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Provincial Fleet List: 1929 - 1969 (Provincial Paper No 1) (2023 edition)

Gosport & Fareham Omnibus Company and Provincial Traction Company

A comprehensive list complied by Stewart Brett.

This A5 format booklet with 76 of text and black and white photographs is the result of years of research by the author who is a member of the Provincial Society. For the enthusiast who wants to know the details about each vehicle, this is ideal. The fleet number, registration number, chassis no, bodywork, seating and dates of arrival and disposal are some the the regular features for every bus and coach during this period. In addition, Stewart has included special reference to any special feature or alteration to the vehicle. His studies are based on company and tax records. The book is set out in chronological order for ease of research. Published in 2004. Updated and reprinted in August 2023.

£9.50 + p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

Portsmouth Street Tramways  1870 -1929 (Provincial Paper No 2)

A comprehensive list compiled by Stewart Brett

This A5 format booklet with 42 pages of text and black and white photographs is the result of many years of research by the author who wrote Provincial Paper No. 1 as well. There is a brief history of The Portsmouth Street Tramways with details of acquisitions each year from 1870. Chapter 3 provides the background to the Gosport Street Tramways with details of trams from 1882 while the later chapters are rich in the history of the Motor Fleets of the Tramways Company from 1908 until 1929.

This book is laid out chronologically for ease of reference.  Published 2014

£6.50 + p&p     Exclusive to the Provincial Society

A Centenary of Hoeford Garage 1905 - 2005

Published by the Provincial Society in December 2005 to coincide with the centenary year of the Hoeford garage as a continuous transport depot since 1905. Fully glossy booklet in A5 format with 23 pages including 13 colour and 25 black and white photographs with information captions together with a background history. Many photographs have not been published before.

£5.50 + p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

A Celebration of the Twentieth Anniversary of People's Provincial

Launch of a new book to celebrate the 20th year since the formation of People's Provincial in 1987. Another in the Provincial Papers series in A5 format with some unusual facts and pictures showing the history of the company during the period.

£8.50 + p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

The Story of the Notorious Blackspot

Fareham Arch by Fred York. The book is the usual A5 format with 32 well illustrated pages telling the story of the replacement of the notorious Fareham Arch.

£6.00 + p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

Fred York's photographic biography

Another in the Provincial Papers series, this A5 book tells the story of Fred York's photograph biography form his early days in Birmingham to the operations of Gosport & Fareham Omnibus Company. Fred is a well known member of the society. What may not be so well known is his wide ranging hobby of photographing buses in Singapore, Malta and UK over several decades. Bearing in mind the demand for Fred's atmospheric photographs, a careful selection has been incorporated to show his own biography from trams in the Midlands to the unique Deutz double deckers in Gosport and Fareham.

£6.50 & p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

by Terry Lawson

Continuing in the series of Provincial Papers, this A5 book concentrates on the Bristol RELLs used by Provincial. There is a mixture of 36 black & white and colour photographs illustrating the story behind the vehicle type, familiar around the streets of Gosport & Fareham in the 1970s and 1980s. Within the book, which is the author's personal account of the RELLs, is a comprehensive history of the seventeen which were part of the Provincial fleet

£8.00 & p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

By Fred York

Another in the Provincial Papers series by Fred York, this A5 book illustrates the days of south coach express coaches using the A27 through Fareham between 1957 and 1984. There are 34 pages with 57 large black and white photographs taken by the author.

£6.50 + p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

By Fred York

This A5 book is the second in the series written by Fred York for The Provincial Society. It shows the former service buses used by contractors, mobile shops and factories as well as buses converted into vans around Fareham between 1958 and 1976. There are 34 pages with 59 black and white photographs from Fred's vast collection

£6.50 + p&p   Exclusive to The Provincial Society

By Richard Arthur and John Sherwin

This A5 book celebrates the Leyland National years at Hoeford from 1972 to 2004 with a final chapter telling the story of known survivors. The first chapter sets the background with an explanation of the genesis of the Leyland National. Each subsequent illustrated chapter provides detail of how the fleet grew to a time when the majority of single deckers were new or second hand Nationals. There are 33 pages with 37 pictures, mostly colour, with comprehensive captions.

£8.50 & p&p   Exclusive to The Provincial Society

This A5 book, written by Ray Tull, explores the background to the infamous air-cooled Deutz buses used by Provincial between 1957 and 1972. There are 34 pages with a mixture of black & white and colour photographs to support the text. There is ample information about the development of the innovative vehicles pioneered by H. Orme White as well as individual vehicle profiles.

£6.50 + p&p     Exclusive to The Provincial Society

Strangers in town 3: Buses and coaches (Provincial Paper No 12)

This A5 book is the third in the series written by Fred York for the Provincial Society. The contents reveal some of the buses and coaches in various guises seen around Fareham between 1962 and 1989. There are 35 pages with 61 black and white photographs taken from the author’s vast collection.

£6.50 + p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society 

Another in the series of A5 papers written by leading transport author, Fred York, for the Society. The paper is in A5 format with thirty-four pages devoted to fifty-two black and white pictures of Provincial buses passing by local pubs in the Gosport and Fareham areas mostly. Pubs have always played an important part as timing points or as a terminus for routes. It is a reminder of some of the missing landmarks as many of the pubs have been demolished in recent times. It is a fascinating collection of pictures which serve to jog our memories of what parts of the area were like between 1962 and 1991. Take a photographic pub crawl now!

£6.50 + p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

This A5 book, filled with sixty two pages of text and black and white photographs, is the result of many years of research by the main author, Stewart Brett. The majority of the photos have never been published before. Although specifically about the tramway operations in Grimsby, there is reference to Gosport when vehicles were transferred. A comprehensive study which contains information about the horse trams of Great Grimsby Street Tramways from 1881 and the electric trams and motor vehicles from 1901. The fleet history of the motor vehicle fleet of Provincial Tramways Co Ltd from 1907 onwards is featured. In addition, the service and haulage fleets are documented. All detail appears in chronological sequence for clarity.

£7.50 + p&p    Exclusive to the Provincial Society

This A5 book is the fourth in the series written by Fred York for the Provincial Society. The contents reveal some of the buses and coaches in various guises seen around Fareham and the Western Wards. There are 35 pages with an extensive introduction to the topic and 48 colour photographs taken from the author’s vast collection.
 

£7.50 + p&p    Exclusive to the Provincial Society

As a sequel to ‘Strangers in town: 4, this A5 book is the fifth in this series written by Fred York for the Provincial Society.

The contents reveal some of the unusual buses and coaches in various liveries seen around Fareham. There are 36 pages with a brief introduction and 67 colour photographs taken by the author.

 

£7.50 + p&p    Exclusive to the Provincial Society

This 36 page publication gives the history of this unique vehicle, the early acquisition by the 57 Group and the continued restoration by the Provincial Society. The publication contains many previously un-published photos. Authors: Bob Jackson, Tim Jepson and Chris Richardsen.

£8.50 + p&p    Exclusive to the Provincial Society

This well researched and illustrated Provincial Publication will be the next A4 book to be release in this series. It covers all the details of each bus which appeared in the People's Provincial fleet from the beginnings to the end of operations. Carefully researched by a team of society members - Roy Jetten, Stephen Didymus and Mal Saltmarsh - this will be a comprehensive record of all that is known today. Excellent photographs illustrate each vehicle type and each bus has a complete record from its acquisition to its withdrawal from the fleet plus subsequent ownership where known. It has taken many years to compile and the authors would like to publish it as part of the Provincial range. There are over one hundred pages of interesting facts which have been double checked by Robert Smith who keeps prolific records of all local bus operators.

£17.50 + p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

Provincial Publication No 2 is written by David Whitaker is now available from our shop. This softback A4 book contains a mixture 118 black and white and colour pictures and illustrations in 67 pages telling the story of the company from its early beginnings until it ceased trading. Of particular interest to road vehicle enthusiasts, this well-researched comprehensive book includes full details of trucks, vans, buses as well as ambulances with specific features on the Channel Islands., Portsmouth and Provincial buses. The title of the book is derived from the company's long association with the latter group. Reading built its first ever double deck bus for Provincial and the final bus to leave the factory was destined for them as well. Memories from family and workers at Reading & Co Ltd. enrich the fascinating history of the south coast manufacturing company.

£12.00 + p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

Bus Rapid Transit by Fred York tells the story of the transport links on the Gosport and Fareham peninsula since 1841. It is an A4 format with a mixture of 52 black & white and colour pictures and illustrations in 60 pages revealing the background to the BRT from the first concept of using the former railway line for a tram to the eventual arrival of BRT in April 2012. In addition, there are background details of the trams in their heyday and the railway line when in operation. For enthusiasts and residents alike, this well-researched book by a local authoritative transport historian will provide fascinating reading into the changing needs of the peninsula over the parts two centuries

£12.00 + p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

Fleet history 1970-1987 (Provincial Publication No 4)

This well-researched A4 book by Chris Richardsen with over 125 pages of facts and photographs completes the published fleet history of Provincial from 1870 to 1995. Well-illustrated throughout, this book contains details of each bus from acquisition to withdrawal with additional notes about changes of livery and conversions where appropriate.

£15.00 & p&p   Exclusive to the Provincial Society

To mark the centenary of Hants & Dorset in 2016, Fred York has chosen a sample of photographs from his collection to show H&D around Gosport and Fareham between 1957 and 1979. Personal recollections as well as a hundred black and white pictures complete the whole album in 58 pages (A4 format). At one time, H&D and Provincial were the main operators on the Gosport peninsula.

£11.00 & p&p    Exclusive to the Provincial Society

Binders for 12 copies of 'Provincial Press' or any other A5 Provincial booklet.

£6.50 + p&p

Back issues of "The Provincial Press" are available £4.00 each. Click here for details of available copies