Southdown 70, JCD370 - Postwar the holiday camps on Hayling Island were very popular and in 1948 Southdown took delivery of 2 Bedford OB/Duple Vista C27F which were light enough to cross the wooden Langstone Bridge loaded.
70 & 71 (JCD370/1) were based on the island and their main purpose was for excursions, private hire and they were able to supplement the Cheetah coaches on the London service which had been restarted in summer 1948. Once the new bridge opened in September 1956 they were transferred to other duties, 70 being used as a 20 seat one-man bus at East Grinstead for a time.
They were both withdrawn in 1958 and sold for further use.

Photo taken by the Late Roy Brown (the Late Roger Janes Collection), February 1950, Parked east of South Parade Pier, Southsea

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