The operations of Aldershot & District and Thames Valley Omnibus Company were merged in 1972 to become Alder Valley under National Bus Company ownership. In the run-up to privatisation the two halves were split again; the Berks Bucks Bus Company was the official name of Alder Valley North, which was formed in 1986 and traded as the Bee Line. The book covers the geographic area of this operator but is not a specific history of the company. Starting in Berkshire’s county town of Reading and traveling to destinations such as Newbury, Windsor and Maidenhead, the reader is then taken into Buckinghamshire travelling through High Wycombe and Aylesbury to Milton Keynes. Both counties have a very varied transport history, particularly in the post-deregulation era. This book gives a colourful snapshot of the area from 1986 through to the new millennium. Many of the vehicle types and liveries, and even some operators, featured here are no longer with us today.

'Even those who are not familiar with this part of the UK will find the content of this book fascinating and thus it is a volume that everyone will enjoy.' * Bus Fayre, Summer 2023 *

With a lifelong interest in transport, Matt Cooper has worked for bus and rail operators in the Midlands and on the south coast. This has led to involvement in vehicle preservation as well as transport photography.