Duchy Bus Cars -

Why The Name?


Why we are called DUCHYBUS- but we operate Wedding Cars Duchybus’s a strange name for what is basically a “hobby business” running vintage cars and an eight seater people carrier, but there is a reason. In 1970, when Fowey Bus and Taxi Services was acquired from Stan Wilton of Fowey by Mr Peter Monk and his then business partner, Mrs A. C. Allday (deceased) of Par, it was a totally different era to that of the present day. £.s.d. prevailed, Political Correctness had not been thought of. Freedom of speech and thought were not unusual, and common sense had not been replaced by “Elf and Safety”. At that time the business operated the Fowey-Golant-Lostwithiel and Lerryn Bus Service, and the Fowey Town Bus Service plus two cars for private hire After a few years the Lostwithiel-Fowey service was dropped by Cornwall County Council and with it went the Fowey Town Service, which, before the demise, was carrying over 15,000 passengers in a season. At about the same time the business moved to Lostwithiel, became DUCHYBUS and ran bus services between Lerryn, Lostwithiel, Bodmin and St Austell. A special bus still went to Fowey for the Carnival and it always had a “standing load”, but by then, PC and Elf and Safety were creeping in and the Funfair at the Carnival was dropped – with it went the special bus! In spite of rising patronage on the St Austell Service and a steady, but not large use of the Bodmin Service, the subsidy required was undercut by Western National who told Cornwall County Council “we can run it cheaper – and they did – sort of. What Lostwithiel now enjoys as a bus service is the result. The passenger uptake, even with free OAP travel says it all! One coach was retained and operated on a part time basis with a weekly unsubsidised service from Fowey, Par and Lostwithiel to Trago Mills. (This service still runs every Tuesday, but is now operated by Roselyn Coaches of Par). This surviving coach was also of benefit to the employer of Mr Peter Monk for 25 years – British Rail. Unfortunately, with the privatisation of British Rail, a lot of babies were thrown out with their bath water and the excellent back up facility for rail passengers who missed connections to and from Newquay at Par went too. The railway was no longer “joined together”. The Leyland Leopard coach was sold and a 1952 ex London Transport AEC Greenline Coach was purchased and this is where weddings come in! Arabella was the first Model ‘A’ Ford to arrive in late 2000, swiftly followed by Isadora and finally Pandora. Gertie the Greenline Coach is now operated by Western Greyhound of Summercourt and that about brings us up to date – and is why a Wedding Car outfit is called DUCHYBUS.

Why we are called DUCHYBUS- but we operate Wedding Cars

Duchybus’s a strange name for what is basically a “hobby business” running vintage cars and an eight seater people carrier, but there is a reason.

In 1970, when Fowey Bus and Taxi Services was acquired from Stan Wilton of Fowey by Mr Peter Monk and his then business partner, Mrs A. C. Allday (deceased) of Par, it was a totally different era to that of the present day. £.s.d. prevailed, Political Correctness had not been thought of. Freedom of speech and thought were not unusual, and common sense had not been replaced by “Elf and Safety”.

At that time the business operated the Fowey-Golant-Lostwithiel and Lerryn Bus Service, and the Fowey Town Bus Service plus two cars for private hire After a few years the Lostwithiel-Fowey service was dropped by Cornwall County Council and with it went the Fowey Town Service, which, before the demise, was carrying over 15,000 passengers in a season.

At about the same time the business moved to Lostwithiel, became DUCHYBUS and ran bus services between Lerryn, Lostwithiel, Bodmin and St Austell. A special bus still went to Fowey for the Carnival and it always had a “standing load”, but by then, PC and Elf and Safety were creeping in and the Funfair at the Carnival was dropped – with it went the special bus!

In spite of rising patronage on the St Austell Service and a steady, but not large use of the Bodmin Service, the subsidy required was undercut by Western National who told Cornwall County Council “we can run it cheaper – and they did – sort of. What Lostwithiel now enjoys as a bus service is the result. The passenger uptake, even with free OAP travel says it all! One coach was retained and operated on a part time basis with a weekly unsubsidised service from Fowey, Par and Lostwithiel to Trago Mills. (This service still runs every Tuesday, but is now operated by Roselyn Coaches of Par).

This surviving coach was also of benefit to the employer of Mr Peter Monk for 25 years – British Rail. Unfortunately, with the privatisation of British Rail, a lot of babies were thrown out with their bath water and the excellent back up facility for rail passengers who missed connections to and from Newquay at Par went too. The railway was no longer “joined together”. The Leyland Leopard coach was sold and a 1952 ex London Transport AEC Greenline Coach was purchased and this is where weddings come in!

Arabella was the first Model ‘A’ Ford to arrive in late 2000, swiftly followed by Isadora and finally Pandora. Gertie the Greenline Coach is now operated by Western Greyhound of Summercourt and that about brings us up to date – and is why a Wedding Car outfit is called DUCHYBUS.