Bristol Lodekka Flf for hire in Poole

Hire this Bristol Lodekka Flf for your event

It is almost fifty years since ‘Dekkabus’ flagship classic double-decker first arrived in Dorset. On the 23rd of May 1967, new bus chassis , routinely set off from Bristol’s Motor Constructional Works for the two hundred and seventy mile journey to Lowestoft. There it would receive a seventy seat double deck body. A little over two months later on the 31st July, the completed Tilling Green-painted FLF ‘Lodekka’ was received in by staff at Hants & Dorset’s Southampton Stores.

During 1979, a pair of young local enthusiasts Tim and Geoff began to make enquiries to Hants & Dorset about the availability of fleet number 1254 for preservation. They would eventually purchase the bus, and arrived at Poole Garage one cold morning in January 1981 to collect the vehicle and take to her new home; a farmyard near Colehill, where she happily resided for the next thirty years.

During the ensuing two years, the pair were kept busy with restoration work on their newly acquired project, first attending to the interior, and then in the Summer of 1983 was returned to original Tilling green and cream livery in which she remained in for the next thirty years! At around this time, the original black and white painted fleet number plate turned up having spent some years in a local enthusiast’s collection, so 1254 became 1557 again!

The following years saw our bus leading a very active semi-retirement. She was the original ‘flagship’ vehicle of the ‘Wessex Transport Society’, and was the focus of the club’s formation in 1983. She was kept busy attending many bus rallies and running days, helping friends transport wedding guests, and taking part in several films during the 1990s! Throughout the whole of this time, 1557 was locally based, being stored in a barn on a farm near Wimborne.

At the end of 2015, an already well-loved, preserved bus was put up for sale by it’s group of owners. Not just any vehicle; but a bus that has always had a special place in our founder Director (Trevor’s) heart. In 1975, Trev’ joined Hants & Dorset Motor Services Limited as a Conductor and was regularly allocated to this particular vehicle to undertake his duties. A year later saw Trevor drive this bus out of the blazing Bournemouth Bus Station inferno to safety.

The temptation was too great! Trev’s heart took over his head and a deal was struck to purchase the vehicle from it’s previous owners of the past 36 years.

To justify such a huge investment, the decision was made to bring the vehicle to such a high standard that the vehicle could re-enter active service as a Public Service Vehicle after a retirement of over 36 years stored away in the back of a barn.

After an extensive overhaul and refurbishment costing many, many thousands of pounds, the end result is a vehicle presented to the highest finish, maintained with pride and passion and driven by only the chosen few.