Last updated: 31 May 2017

For this month's feature, I have selected three items from our archive that relate to the celebrations surrounding the centenary of the promotion of the Gosport Street Tramways Bill in 1878.  This legislation paved the way for the construction by the Provincial Tramways Company of the horse-drawn tramway between Gosport Beach (later known as the Hard or Ferry) and Brockhurst which was destined to be superseded by electric tramways and the motor buses of the Gosport & Fareham Omnibus Company and its successors.  The first item is a photograph showing Bristol RELL ECG 110K posed at Hoeford depot with trophies that had been won in 1978 following the vehicle's repaint into traditional Provincial livery to mark the centenary (archive ref PS01717).  Painted by the company's coach painter Alan Pratt to a design by Society member Patrick Miller, the rear of the bus (inset top left, taken from our second archive item PS01529) carried Provincial's traditional garter surrounding the fleet number which was changed (on the bus only, not on paper) from 10 to 100, again to commemorate the centenary.  After winning the 'bus of the rally' cup at the Southsea Spectacular in 1978, ECG 110K retained its special livery until it was withdrawn in January 1984 and sadly sold for scrap.

The third item (inset bottom left), also produced in 1978 to commemorate the centenary, is a small badge based on Provincial's traditional garter design, surrounding the figure 100.  Donated recently to the Society's archive by John Sherwin, this artefact is currently on display to the public in the exhibition on Gosport's Buses & Trams at Gosport Gallery (part of the Discovery Centre).  The exhibition will be open until Saturday 8th July 2017 and includes many artefacts from the Society's archive and private collections so is a must-see for Provincial enthusiasts.  It also includes many photographs, some of which are on public display for the first time, and text boards charting the development of passenger transport by road in Gosport since the days of the stagecoach.

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