwell garages.

Stockwell General Manager Derek Barker is club secretary and said: “Sponsorship is very important and we would not have been able to achieve what we have without it. Go-Ahead London have been very generous.”

The team is managed by Mo Henry and his assistant manager is Dennis

Augustus, both drivers at Putney.Putney Lions will be playing Raynes

Park Rovers in the final, which will be held at the Sutton United FC ground at 7.30pm on Wednesday, April 22.

“The past two seasons have seen some exciting games between the two teams,” said Derek. “There has only been the odd goal between them with most games ending in a draw.”

“Good luck to both teams,” said Derek – it looks set to be a thrilling final!

It was such a brilliant feeling finding this part of history...

Matthew Virgo with the First World War Victory medal. Inset: A close-up of the prized artefact.

Putney roar their way to the final

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Employee commendationsBEXLEYHEATHn MISS Cornforth would like to commend driver Richard Booth for his “excellent customer service”. He lowered the ramp and pulled close to the kerb to help her board easily.n DRIVER Friedrich Bartelmann went to great lengths to sort out a problem with the ramp so that customer Mrs Mothobi could get off in her wheelchair. She praised him for going “above and beyond”.

BLUE TRIANGLEn STEPHEN Hebben received praise from customer Mr Plumb who said Stephen was “very polite and knew a lot of the passengers” and was also “very happy and all round pleasant”.n MR Plumb would also like to commend driver Richard Harper for being “very polite for all the journey”.

CAMBERWELLn “BIG, big thanks to the driver,” said customer Mrs Lorenzo, who was delighted be reunited with her lost bag with all her belongings intact, which driver Mohiri Doguie had handed in.

CROYDONn “THE bus was well driven and we were given a very comfortable ride,” said customer Mr Holland. He added that driver Tara-Jayne Williams was “a real credit to Go-Ahead London”.

DOCKLANDSn “IT was just so nice to know that there are some really caring people around who will help,” said customer Mrs Long after driver Jamie Wright helped her get home safely. “I have never met a nicer bus driver.”

MERTONn DRIVER Martin Steven put a spring in the step of all his passengers, according to customer Mrs Davenport, with his cheerful announcement at the final stop: “Please don’t forget your belongings, make sure you have a wonderful weekend and be kind to each other.”

NEW CROSSn “AN extra thank you” to driver Garry Robson came from customer Mrs Newman. Garry helped her to get her suitcase onto the bus and made sure the bus was close enough to the pavement for her to alight easily.n GINA Sheri sent “a big thank you” to driver Hem Pun, who was nice and

early for work and “one of the best drivers” she has seen.n DRIVER Tain Charles was thanked for his “charming and helpful attitude” by Ms Fearon. The customer was unable to use her left arm following an operation but Tain’s patience and help made her journey much easier.n DR Thompson said driver Wilson Joao was “very obliging and helpful and went out of his way to assist in my journey”.

NORTHUMBERLAND PARKn MR Pitman got in touch to say “what a great service he gave” after driver Vivian Richards returned his lost phone.

ORPINGTONn “HIS driving was exemplary and his manners were impeccable,” said customer Mr Leonard after travelling with driver Peter Thompson.n CUSTOMER Dr Porter said driver Alf Jordan “remained courteous and professional” despite a lot of stressed and angry passengers due to the strike and cold weather.

PECKHAMn CUSTOMER Ms Blomfield who travelled on route P12 with Pinar Washington said: “She pulls into stops to allow easy access for buggies and the elderly, waits for the disabled or elderly to sit down, always has a smile and a cheery greeting and is a good, safe driver too.”n “I COULDN’T ask for more,” said Ms Jackson after travelling with driver Peter Smith. “He dropped me at the right stop and told me what road to use to get there quicker. Please thank him for me.”n MISS Cyrus really appreciated driver Ahmed Haj Hammou’s assistance in retrieving her bag which she had left on the previous bus. She said both drivers were “really pleasant” despite the buses being very busy.n “I HAVE to compliment the driver on the very smooth ride,” said customer Robert Parfitt, who wished to thank driver Mohamed Abdullah.

PUTNEYn “WHAT really makes our stay in London so pleasurable is the drivers on the buses,” said disabled passenger Mrs Wass from Exeter. She wrote to thank all the drivers on routes 14 and 22.n CUSTOMER Miss Smith said driver

Jeremy Street was “extremely helpful” when she and a friend were unsure where to catch a night bus. She wanted to thank him for his kindness.

STOCKWELLn MRS Cavilla wrote to say how pleased she was with the service provided by Errol Davies. “He called out the stop for me and told me where to find the tube station,” she said. “He was extremely pleasant and helpful.” n “BEYOND brilliant” was how Mrs Harmer described the customer service she received from passenger assistant Colin Guldbrandsen and driver Giuseppe Monacello. “They were pleasant, kept us informed and were generally very, very nice,” she said.

SUTTONn “THEY are role models,” said customer Ms Roberts referring to Sortis Haji-Savva and Debbie Skinner who reunited her with a lost phone. “I was delighted and offered them a reward but they would not accept anything,” said Ms Roberts.n “WE look forward to getting on his bus,” said customer K Simmons after travelling with driver Christopher Ramsey. “My friend has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. It can be very stressful but this driver makes us feel at ease, is very helpful and friendly.”n DRIVER Les White was described as “the most considerate, caring and helpful driver I have ever met” by customer Jan Wilkins.

WATERLOOn DRIVER Kingsley Russell was commended by Mr Jolley, who said: “He was very pleasant and efficient, helping several people with details for other buses.”

WATERSIDE WAYn CUSTOMER Nenita Libot would like to thank driver Dave Williamson for handing in her bag, which she had left on his bus. She commended everyone involved for being “honest, kind, helpful and professional”.n “I CAN”T praise this driver enough,” said Mr Botting after his journey with driver Danny Thompson. “He was well turned out, polite and welcomed me on board. He lowered the ramp for elderly folk or people with prams and said hello to everyone.”

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GO-AHEAD London is sad to report the deaths of five much-valued colleagues in the past few weeks. Our sincere condolences go to their family and friends at this very difficult time.Obituaries

STEPHEN FROST Orpington driverORPINGTON colleagues are mourning the sudden death of driver Stephen Frost, after a short illness, on April 1, aged 59.Stephen had been at the garage for just over two years after transferring from Arriva with his route.

Stephen leaves behind his wife, Brenda, who is also a driver at Orpington, and two daughters.Funeral arrangements were still to be confirmed as Bus Talk went to press.Operations Manager Paul Harding said: “Stephen was a smashing guy, very steady and very reliable. He will be very sorely missed by all of us at Orpington garage.”

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TONy MERRELL Sutton driver/mentorCOLLEAGUES at Sutton garage were shocked and saddened by the sudden death of much-respected driver/mentor Tony Merrell, aged 65.

Tony collapsed soon after arriving at the garage on March 3, having suffered a ruptured aortic aneurysm.

Tony, who had been at the garage for 16 years, leaves behind his wife, son and four daughters. A collection at the garage has already raised £700 for the family.

The funeral took place on March 31 at the Garth Road

cemetery in Morden and afterwards at Mitcham Golf Club for a celebration of his life.

Many of Tony’s colleagues attended, with drivers from other garages brought in to cover shifts so that those who wanted to could attend.

Go-Ahead London loaned an RML Routemaster to join the funeral procession.

Operating Manager Darren Barnden said: “Tony was honest, had integrity and everyone got on with him. We have many fond memories of Tony and he will be sadly missed by us all.”

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JOE MURPHy Bexleyheath controllerBEXLEYHEATH Controller Joe Murphy died, after a short illness, on April 2, aged 57.Joe leaves behind his wife, Maureen, daughter Fiona, son Stephen and two granddaughters.Maureen said: “Joe was very easy going, fun-loving and family orientated. He was also generous with his time for others and was a governor at Stephen’s school.”Funeral arrangements were still to be confirmed as Bus Talk went to press.Joe, who had been at the garage for 31 years, will be sadly missed by his many friends and colleagues at Go-Ahead London.

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DAVID NICE Stockwell night controllerTHE sudden death of Stockwell Night Controller David Nice on February 20 shocked and saddened colleagues across the business.

David, who had worked for the company for 32 years, had a heart attack, aged just 59.

Prior to Stockwell, David worked at Camberwell garage also as a night controller, and had contact with drivers from a number of garages.

A keen golfer, David enjoyed a round with Bexleyheath Controllers just the day before he died.

Go-Ahead London laid on a bus to collect colleagues from Stockwell, Camberwell, Peckham and New Cross garages to take them to the funeral, which was held at Eltham Crematorium on March 30.

David leaves behind his wife, Margaret, and son, Paul, who is a driver at Metrobus in Orpington, and two grandchildren.

Stockwell Night Controller and friend Tony Johnston said: “David always had a smile on his face and never had a bad word to say about anyone. He enjoyed his job and nothing was ever too much trouble for him. We will all miss him enormously.”

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ANTHONIPPILLAI RExSAN Blue Triangle driverBLUE Triangle colleagues are mourning the loss of driver Anthonippillai Rexsan, who died following a stroke on February 26, aged just 39.

Anthonippillai joined Blue Triangle with route 368 when the garage took over the service from First Group in June 2013.

He was on leave when he was taken to hospital and put on life support but, sadly, he never recovered.

There was a huge turnout at the funeral, which was held on March 6. Blue Triangle colleagues and former colleagues from First Group joined family and friends, including many who flew in from Sri Lanka.

The family was very grateful to Go-Ahead London for providing a route 368 single-deck bus for the funeral procession.

Colleagues at the garage organised a collection for the family, which raised £1,400, including contributions from the company and former colleagues at First Group.

Anthonippillai leaves behind his wife and three daughters aged 17 and seven-year-old twins.

Operating Manager Hema Aggripine said: “Mr Rexsan was quite a quiet person and will be very sadly missed by us all.”