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Antler takes the laurels
Page 16
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• Roger Middleton of Antler Holidays, Rugeley, drove a Jonckheere Deauville Volvo BlOM to victory as coach driver of the year at the British Coach Rally at Southampton on Sunday. Coach of the year was Best Tours of Ealing's luxurious LAG Panoramic, with just 12 seats in a 12m body.
The rally was notable for a new venue, new style and several new features. Buses played a greater part with 11 in a new separate bus exhibition and others in display areas and in the rally itself.
Debutants included Wadham Stringer's Winchester 2.4mwide 39-seat coach on a Leyland Swift chassis. A 29-seat version is available on the shorter wheelbase Swift, Optare's Delta DAF SB220 single-decker won the new bus of the year trophy: another Delta, driven by Selkent managing director Bryan Constable, was among several London service buses which won honours in the concours d'elegance.
East London's driver A Martin, at the wheel of a Routemaster, was also one of the driver of the year finalists, while Selkent's ECW Leyland Olympian picked up a trophy for the rally's road section.
Runner-up coach driver of the year was Malcolm Stephen Roger Middleton (right) won the Coach Driver of the Year Award at the Southampton British Coach Rally. son of Fred Bibby and Sons, Ingleton, driving a Plaxton Paramount Dal SB. Best in all classes went to Ebdon Coaches, Sidcup's Neoplan Cityliner.
Dore Coaches of Oxford, won the top touting/express coach title with an LAG Panoramic, while the best standard coach was a Plaxton 3500bodied Leyland Tiger 290 of Hills, Tredegar. Southdown's 1929 Brush-bodied open top Leyland Titan took the trophy for oldest vehicle in the rally.
Sealink sponsored this year's rally; the new site had plenty of room for driving tests and exhibits.
Dennis Specialist Vehicles handed over its 250th Javelin at the rally — a Plaxton-bodied vehicle which is one of four for Lewis's of Pailton, Rugby.