Having had such a good response to the free minibus trips that The Friends ran from Chelmsford to Hylands House on two Mondays in summer last year, the Executive Committee decided to provide buses on three Mondays this year, with an additional run on each day to pick up passengers from Writtle.
Despite a slow start on the 7th June (we did run two out of the proposed three buses from Chelmsford) the Hylands House minibus is proving very popular once more. The July 5th service was fully booked as is the 2nd August with a waiting list! Sadly the bus to Writtle has not been so well supported but the residents who have used it have appreciated the service.
Particular thanks are due to Anne Ward for the additional publicity which we received, when her letter about the minibus service was published in the Weekly News. This really boosted enquiries and enabled us to fill the remaining buses .
All the passengers have been most grateful. We have received donations and many appreciative phone calls thanking the Friends for providing a much needed bus service. It looks as though this could become a regular summer service for the Friends to offer, unless of course the Borough Council decides to take it on.
Pam Hunnable and Glenda Hicks