SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I've put this in Transport rather than general chat. Also apologies if covered before but a search would turn up far too many results.

I noticed on Metro's holiday service list that there are some running on Christmas Day. 3 Different Services although I think covered by two buses will be running in the Keighley/Worth Valley area but the one that caught my eye was the service that will be running several return trips from Morley to St James Hospital.

Firstly the operator is listed as Black Prince and secondly presumably partly due to PSV licensing issues it will be free to travel. It will clearly be a one man operation unless there are support "staff". This is claimed to be a one-off but a little research shows that there was a similar one-off to "celebrate" (SIC) the 10th anniversary of the last regular Black Prince service.

Blakey's mention of the several "proper" liveries on display in and around Leeds got me to thinking wouldn't it be great to see Black Prince's colours join the list on more than a one-off basis.

Metro Christmas Day Services
Black Prince Website
YEP Reportage of the previous on-off

They all seem to be Preservation Society operated bus services and not commercial operators, that's why they are free. Also note that these buses do not carry personal insurance and you are carried at your own risk. Good on them for running though.

I cannot comment on Keighley services but when Leeds operated Christmas Day on a tendered operation by Metro it was deemed to be to costly to run and was therefore withdrawn along with the other Christmas Day services many years ago.

These are 3 photos I took of Black Prince buses. The first 2 were taken on July 28 2005 at Ilkley Bus Station after coming from Leeds and before it returned to Leeds. If I recall correctly that 781 service of Black Prince buses ended the next day. The third photo was taken on July 26 2005 and shows the 781 service going up King Lane shortly after passing The Avenue.

Thank Leo. According to the website the one on King Lane has been preserved, which is more than can be said of JP College advertised on the back. If I'm reading it correctly there are another couple of preserved buses and 3 or 4 that appear still to be in use as service buses.

tyke bhoy wrote:If I'm reading it correctly there are another couple of preserved buses and 3 or 4 that appear still to be in use as service buses.

Its a preservation society !! They cannot legally charge fares.

http://www.blackprincebuses.co.uk/

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... -1-7375583

Bufalloskinner I'm not doubting the Black Prince Bus(es) in use on Christmas Day are preservation society but Dews and Red Kite identified as the most recent owners of some of the 2005 Black Prince fleet are service operators which is what I was, I perhaps clumsily, was indicating.