Then and Now: A ticket into Torbay's bus past

The Asda supermarket on Newton Road in Torquay was once the site of the Devon General garage, which supplied many of the bay’s iconic buses years ago.

Thanks to our partnerships with local history expert Graham Wheatley and Torquay Museum, we can share this fascinating 1965 photograph of the once-familiar buses that operated from the Torquay garage over the years.

According to Graham’s research, shared in the local history Facebook group Undiscovered Torbay, Devon General's roots in South Devon date back to 1919.

The Newton Road site was acquired in 1931, with a garage, central workshops, offices, and a staff canteen constructed in the following months. The site also became Devon General’s registered head office until 1971.

Devon General had been operating open-top buses in Torbay since 1919. In 1961, they introduced a new fleet known as the Sea Dogs, later replaced by a series of buses named Warships.

The Devon General Garage remained operational until 1988, when it was demolished to make way for a 32,500-square-foot Focus DIY store and an 8,500-square-foot garden centre. 

The premises were later converted into an Asda supermarket, which opened in October 2011. The garden centre was also removed to create additional parking for customers.

Above: Asda supermarket Newton Road. Image. Richard Dorrell

The photograph, kindly provided by Torquay Museum, was taken outside the garage in March 1965. From left to right, it features a 1960s Leyland Atlantean, a revolutionary design with a transverse rear engine, a 1950s A.E.C. Regent Mark III, and a 1934 A.E.C. Regent I.

Rick Zaple commented on the unusual green colour of the A.E.C. Regent I, saying: "It's a mystery to me why OD7500 on the right is painted green, but I'm pretty sure it never worked for Western National. It was withdrawn by Devon General in 1957 and sold to Metro-Cammell in Birmingham for use as staff transport. Maybe they painted it green, and the picture was taken after it returned to Devon in 1963. Happily, the bus is one of two from this 24-strong batch of 1934 Torquay tramway replacement buses that still exists today."

Graham clarified: "The A.E.C. Regent I from 1934—a Devon General—is seen sporting the green livery it wore when used as a staff bus by Metro Cammell in Birmingham between 1957 and 1963."

Other Facebook users shared fond memories of their own or their relatives' time working for the company.

Ian Hall said: "Worked five summers as a student conductor. Best summer job ever."

Lisa Haynes shared: "My dad worked there as well. I used to wait for him to finish on a Thursday afternoon for my pocket money. Fab memories when he worked there."

Seashell Goodman added: "My dad, Benny Goodman, worked on them, and after a Saturday spent sitting on the bus with him, my treat was to sit on the bus and go through the bus wash—woop woop!"

In a separate post on the Facebook group, Graham also delved into some of the history of the bay’s Bayline buses.

Above: Alexander-Volvo B6LE bus P701 BTA was delivered to Bayline in 1997 (fleet number 701) for services around Torbay. It has been preserved in its Stagecoach Easyrider livery and is seen here passing the observation balloon at Abbey Sands in Torquay. Image. Geof Sheppard

A transport revolution took place in 1986 when the old fleet of double-decker buses, some of which had served South Devon since the 1950s, was replaced by nearly 100 16-seat minibuses.

Bayline buses were a new concept in public transport. They could be hailed like taxis, and passengers could ask the driver to drop them off outside their door. They also had an onboard computer that calculated the exact fare.

They also had a computer onboard that calculated the exact fare.

However, Graham explained that not all locals welcomed the change.

"The Bayline name is best remembered for the fleet of maroon-coloured Ford Transit minibuses introduced by Devon General to the roads of Torbay in February 1986, providing a high-frequency service," he said.

"Unpopular with some passengers—earning the nickname 'Bread Vans'—they were also disliked by some motorists, who believed their numbers to be causing added traffic congestion. Within a decade, the minibuses were gone."

Some of the convertible open-top double-decker Warships were later incorporated into the Bayline fleet for summer service.

Torquay-based Bayline was purchased by Stagecoach in January 1996, marking a return to the use of larger buses.

More than 25 years after being taken out of regular service, Torbay Weekly reported that the last surviving Bayline minibus made a triumphant return to the streets of Torbay in 2021.

Torquay resident Joseph Hawkins purchased the vehicle from a Midlands-based enthusiast.

Mr Hawkins said: "The introduction of Devon’s iconic minibuses in the 1980s heralded a new era in bus travel. The ‘minibus revolution’ in Devon was such a success that it was replicated across Britain. As the Bayline minibus is such an important piece of British transport history—and indeed Torbay history—I was keen to ensure that it is preserved in local hands.”

On Facebook, Diane Whittaker fondly recalled: “Part of our summer holidays every year as kids was going upstairs on a ‘bus with no head on’. Very happy memories.