Felix Bus Services
Encyclopedia
Felix Bus Services is a small British bus and coach operator based in the village of Stanley
, near Ilkeston
in Derbyshire
.
lorry from the War Department in 1921. A second Crossley with charabanc bodywork was purchased the following year. A Dickens bus body was fitted to the chassis of the original vehicle in 1924. Felix settled down to operate the Derby
to Ilkeston via Chaddesden
, Stanley and West Hallam route which remains their core service to this day. At about this time, Mr. Frost was asked to name one of his vehicles. He made his choice using a popular song of the day, "Felix Kept On Walking" as inspiration.
The vehicles were originally based on New Street in Stanley, where Mr. Frost's parents lived. In 1937, a house and garage were built on Station Road, and are still the base of the firm today.
Norman Frost owned the company until his death in 1975. It then passed to his nephew, Geoffrey Middup.
In early 2009, "Felix the Cat Creations Inc.", a large United States company, approached Felix and claimed it owned copyright for images of cats used next to the Felix name. While it provided no evidence, Felix decided they couldn't afford to fight any court case, so as a result all cat images were removed from every aspect of the company.
Between 1926 and 1940 Dennis
chassis were purchased, many having bodywork by Willowbrook of Loughborough.
After experience of utility Bedford
OWB buses during the Second World War, Felix standardised on Bedford chassis from the 1950s to the 1980s. The fleet was 100% Bedford between 1968 and 1985. During this period the fleet size remained fairly constant at around seven or eight vehicles. Plaxton
bodywork was favoured, and most vehicles were coaches along with a few vehicles to dual-purpose specification.
After bus deregulation
in 1986, the fleet increased gradually to around twice its previous size, peaking at 17 vehicles in 2002, reducing to 16 in 2005, and effectively being 15 from February 2007 due to an engine problem with a 1988 Leyland Lynx. The cessation of service 59 (see below) saw further fleet reductions, and by mid 2008, the fleet numbered 13. The diversity of the fleet also increased with new and secondhand Leylands, Dennises
and Volvo
s, and more recently still, Scania
L94s, Optare
Solo
s and VDL
SB200
s joining the fleet. The emphasis has also switched from coaches to service buses. The fleet contains 3 coaches, two Irisbus
and a Volvo
, and 90% of the service buses are low-floor, easy access types.
as "The Black Cat" having previously been numbered 12. The Ilkeston terminus of the service was the market place; however, in 1986, this was pedestrianised, so the service was extended to the Shipley View estate, and a year later to the Ilkeston community hospital.
Also operated jointly with Trent Barton
is an express service between Derby and Ilkeston via Kirk Hallam and Spondon
named "The Ilkeston Flyer".
A third service between Derby and Ilkeston, via Breadsall
and Stanley Common, was operated on behalf of Derbyshire County Council, numbered 59, but the retendering process operated by the council saw the contract awarded to K & H Doyle of Alfreton; the last day of Felix 59 operation was 27 October 2007.
The company operates school services from surrounding villages into Kirk Hallam and, on weekdays, a single morning service from the Rose and Crown in Smalley to Ilkeston via Mapperley which is referred to on some timetables as route number 13 and others as 007.
A football special is also run from Ilkeston to the Pride Park Stadium
on match days. Felix have been transporting supporters to Derby County home games almost as long as they have operated buses; an early vehicle order form showed three lines on the destination blind, "Derby", "Ilkeston" and "Baseball Ground", the latter being the old home of Derby County.
Day excursions have been run for many years, and the company operates two programmes, one picking up along the Black Cat route but also including Stanley Common and one starting at Shipley (between Ilkeston and Heanor) and then picking up between Langley Mill and Ripley.
In the 1980s, Felix started to operate holiday tours, both in the UK and abroad. Due to falling numbers of passengers, the holiday tours were to be stopped, but popular demand saw a limited number operate in 2008.
Initially, vehicles were painted chocolate brown and cream. By 1950, the livery was red and maroon with gold fleetnames and black "Felix
" cartoon cat emblems. In the mid 1990s, in common with many operators, Felix coaches (not buses) appeared in white with vinyl relief patterns. The final vehicle to carry the red and maroon livery, Leyland Lynx J564 URW, suffered engine failure in February 2010 and was withdrawn.
Service buses are now painted red and white and coaches red. Some buses carry branded livery for the "Black Cat" and one carries a blue livery for the "Ilkeston Flyer" service; this vehicle also carries a Trent Barton
bow logo.
After being contacted by Felix The Cat Creations Inc. a 2 year license to use the cartoon Felix The Cat character was purchased, which expired in July 2007. During this time, Felix Bus Services introduced a redesigned cat image, which appeared on vehicles purchased between 2006 and 2008; Volvo/Plaxton coach W709 PTO had its existing Felix The Cat images altered. However, Felix The Cat Creations Inc. asserted that they owned the rights to any feline image used with the name Felix. This caused the company to remove cat images from all of the fleet.
Stanley, Derbyshire
Stanley is a village located roughly half way between Derby and Ilkeston in Derbyshire, England.The village is part of the Stanley and Stanley Common Local Government Parish, Stanley Common being a separate village a little to the North. Since 1974 it has been part of the Borough of Erewash.-...
, near Ilkeston
Ilkeston
Ilkeston is a town within the Borough of Erewash, in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the River Erewash, from which the local borough takes its name. Its population at the 2001 census was 37,550...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
.
History
The company's founder Norman Frost bought a CrossleyCrossley Motors
Crossley Motors was a British motor vehicle manufacturer based in Manchester, England. They produced approximately 19,000 high quality cars from 1904 until 1938, 5,500 buses from 1926 until 1958 and 21,000 goods and military vehicles from 1914 to 1945.Crossley Brothers, originally...
lorry from the War Department in 1921. A second Crossley with charabanc bodywork was purchased the following year. A Dickens bus body was fitted to the chassis of the original vehicle in 1924. Felix settled down to operate the Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
to Ilkeston via Chaddesden
Chaddesden
Chaddesden, also known locally as Chad, is a large suburb of Derby, United Kingdom, formerly known as Cedesdene.-Cedesene village:The old village of Cedesene is situated two and a half miles east of the city...
, Stanley and West Hallam route which remains their core service to this day. At about this time, Mr. Frost was asked to name one of his vehicles. He made his choice using a popular song of the day, "Felix Kept On Walking" as inspiration.
The vehicles were originally based on New Street in Stanley, where Mr. Frost's parents lived. In 1937, a house and garage were built on Station Road, and are still the base of the firm today.
Norman Frost owned the company until his death in 1975. It then passed to his nephew, Geoffrey Middup.
In early 2009, "Felix the Cat Creations Inc.", a large United States company, approached Felix and claimed it owned copyright for images of cats used next to the Felix name. While it provided no evidence, Felix decided they couldn't afford to fight any court case, so as a result all cat images were removed from every aspect of the company.
Fleet
Dennis Specialist Vehicles
Dennis Specialist Vehicles is a major British coachbuilder and manufacturer of specialised commercial vehicles based in Guildford, England...
chassis were purchased, many having bodywork by Willowbrook of Loughborough.
After experience of utility Bedford
Bedford Vehicles
Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors, itself the British subsidiary of General Motors , established in 1930; and constructing commercial vehicles. Bedford Vehicles was a leading international truck manufacturer, with substantial export sales of...
OWB buses during the Second World War, Felix standardised on Bedford chassis from the 1950s to the 1980s. The fleet was 100% Bedford between 1968 and 1985. During this period the fleet size remained fairly constant at around seven or eight vehicles. Plaxton
Plaxton
Plaxton is a builder of bus and coach vehicle bodies based in Scarborough, England.-History:The Plaxton of today is the successor to a business founded in Scarborough in 1907 by Frederick William Plaxton.-Beginnings:...
bodywork was favoured, and most vehicles were coaches along with a few vehicles to dual-purpose specification.
After bus deregulation
Bus deregulation
Bus deregulation in Great Britain came into force on 26 October 1986, as part of the Transport Act 1985.The 'Buses' White Paper was the basis of the Transport Act 1985, which provided for the deregulation of local bus services in the whole of the United Kingdom except for Northern Ireland and...
in 1986, the fleet increased gradually to around twice its previous size, peaking at 17 vehicles in 2002, reducing to 16 in 2005, and effectively being 15 from February 2007 due to an engine problem with a 1988 Leyland Lynx. The cessation of service 59 (see below) saw further fleet reductions, and by mid 2008, the fleet numbered 13. The diversity of the fleet also increased with new and secondhand Leylands, Dennises
Dennis Specialist Vehicles
Dennis Specialist Vehicles is a major British coachbuilder and manufacturer of specialised commercial vehicles based in Guildford, England...
and Volvo
Volvo Buses
Volvo Buses is a subsidiary and a business area of the Swedish vehicle maker Volvo, which became an independent division in 1968. It is based in Göteborg....
s, and more recently still, Scania
Scania AB
Scania Aktiebolag , commonly referred to as Scania AB or just Scania, is a major Swedish automotive industry manufacturer of commercial vehicles - specifically heavy trucks and buses...
L94s, Optare
Optare
Optare plc is a bus manufacturer and importer based in Leeds and Blackburn, UK. The company operates from three main business units, Bus Manufacturing, Coach Sales and Unitec....
Solo
Optare Solo
The Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative...
s and VDL
VDL Bus International
VDL Bus Chassis is a Netherlands-based bus builder which originated from the bus-building business of DAF.Originally named DAF Bus International after being separated from the truck-building business of DAF, it joined the United Bus in 1990...
SB200
VDL SB200
The VDL SB200 is a light-weight 12m citybus produced from 2001 by VDL Bus International...
s joining the fleet. The emphasis has also switched from coaches to service buses. The fleet contains 3 coaches, two Irisbus
Irisbus
Irisbus is a bus manufacturer which was formed through the merger of the bus and coach divisions of Fiat Industrial, Iveco and Renault in January 1999 and Ikarus Bus in late 1999...
and a Volvo
Volvo Buses
Volvo Buses is a subsidiary and a business area of the Swedish vehicle maker Volvo, which became an independent division in 1968. It is based in Göteborg....
, and 90% of the service buses are low-floor, easy access types.
Services
The main service is now operated jointly with Trent BartonTrent Barton
Trent Barton is one of the very small number of significant independent bus operators in the United Kingdom. It was formed as the result of merging Derbyshire's Trent Buses with Nottinghamshire's Barton Transport....
as "The Black Cat" having previously been numbered 12. The Ilkeston terminus of the service was the market place; however, in 1986, this was pedestrianised, so the service was extended to the Shipley View estate, and a year later to the Ilkeston community hospital.
Also operated jointly with Trent Barton
Trent Barton
Trent Barton is one of the very small number of significant independent bus operators in the United Kingdom. It was formed as the result of merging Derbyshire's Trent Buses with Nottinghamshire's Barton Transport....
is an express service between Derby and Ilkeston via Kirk Hallam and Spondon
Spondon
Spondon is a ward within the city of Derby. Prior to this, Spondon was a separate village which dated from before the Domesday Book of 1086.-Description:The name Spondon is Anglo-Saxon and describes a gravelly hill....
named "The Ilkeston Flyer".
A third service between Derby and Ilkeston, via Breadsall
Breadsall
Breadsall is a village in the English county of Derbyshire, . Breadsall Priory is nearby.-History:Breadsall was mentioned in the Domesday book as belonging to Henry de Ferrers and being worth four pounds...
and Stanley Common, was operated on behalf of Derbyshire County Council, numbered 59, but the retendering process operated by the council saw the contract awarded to K & H Doyle of Alfreton; the last day of Felix 59 operation was 27 October 2007.
The company operates school services from surrounding villages into Kirk Hallam and, on weekdays, a single morning service from the Rose and Crown in Smalley to Ilkeston via Mapperley which is referred to on some timetables as route number 13 and others as 007.
A football special is also run from Ilkeston to the Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium is an all-seater football stadium located on the Pride Park business park on the outskirts of Derby, England. It is the current home of Football League Championship club Derby County, who moved to the stadium from the Baseball Ground upon its opening in 1997...
on match days. Felix have been transporting supporters to Derby County home games almost as long as they have operated buses; an early vehicle order form showed three lines on the destination blind, "Derby", "Ilkeston" and "Baseball Ground", the latter being the old home of Derby County.
Day excursions have been run for many years, and the company operates two programmes, one picking up along the Black Cat route but also including Stanley Common and one starting at Shipley (between Ilkeston and Heanor) and then picking up between Langley Mill and Ripley.
In the 1980s, Felix started to operate holiday tours, both in the UK and abroad. Due to falling numbers of passengers, the holiday tours were to be stopped, but popular demand saw a limited number operate in 2008.
Livery
Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in the silent film era. His black body, white eyes, and giant grin, coupled with the surrealism of the situations in which his cartoons place him, combine to make Felix one of the most recognized cartoon characters in film history...
" cartoon cat emblems. In the mid 1990s, in common with many operators, Felix coaches (not buses) appeared in white with vinyl relief patterns. The final vehicle to carry the red and maroon livery, Leyland Lynx J564 URW, suffered engine failure in February 2010 and was withdrawn.
Service buses are now painted red and white and coaches red. Some buses carry branded livery for the "Black Cat" and one carries a blue livery for the "Ilkeston Flyer" service; this vehicle also carries a Trent Barton
Trent Barton
Trent Barton is one of the very small number of significant independent bus operators in the United Kingdom. It was formed as the result of merging Derbyshire's Trent Buses with Nottinghamshire's Barton Transport....
bow logo.
After being contacted by Felix The Cat Creations Inc. a 2 year license to use the cartoon Felix The Cat character was purchased, which expired in July 2007. During this time, Felix Bus Services introduced a redesigned cat image, which appeared on vehicles purchased between 2006 and 2008; Volvo/Plaxton coach W709 PTO had its existing Felix The Cat images altered. However, Felix The Cat Creations Inc. asserted that they owned the rights to any feline image used with the name Felix. This caused the company to remove cat images from all of the fleet.