IT IS 80 years ago this month that Salisbury saw the opening of its very own bus station.

The station was the work of a local architect, Mr. Sidney Elgar and was very welcome by the public – being within a convenient distance from the main shopping centre.

On the ground floor was the general enquiry office, parcels office, waiting rooms, cloak-rooms, buffet, paying-in room for the conductors, and a staff waiting room. A covered platform ran the entire length of the station, through to Rolleston Street.

The Mayor, in a speech, said that the city council appreciated the services that had been rendered by the local bus company in many ways. Their housing schemes in outlying parts of the city would have been almost impossible without the buses.

The Mayor of Wilton (Miss EM Olivier) stated that discussions had happened many years before regarding the great benefit of linking all the villages around Salisbury by a regular bus service but no one would come forward to assist.

Now the Wilts and Dorset had the courage to start with practically the same idea.

Mr. EJ. Diffey, president of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce said that he represented between two and three hundred businesses and professional men of the city – they must all appreciate the services of the bus company in bringing people into Salisbury, making it the business centre of a very wide area. “The prosperity of business in Salisbury was closely connected with the buses” he said.

The eventual closure of the bus station is still lamented by many local people….

* Salisbury History Festival will cover many aspects of Salisbury’s historical past.

Various presentations are free with tickets available from The Information Centre, Fish Row and The History Bookshop, Fisherton Mill, Fisherton St.

All events info at – salisburyhistoryfestival.co.uk