IT WAS 100 years ago (1 June) that the local bus route served by the number 34 finally came into being, long term, and it still exists today.

In 1919, the Aldershot & District Traction Company Ltd (A&D) had a service known as U, running buses between Knaphill, Woking and Guildford. This was changed to number 34 in 1920. However, financial cutbacks led to the service being briefly discontinued, but resurrected again on 1 June 1923.

This is the date bus historians regard as the true start of this century-old service.

In 1924, Bagshot via Bisley, West End and Lightwater were reached. Two years later, the route was extended into Camberley and Yorktown, and then Blackwater and Hawley, Frimley Green, Deepcut and Blackdown Camp.

The A&D – which became known affectionately by many passengers as “Have a shot and risk it” – wrote to Woking Council in 1930 saying it was considering running double-decker buses. The council replied saying it did not think the roads were suitable for such vehicles!

Some of the services serving these numerous places had the numbers 34A and 34B, with the addition of a number 35.

In the 1950s the Aldershot & District garage in Goldsworth Road, Woking, ran most of the buses on these routes, with the Guildford garage supplying some vehicles and crews.

It was not until 1954 that double-deckers were introduced on these routes. These were the K3 design made by Dennis Brothers of Guildford.

Route changes and extensions continued, for example, in 1958 a morning 34A journey was extended from Blackdown Camp to the Brompton Sanatorium at Frimley, with a reciprocal journey in the evening.

There was an unfortunate accident in October 1962 when a Dennis Lance bus descended Jenkins Hill at Bagshot – the A30 – almost crashed into the Bird in Hand pub and ended up facing the way it had come, embedding itself in some adjoining cottages.

A&D became Alder Valley in 1972 when most local bus companies were nationalised and it was merged with the Thames Valley Bus Company.

In 1974, the 34s and 35 were renumbered 284 and 285 but, more recently, the numbers 34 and 35 were reintroduced, as they remain today.

Further changes of bus ownership came, including Arriva taking over the routes in 1992 and, since December 2021, Stagecoach running them.

Thanks go to the Aldershot & District Bus Interest Group (ADBIG), especially Gerry Bixley, Bill Tutty and Peter Trevaskis, who have kindly suppled details and photos relating to these routes and the vehicles used on them.

ADBIG was founded in 1994 to cater for anyone with an interest in all aspects of the old Aldershot & District Traction Co Ltd, or with an interest in historic public transport in general.

There are 13 vintage A&D buses privately owned by ADBIG members and all in authentic livery. Many participate in ADBIG-organised events. Some of the Dennis Brothers buses are planned to be exhibited at the Alexander Dennis Extravaganza at the Rural Life Living Museum at Tilford near Farnham on Saturday and Sunday, 17 and 18 June.

For more details, visit www.adbig.co.uk.

lIf you have memories or old pictures relating to the Woking area and its people which you would like to contribute to this page, call David Rose on 01483 838960, or write to the News & Mail.