THE EARLY DAYS

As with most coach and bus companies, 'Royal Blue' started off as a horse drawn service.
Thomas Elliot established 'Elliots Royal Blue' in 1880 and kept numerous classes of horse drawn vehicle and horses, available for hire from 'Branksome Mews', located in Avenue Lane Bournemouth (This is currently the site of 'Marks & Spencers').

One of the first services run was to link Holmsley railway station with Christchurch and Bournemouth. This service is believed to have started in 1880 and took approximately one and a half hours, horses would be changed at the 'Cat & Fiddle' inn on the Bournemouth to Lyndhurst road (Now the A35).
Thomas was later joined by his three young sons, Jack, Harry & Ted to help run the business.

In 1888 when the railway provided a more direct route between Brockenhurst, Christchurch and Bournemouth the horse drawn service was ceased.

Between the late 1880's and 1895 the following three regular services were run:

Bournemouth Square to Westbourne.
Bournemouth Square to Boscombe.
The top of Richmond Hill to Winton Bank.

Besides these regular services many excursions were run to various location in and around the Bournemouth and New Forest area.

During the early 1900's the first motorised public service vehicles started to appear on the streets, but it was not until 1911 that 'Elliots Royal Blue' began to use motor vehicles, the first vehicles purchased were taxi cabs.
Thomas Elliot tried to resist changing from horses to the new motor powered vehicles, but his sons were keen to change-over to the new type of transport.

Thomas Elliot died on the 28th of January 1911 at the age age 53, this was the result of a bad kick from a horse.

Expansion of the business continued with many new vehicles being acquired, including chars-a-bancs and private hire cars. The last horse drawn vehicle being sold in 1914.

With the outbreak of war in 1914 the company still managed to expand with new vehicles being purchased for it's still expanding luxury private hire services. These were all chauffeur driven and offered for short shopping trips etc. or day hire.
The staff were all turned out immaculately in smart royal blue uniforms.

By 1915 the company owned 15 chars-a-bancs, these being painted in two liveries - light blue and sky blue.
The company had garages at Avenue Lane, Wharf Road and 11 Talbot Road, Winton.
In 1916 the following tours were available, all starting from The Square in Bournemouth:

1 - Southampton, Winchester & Romsey - 10s 6d
2 - Salisbury & Stonehenge - 10s 6d
3 - Weymouth & Dorchester - 7s
4 - New Forest day excursion - 7s
5 - Swanage & Corfe Castle - 7s
6 - Sherborne - 8s 6d
7 - Fordingbridge, Salisbury & Shaftesbury - 10s 6d
8 - Lyndhurst, Rufus Stone & Ringwood - 5s
9 - Corfe Castle - 5s
10 - Milford-on-Sea, Lymington, Brockenhurst & Lyndhurst - 6s
11 - Lulworth Cove - 5s
12 - Burley - 4s
13 - Blandford - 5s

Later during the war, fuel was hard to come by and paraffin was substituted. Seven coaches were commandeered and purchased by the Army, the drivers being enlisted with the vehicles.

After the cessation of hostilities in 1918 Royal Blue started to re-build and regain it's business. A new garage was built in Holdenhurst Road, and was called 'Elliot's Motor Vehicle Depot'. The majority of all coaches were garaged here along with various repair work being undertaken. The taxi and private hire car fleet being garaged at The Lansdowne.