Appropriately for the fortieth anniversary of Leyland National this year, Tim Goddard has selected this bus as ‘Bus of the Month’. He says “Since its first day when it arrived new at Fareham Depot in June 1977, it was always a comfortable bus to drive and I must have covered thousands of miles in it over the years as it was a real workhorse throughout its life. Starting off in the red Hants and Dorset livery it was repainted in 1984 into the Provincial NBC green livery after the 1983 move to Hoeford. After the creation of People's Provincial in 1987 it was two years before it was repainted into the PP livery. An all over advert livery needed a bus in good condition with a single door, many of the single door former Hants and Dorset Nationals were given an all over advert  at some stage of their lives, but fortunately SPR 39R was never defaced in this way. This bus was always a good bus to drive as were many of the former Hants and Dorset Nationals. They tended to be in a better condition than the rest of the fleet and I could always recognise one when I drove it.  After the takeover of People's Provincial by Firstbus, SPR 39R kept its green livery and never did get the cream and red livery before it was disposed off in 1998. A lifespan of over twenty years in this area with just three different liveries in an uneventful but very productive life, this bus certainly earned its keep.

The Provincial Society was formed at the inaugural Annual General Meeting on 1st March 2003 and was registered as a charity on 9 July 2004. It brings together people interested in all aspects of the operation and vehicles of the former Provincial Tramways Company, the Gosport and Fareham Omnibus Company and the Provincial Bus Company, together with all successor and associated companies from 1878 to the present day.

After the successful launch of two books in 2011 - Terry Lawson's: 'Provincial's RELLs' and Fred York's: 'Strangers in town - 1 : Express coaches', we are planning to publish the following in 2012:

In addition, there will a special publication launch to mark the start of the Bus Rapid Transit operations in April.

Owing to demand, a reprint of People's Provincial Fleet History @ £15 will be printed. Full details of all these will be placed on this website and, when available, the books will appear on the shop order form.

Our rally is held at Stokes Bay on the first Sunday of August.

We are working closely with the local bus company – First Hampshire & Dorset Ltd.  For more details of our events, please check this website regularly or contact John Sherwin.