happy harold

Happy Harold Hastings 1993

by

photos © Graham Sherrington

Graham Sherrington… Hastings week October 1993

Peter Ellingworth… I think it was giving rides as well –  seem to remember a trip to the Old Town & back with the then Mayor on board. Not quite the same, but most enjoyable never the less, as when my cousin and I used to ride on it when  travelling between  Bopeep & the Fishmarket on a summer Sunday evening  under the wires – we used to get at the back of the top deck and watch the blue flashes when it negotiated the overhead wiring junction at the bottom of London Road where it met the no 11 route from Silverhill or Hollington. Great job the local group are doing keeping ‘HH’ maintained – no easy task.

 

Happy Harold photos from trolleybus books

by

all supplied by Peter Ellingworth

The Silverhill photo is from 1959 and you can see the sign for the Roxy cinema and also Apps clothing store.

Peter Ellingworth… As Alan said, top photo taken shortly before the end in May-June 1959, and judging by the shadows from south west to east late one afternoon. ‘H-H’ is possibly out on a post maintenance test run, or running down to the seafront prior to taking up public service between The Fishmarket and Bathing Pool. ‘H-H’ was a lucky survivor when the other open-toppers were scrapped, being kept back as a maintenance and overhead wiring de-icing vehicle. It was decked out as a novelty especially for the Queen’s Coronation, and was such a success it was kept on in full regalia additionally for the summer evening seafront runs and enthusiasts’ round town tours. Bottom photo taken in 1953 Coronation Year, alongside Grosvenor Gardens if I remember right , just east of The Bo Peep Pub. Hard to believe that the youngster looking around at ‘H-H’ would be around 85 now if still with us…..
Both Allan Murray and Robert Mack were prolific transport photographers, and I think Robert Mack who came from Leeds knew the late David Padgham, who as we know was a Hastings doyen and highly respected local historian. Regarding the former single deck trolleybus we remember being used by M&D until 1972 as a booking office by the Town Hall : you will all be pleased to know this in safe hands, and is gradually being restored by the National Trolleybus Association back into full working order. This particular vehicle was kept in use as a spare at Silverhill depot until 1950. Thanks again for the most enjoyable SMART meet up Alan. Looking forward to the next one.

Tony Court-holmes… i went to the Roxy when i was a kid

 

‘Happy Harold’ Silverhill Junction in 1954.

by

Supplied by Leigh Kennedy

Roger Simmonds… Happy days!

Alan Esdaile… I remember the chemist shop.

Peter Ellingworth… In one of the books I have – when time allows I will look it out- there is a good colour photo of ‘H-H’ having just turned out of Beaufort Rd. from the depot and pulling into the stop by Apps’s former Silverhill shop in spring 1959, if I remember right. Is this one of David Padgham’s photos or possibly that of Robert Mack, the well known bus and train photographer from Leeds ? In another book R M had a very good photo of ‘H-H’ passing by West Marina in 1953. “Modern in 1928” is a bit of a misnomer, as the open top bodywork by Dodsons, the chassis by Guy, was unique to Hastings and considered rather dated even then ! I remember my late mother saying as a fifteen year old catching one of these to Bexhill where she used to work from the bottom of London Rd., and how there was a scrum for the covered lower deck in very wet weather.  The Chemist’s shop was Everards – did a part time after school job for a while. ‘H-H’ is a lucky survivor. It was kept in store at the old Bulverhythe depot after the others were scrapped, and then utilised as an overhead wiring maintenance and de-icing vehicle before being decked out with a myriad of coloured lights for the 1953 Coronation. In this guise it became so popular with the public, as those of us of a certain age remember, hence on was kept running as a summer evening novelty. It also kept one of its working functions as a wiring de-icer : I remember David Padgham telling me how it woke him up sometimes when it passed along in the night by where he lived in Sedlescombe Rd. North with vivid blue flashes ! I remember riding on ‘H-H’ with my cousin when it was still electric, and being fascinated by the goings on with the poles on the overhead wires.
Whether if this was running as such today with 500 plus volts DC in relative close proximity would acceptable to modern H & S requirements is a different matter….