Samuel Lewis Bus Retired With A Special Tour For The Bus’s Biggest Fan

Brighton & Hove Buses’ Samuel Lewis bus was retired this week with a very special Journey.

When 13-year-old Peter Hood got his bus ID he was 5 years old, and on that day made his first journey on the Samuel Lewis bus. Ever since, the Samuel Lewis bus (682) has been his favorite bus to travel on.

After many years of serving communities and travelling across every Brighton & Hove route, the bus was set to retire last week. But not without one final surprise trip for the bus’s biggest fan. Much to his surprise, Peter was collected from Priory School in Lewes by the Samuel Lewis bus, where he and his sister Mallisa and his parents got to enjoy the bus’s final journey to the new Ringmer depot where it finally left service.

Peter wrote to Brighton & Hove Buses about his surprise journey.

“The reason why I love Samuel so much is because he was the first bus I got on after getting my first bus ID cards, which made me feel like a big boy when I was 5. I have lots of people watching out for my bus who send my mum regular updates about his whereabouts. I get so happy I flap my hands with joy, and I’ve loved sitting in his seat as if I’m the driver.” – Peter Hood

Victoria Garcia, Accessibility and Communities Manager for Brighton & Hove Buses, said: "What a pleasure it was to meet with such an amazing young man and his family. When we first heard how much Peter enjoyed travelling on the Samual Lewis bus, we wanted to ensure he got to have one final trip on board before it was retired.

“We also made the day especially memorable by presenting Peter with the named panel off the bus. And David Grimstone, Infrastructure Officer at Brighton & Hove Buses who drove us all on the day, even arranged for the registration and fleet number to be added to it."