This contribution to our popular ‘Heyday’ series offers some 85 colour illustrations, the vast majority previously unpublished, which provide a record of many of the vehicles and the operations of East Kent from the late 1950s through to the early 1970s when the company’s traditional identity gradually disappeared following its incorporation into the National Bus Company.
The East Kent Road Car Co Ltd, dating from 1916 and based in Canterbury, was to dominate the public transport scene in and around Dover and Folkestone. A subsidiary of British Electric Traction, East Kent, probably because of its proximity to the English Channel, became a pioneer of continental coach tours which commenced in 1919. It also was involved in contract work for the cross-channel steamer operators and later the airlines. Apart from its local services in and around the Channel ports, the company also operated express services to and from London and, from the late 1950s, was also involved with the Europabus consortium. Like other BET companies, East Kent operated a varied range of buses provided by makers such as AEC, Dennis, Guy and Leyland. After some 60 years of existence, however, the company was nationalised with the creation of the National Bus Company in 1969 and was gradually to lose its identity over the next few years.
In their second volume devoted to East Kent, noted transport historians Glyn Kraemer-Johnson and John Bishop have gathered an interesting collection of colour illustrations, the majority previously unpublished, focused on the period from the late 1950s through to the early 1970s. Alongside the carefully selected images, the captions provide the reader with a fascinating account of the vehicles and routes of the period. This new contribution to the popular ‘Heyday’ series from two of Ian Allan Publishing’s most successful and well known road transport authors, will be sought by all those interested in the history and operations of East Kent and by all those with an interest in or knowledge of the area covered during the period covered.
Author: Glyn Kraemer-Johnson and John Bishop
Format: HB 80 pages
Publisher: Ian Allan Ltd
Pub date: Nov 2007
ISBN 13: 9780711032064
List Price: £14.99
