A Guide Dogs Scotland volunteer has come full circle after returning to a Stagecoach bus more than four decades after travelling on the company’s very first intercity service.
Lesley Venters (71) from Auchterarder, was visiting Stagecoach South Scotland’s headquarters in Dunfermline with guide dog puppy Rusty for a training session when she shared an extraordinary piece of Stagecoach history.
First journey in 1982
Lesley believes she was a passenger on Stagecoach’s inaugural intercity journey between Perth and Edinburgh in April 1982, travelling alongside the company’s original co-founders, siblings Sir Brian Souter and Ann Gloag, who famously drove and conducted many of the company’s earliest services.
The historic journey departed from Canal Street in Perth and arrived in St Andrew Square in Edinburgh, marking the beginning of what would become one of the UK’s biggest bus success stories.
Return after 44 years
Now 44 years later, Lesley was once again stepping aboard a Stagecoach bus, this time to help Rusty become familiar with boarding, travelling and alighting from buses as part of the puppy’s development into a future guide dog.
The special training session also welcomed fellow volunteer puppy raiser Maire McCall and her puppy, Loki, alongside the expert guidance of Guide Dogs Scotland puppy development advisor Joan Van-Eijk.
Lesley's memories
Lesley said: “It is funny to be back on a Stagecoach bus again after being on their first-ever journey from Perth to Edinburgh all those years ago.
“I remember seeing an advert in the Perthshire Advertiser saying they were running a service from Perth to Edinburgh and I remember taking my one-year-old daughter on the trip.
“I clearly remember Ann was the conductress, or clippie as they were called in those days, and presumably it was her brother Brian driving the bus. It is incredible to see the journey Stagecoach has been on since then.
“We’re really thankful to Stagecoach for providing use of the bus today.
“Rusty is not always comfortable getting on a bus because of the noise the doors make when they open, but we practised getting on and off several times and her confidence grew as a result.
“We’re really grateful for the opportunity for Rusty to become familiar with travelling by bus because it is such an important part of everyday life.”
Stagecoach reaction
Fiona Doherty, managing director of Stagecoach South Scotland, said: “Lesley’s story is a wonderful reminder of how far Stagecoach has come since those pioneering early days, while also demonstrating that buses continue to play a vital role in connecting people and supporting communities.
“It is particularly fitting that someone who travelled on one of our very first intercity services has returned all these years later to help train a future guide dog.
“We are proud to continue supporting Guide Dogs Scotland and helping puppies gain the confidence they need to travel safely on public transport throughout their working lives.”
Guide Dogs Scotland partnership
Joan Van-Eijk, puppy development advisor at Guide Dogs Scotland, added: “Experiences like these are incredibly valuable for our puppies.
“Buses present lots of new sights, sounds and movements, so practising in a calm and supportive environment helps build their confidence.
“We’re very grateful to Stagecoach for its continued partnership and support, which makes a genuine difference to the development of our future guide dogs and, ultimately, to the people living with sight loss who will one day rely on them.”
Stagecoach has worked in partnership with Guide Dogs Scotland for several years, supporting puppy training through dedicated familiarisation sessions and providing free travel for volunteer puppy raisers travelling with dogs in training.
