Hot and Cold

Peter Phillips, as a teenage bus enthusiast, paid a visit to Somerset. He recalls: "I was always interested in independent bus operators and as my Dad had to go to Taunton on occasion, I went with him. An article in “Buses” magazine in January 1968 was dedicated to the Dennis UF. Mention was made of the Somerset independent Hutchings and Cornelius of South Petherton. H+C had 9 Dennis buses - a Loline I double decker, a very odd-looking full-fronted front engined Lancet III, and 7 Lancets UF! On one occasion with a whole day to spare I took the H+C bus from Henlade Post Office (near Taunton) all the way to South Petherton and back - it must have been a 90 mins journey following a very circuitous route and I had a long wait for the return bus. There were few passengers (one elderly lady confided in me that the locals referred to the firm as “Hot and Cold”) and from Curry Rivel onwards I had the driver to myself – he was more than willing to answer the questions of an inquisitive teenager!"

Readers may be interested to know that one of the Hutchins and Cornelius Dennis Lancet UF buses, YYB 118, has survived into preservation and is restored and fully operational. A fabulous example of an unusual Dennis bus having an ongoing existence.

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