My very first memory was of the old station before rebuild. Waiting for
the buses inside the building. I can remember the centre waiting room and
the original frescos around the room. Down the stairs was the Royal Blue
Station where you boarded your coach to all parts of England.

Outside the upstairs building were the Tour Coaches of Hants and Dorset
all lined up.The booking offices for the tours were just wooden buildings
against the main building between the doors from which would appear a green
bus to do its turn and back in the other door to await departure.

Around the tree lined yard were other departure stands with more green
buses. More often than not this where we boarded our bus to Sandbanks. Most
of the yard was just gravel with other buses parked up and awaiting there
turns.
Most of this disappeard during the rebuilding and I just remember the
mess and the tempory departure areas from that period.And of course the old
Bedford bus that served as a mess room for staff.

How we all welcomed the new building when finshed with its large
area for arrival and departure the buses all in a vast circle. The area all
paved with covering for the passengers. The well stocked Paper and Bookstall
and some of the first vending machines were milk could be bought in many
flavours.

Sometimes a treat was a visit to the cafeteria from which you could
watch over the Gardens and parts of the square. A visit down stairs was not
to just the Royal Blue Station. Coaches from all over, Black and Whites, Red
and White, East Midland, Southern and Western National all and more for a
young Bus spotter to fill his Ian Allan Book with.

I was there at Christmas, last year, parked my borrowed car almost
against the wall where I had stood many times as a Boy. Climbed up the steps
and avoiding yet another Wilts and Dorset Solo, went across the road into
the "Moon on the Square" (which was Fortes once.) Had a Pint looked out on
the desolation which passes for a carpark and thought, What a wonderful site
for a "Transport Interchange " as they would call today.
Some shared thoughts from
Gerry . Melbourne Australia