Happy Harold makes welcome return for Bus Show

The show is put on each year by Hastings Trolleybus Restoration Group.

Chairman Ion Castro said: “Aided by the brilliant weather, this was one of the most successful events yet with over 40 classic buses and nearly 100 classic cars as well as classic commercial vehicles, motorcycles and stalls.

Hastings Miniature railway from Rock-a-Nore set up some track and gave rides on a train more usually seen in the Old Town.

“Star of the show was of course “Happy Harold”, Hastings’ own, unique double-deck open top former trolleybus making his first appearance for five years.

“Thousands of people turned up to the free event and many bus drivers were giving rides round the town.”

A catastrophic engine failure at the end of 2012 in Battle, ironically enough close to where the original Harold had died 946 years earlier, meant Happy Harold hadn’t been seen for nearly five years and this historic vehicle’s return to the road was project-managed by The Hastings Trolleybus Restoration Group’s Chairman Ion Castro.

Ion said: “The engine was totally rebuilt by local engineer Tom Bewick who made no charge for the hours and hours of expert work that he put in reconditioning the unit, reuniting it with its gearbox via a complete new clutch assembly and re-fitting it to the bus.

“The final work, refitting the front axle, brakes, all the plumbing replacing bodywork, some that had been attacked by woodworm and some that succumbed to the rigours of time and getting the ‘bus ready for its MOT was all carried out by St.Leonards Diesel Engineering, better-known for their Green Goddess Diesel trains that used to run on the Charing Cross line.

The final MoT was carried out by Rossetts of Eastbourne who ‘went the extra mile’ to ensure that Happy Harold was safe for its re-appearance on Sunday. Rossetts are the only testing station for miles with a test-bay high enough to accommodate Happy Harold’s overhead.”

The show was opened by Hastings Mayor Judy Rogers, accompanied by the Deputy Mayor and the new Hastings Old Town Carnival Court.

Ion Castro, who also drives the bus, added: “The show was a tremendous success and I’d like to thank all those, too many to mention, without whose help the show could never have taken place and particularly those who worked flat out to get Happy Harold fit and well ready for the show. “It’s great to have Happy Harold on the road and we are hoping to make appearances round the town when we will be giving rides – look out for us along the seafront on Whit Monday”

There’s more information and pictures on www.1066.net/trolley and next year’s show, as always, will be on the third Sunday in May, May 20, and will be celebrating Happy Harold reaching the grand old age of 90.

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