.......preserving our commercial road transport history for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations..........

Geoff Chidzey

Upon retirement Geoff Chidzey joined the Trust and brought a depth of engineering knowledge to the Knowstone team. He says he needed something to keep the old grey matter from seizing up, having been employed as a vehicle technician for all his working life, most recently with First group at Taunton. His bus career started at Taunton in 1964 with the Western National Omnibus Company in the exalted position of shop boy, the lowest of the low, under the watchful eye of Hedley Scrivens, the Area Engineer. In the August of 1964 he was accepted into the company learnership scheme, but five and a half years later the National Bus Company was formed and learnership schemes became five year apprenticeships. Suddenly he had served his term and became a fitter. NBC not only took over Tilling companies like Western National and Southern National, but also the UK bus interests of The British Electric Traction Co (BET) which included Devon General. Manning levels at Taunton reduced at about the same time as more men were needed at Torquay, so Geoff spent eighteen months working at Newton Road. After that he moved to Tate & Lyle as a vehicle fitter for about six months but found they were in the process of moving to Southampton. Not wanting to relocate he returned to Western National and then subsequently became employed by the Cawlett Group and finally First Group.

Robert Crawley - Chairman

When recently asked how long had he served as a Trustee, Robert had to quickly think back to 2000, when he was invited to be one of its earliest Directors.   Championing the archive has been Robert’s main responsibility and some may regard him as an archive exhibit himself, having served the Trust for that length of time and as Chairman since 2008. The idea of WHOTT captured his imagination back in 1999 when he was first approached with the vision of a museum that he thoroughly endorsed.  The objective was ambitious and a desire to see it flourish was paramount in Robert’s mind.  That situation still exists because this region has a lot of commercial transport history that should be protected.  Way back in one of the early editions of WHOTTs NEWS there were some words describing Robert and what he could bring to this organisation.  Having had a childhood admiration for buses and coaches in his native Exeter and living within a stone’s throw of some bus company managers, it didn’t take long for an introduction to come his way and to apply for a job in the engineering department of Western National’s head office.  So it was there that he started in 1961, actually getting paid for something he loved doing.  Not that the salary was anything to get excited about but it must be said that, in all the years he was in the industry, Robert noticed there were a good number of people who were loyal to the job rather than putting up with their pay packet.   It then struck him that there was a huge camaraderie amongst busmen – and women – indeed marriages were forged on lonely bus routes and at Head Office where he worked, his future wife emerged from the wages department!  It was then that he realised that behind buses was a most interesting aspect of social history and sub-consciously he was drawn into investigating what the company was made of, where it had originated and who tugged its strings.  The vehicles and services just happened to be a part of the whole, for the industry was largely people driven and public carrying.  With that combination there was a story to tell, so with some friends he turned to writing up notes and persuaded his wife to type them, which eventually resulted in a three-volume trilogy of the company’s history.  The bus company gave him 25 memorable years of service but the axe of redundancy eventually fell and so to other avenues that, with the benefit of hindsight, opened up fresh opportunities and perfecting old skills.  From now on Robert would no longer be sitting at a desk pushing a pen, but driving hundreds of miles around the country with a box of tools maintaining and tuning church organs. Now semi-retired, Robert feels that there is still much to contribute in various directions that interested him, such as vintage car restoration, playing ‘cello in the ISCA orchestra as well as pursuing other interests in natural history, astronomy, architecture, genealogy and maritime history.

Ralph Ellis

Ralph was born in Winchester, Hampshire in May 1952 and the family lived in Eastleigh. Interest in public transport came early with the London & South Western Railway’s Locomotive workshops, Carriage and Wagon Works plus the huge running sheds all within earshot of his home in Bishopstoke. On the bus side Ralph remembers going to school on Hants & Dorset Bristol Ks until one day when a strange bus with a door at the front turned up on service 48 – H & Ds first FLF. Hants & Dorset’s bus station and depot in Blenheim Road, Eastleigh stood adjacent to the main line through the town.

A career in public transport began in October 1973 when Ralph joined Hants & Dorset Motor Services Ltd in the Tours Department at Bedford Place Coach Station, Southampton – now alas, long gone. In November 1974 he joined National Travel South West Ltd at the Extended Tours office in Exeter. Part of the NTSW empire was Greenslades Tours Ltd and Ralph undertook temporary depot management roles during 1975 and 1976 in Torquay and Plymouth before being appointed Depot Manager in the Torwood Street Coach Station, Torquay late 1976.

Ralph returned to the Greenslades Exeter office in Spring 1978 on the brink of a real change in direction that summer.  Joining the Western National Omnibus Company Ltd Ralph became part of the Company’s Market Analysis Project (MAP) team with Roy Anderson and Robin Wilding. From the autumn Ralph prepared surveys and completed data analysis for various depots across the Western National, Bristol Omnibus and National Express companies.

In January 1981 Ralph began the Plymouth Joint Services MAP as the Western National’s representative on the team with Plymouth City Council and Plymouth City Transport. As this Project neared completion he was offered a position with Plymouth City Transport, joining the team at Milehouse in the Spring of 1982.

Plymouth City Transport became Plymouth Citybus Ltd and during his time, firstly as Market Development Officer, then promoted to Traffic Manager, the MAP network was introduced which marked the beginning of Plymouth Citycoach activities and the registration of the commercial network in October 1986.

Tempted back to coaching activities, Ralph joined the newly-privatised Western National Ltd in August 1987 as National Express Manager. At that time this work was a major part of the new Company’s business with scheduled diagrams operated by Penzance, Truro, Newquay and Plymouth depots. For the first time since joining the industry Ralph was now in the private sector and the difference in outlook and commercial discipline was very marked.

Finally in the Spring of 1998 Ralph left the bus industry and joined Plymouth City Council on its rebirth as a Unitary Authority under Local Government Reorganisation. He was appointed Public Transport Officer, firstly supervising Special Education Needs School Transport, Social Services Transport and Dial-A-Ride. From January 2006 he became part of the Public Transport Team looking after Tendered Bus Services, Park & Ride, Local Railways, Concessionary Bus Passes – and complaints!!

After retirement in September 2020 Ralph’s interest in public transport continued with membership of the Devon General Society, WHOTT, the South Devon Railway Association, plus proof reading timetables for Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall. Ralph maintains this helps to keeps the brain active and a chance to suggest changes and enhancements to the Go South West team at Milehouse!

Away from buses, coaches and trains Ralph enjoys dog walking at the Woodside Animal Sanctuary near Plymouth, reading and catching up with friends and colleagues made during those fifty years in the industry.

Tony Hazell

At a young age Tony became interested in trainspotting during the final years of steam. He then developed an interest in buses, spending many hours at Exeter's Paul Street bus station. In the sixties Tony met up with the late Colin Shears and became involved with his vast "Winkleigh" collection of rescued and preserved vehicles.

In 1971 this encouraged Tony to buy his first vehicle an Albion Victor coach which he still owns today, together with a former Devon General Leyland PD2 acquired in 1975. These vehicles have attended numerous events over the years.

In 1984 Tony’s hobby became a livelihood when he started a family bus and coach business which, after forty years, is now continued by his daughter. During his time as an Operator both his Albion and PD2 were upgraded to Class 6 for use for hire and reward.  Having been an original member of WHOTT, Tony’s involvement has become more intense since retirement and the passing, in recent times, of his good friend and WHOTT member, David Godley. David had shared much of Tony’s interests in public transport since school days.

John Roberts
John hails from mid-Cornwall and by the age of two could differentiate types of steam loco, lorries and buses. After founding the Tremorvah School Bus & Lorry club, and the Truro School model railway society, he went up to Surrey where he started the University railway society. Reading civil engineering, he joined British Rail and rose to senior project manager of the Channel Tunnel and Crossrail. After privatisation, he became a transport advisor to Her Majesty's Government.

Over the years, John has restored several classic cars and buses. His other interests include industrial archaeology, music and campanology. At various times he was or is a member of Truro St Mary's Parochial Church Council, Truro Diocesan Guild of Ringers, Vice Chairman of Croydon YMCA, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Engineers and Secretary to the Engineers' Trust, plus Events Officer for the Routemaster Operators & Owners Association.