Some people feel that large bus companies such as Stagecoach are focussed solely on maximising profits for their shareholders and take nothing else into consideration. But whilst it is true that profitability is important, at a local level Stagecoach can also show a more human side.
A good example of this was reported in the Lancaster Guardian, which we are pleased to reproduce below, with full permission from the family.
A much-loved bus enthusiast was given a fitting final journey when a Stagecoach double-decker travelled behind his funeral cortege as a special tribute to his passion for buses.
Christopher Wearing, who tragically passed away recently, was a well-known and much-loved character in Lancaster and Morecambe and a regular customer on Stagecoach’s 6A service.
His love of buses, particularly the 6A, was well known to Stagecoach colleagues at Morecambe depot, where Christopher would often stop to chat with drivers and other members of the team. He was also a keen collector of bus timetables.
Following discussions with Christopher’s family, Stagecoach arranged for a double-decker to follow the funeral cortege from his home on September 29, travelling alongside the hearse until the route reached the Lancaster and Morecambe Crematorium lane.
The bus then travelled to the Auckland Hotel on Morecambe Promenade, where Christopher’s wake was being held, and remained there for two hours so that family and friends could take photographs and remember him alongside something that had brought him so much enjoyment.
The bus carried a portrait of Christopher as a final tribute to a customer who had made a lasting impression on the Stagecoach team.
Paul Deakin, inspector at Stagecoach’s Morecambe depot, said: “Christopher was a very well-loved customer who had been travelling with us for many years. He always loved travelling on the 6A and would regularly come over for a chat with us. He also loved collecting bus timetables.
Tom Waterhouse, managing director for Stagecoach Cumbria and Lancashire, said: “We’re proud to serve the communities of Lancaster and Morecambe, and Christopher was a much-loved part of that community.
“The impact he made on our colleagues was enormous. He was an amazing individual, and providing a bus carrying his portrait was a fitting tribute to someone whose passion for buses was such an important part of his life.
“We were very pleased to be able to support Christopher’s family and friends in marking his life in such a personal way.”
