240 Gardner
FRN 86S AEC Reliance
Aspden's foreman fitter had worked for many years at Ribblesdale Batty Holt in Blackburn, and was an AEC fanatic.
Eventually, he managed to persuade Jack Aspden to buy a Reliance as his first heavyweight coach - just in time for them to go out of production!
It was bought for a new holiday venture which involved ferrying people on a relaxed 3 day journey to Salou, leaving them at their apartments for a week and returning with last week's passengers.
The idea was that the whole fortnight would be rather more relaxed than the double-manned 24 hour dashes that some operators provided at that time.
In truth, the idea probably wasn't a stunning commercial success, but the 12m Reliance, with toilet and nicely-spaced reclining seats (40, I think), was well on top of the job.
I photographed it on a French service area in Autumn 1979, whilst en route to Salou empty to collect the passengers from the last trip of the season. I was the unpaid courier for the trip!
FRN 86S AEC Reliance
Aspden's foreman fitter had worked for many years at Ribblesdale Batty Holt in Blackburn, and was an AEC fanatic.
Eventually, he managed to persuade Jack Aspden to buy a Reliance as his first heavyweight coach - just in time for them to go out of production!
It was bought for a new holiday venture which involved ferrying people on a relaxed 3 day journey to Salou, leaving them at their apartments for a week and returning with last week's passengers.
The idea was that the whole fortnight would be rather more relaxed than the double-manned 24 hour dashes that some operators provided at that time.
In truth, the idea probably wasn't a stunning commercial success, but the 12m Reliance, with toilet and nicely-spaced reclining seats (40, I think), was well on top of the job.
I photographed it on a French service area in Autumn 1979, whilst en route to Salou empty to collect the passengers from the last trip of the season. I was the unpaid courier for the trip!