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Finalists battle it out in bid to win Fiat 500 prize

Top eco driverstake to the track

INSIDE: SQUID COURSE RECEIVES PRAISE FROM DRIVERS p3

n Full feature continued on centre pages.

The eagerly anticipated 2012 ‘500 Challenge’ took place on

September 19 at Millbrook Proving Ground.

Millbrook is one of Europe’s leading locations for the development and demonstration of every type of land vehicle from motorcycles, passenger cars and buses to heavy commercial vehicles, military and off-road vehicles.

Millbrook was built in 1970 and

it is a bespoke proving ground. It has a five-mile radius and it has the facility for vehicles to test any road surface. Vehicles that won’t be seen on the road for up to six years can be seen at the grounds.

Sponsored by MiX TelematicsThe 2012 ‘500 Challenge’

event was sponsored by MiX Telematics, who are a global leader in vehicle tracking and fleet management solutions, which help fleet operators to reduce their fuel consumption and minimise their fleet maintenance and operating costs.

...And Ian wins the day

Ian Jarrett receives the keys to his new Fiat 500 from MD John Trayner. More pictures on centre pages.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

MANAGERS ON THE MOVE: p6

RUNNING ROUTE 20 FOR CHARITY: p6

NEW iBUS CONTROL CENTRES: p3

BusTalk l October 20122

Merton and Putney on awards shortlist

Tender win sees new depot take on route 257

THE UK Bus Awards are returning for a 17th year in 2012 and Go-Ahead London’s Merton and Putney

garages have been shortlisted for the London Bus Garage of the Year award, sponsored by Transport for London.

Drivers Scott Horney from Merton and Roy Lambe of Stockwell have also been shortlisted in the category of Top London Bus Driver.

Roy has more than 30 years of driving experience under his belt and received numerous commendations from the public over the years. He is an exemplary driver and is a real ambassador for the garage and the company.

Scott is not only an exceptional driver but he also demonstrates great customer service skills. Working with the public is one of the aspects of his job he enjoys the most.

The Garage of the Year award benchmarks the performance of a London garage and judges various factors, such as customer satisfaction, engineering standards and driver quality monitoring data. Go-Ahead London has had a garage shortlisted for this award in nine out of the last ten years.

The winners will be announced on November 20 at the Park Lane Hilton Hotel and the winning garage will be given a cash prize to be used on facilities to benefit the team.

The two Go-Ahead London garages are up against three others for the award: Stagecoach East London’s Barking depot, Metrobus’s Orpington depot and Metroline’s Cricklewood depot.

We spoke to managers from Merton and Putney to find out their thoughts on the shortlist.

Trevor Johnson, general manager at Merton garage said: “I think that it’s a testament to the efforts of everybody connected to providing a service at Merton, to their hard work and their positive approach to the job.

“It’s really pleasing to get the recognition and be shortlisted for this award, I think it is a reflection of the various things that we put into our application.”

Alan McCormack, operating manager at Putney garage added: “I’m really pleased with Putney being shortlisted. I’ve been the operating manager here since 2005 and the garage has been shortlisted for this award every year bar one since then.

“The quality of the people in the administration team is outstanding, we have excellent engineering staff, excellent controllers and the drivers are all exceptional.”

GO-AHEAD London was well represented at this year’s national Bus Driver of the Year competition, which took place in Blackpool on September 9.

Four drivers from the company took part in the event, having excelled at the regional competition in Crawley back in July.

Blue Triangle’s James Staggs, Merton’s Stephen Appiah and Stockwell’s Nick Cummins came first, second and third in the regional competition to book their place in the national final, while Waterside Way’s Alfonso Carvalho was invited to return because he was the best placed

GAG London participant as well being runner-up of all the London drivers in last year’s national competition.

The best result of the weekend came from James, who received The Best CPC Knowledge award for his performance in the written test.

Candidates were given five questions to answer, with James being the only driver to correctly answer four out of the five questions.

For his efforts James received a certificate, a glass trophy, a shield and cheque for £100.

“It was something I had been practising before the big day that certainly worked in my favour,” said James.

“To win the award was a nice surprise and it was great to come back from the competition with something to remember it by. I found the driving part of the competition quite hard as I had to drive a hybrid – something I had never done before. That being said, there is always next year and at the end of the day I still had a very enjoyable weekend!”

SINCE the Northumberland Park depot was made part of the Go-Ahead family in March this year, the depot has gone from strength to strength and now it has even more reason to celebrate – it has recently started running the 257 route.

The route, which was won in a tendering process back in January, began running on October 13, just as Bus Talk went to press. The route is 15 buses worth of work from Monday to Saturday and eight buses on a Sunday.

Originally destined for the Blue Triangle depot, Northumberland Park received the route after it was acquired by Go-Ahead.

“We need to recruit 42 drivers for the route – until we have 42 drivers of our own we have been very kindly assisted by other garages who have given us the use of their drivers. There was a lot of planning involved in adopting the route and I’m glad now that we have launched,” said Angie Ryder, general manager of Northumberland Park.

The route, which is on a five-year contract running from Walthamstow to Stratford, is being operated using refurbished WVL double-decked buses from Putney. The refurbishment process is estimated to give these buses a new lease of life for six to seven years.

It’s the battle of the best in UK Bus Awards ceremony

James triumphs at annual bus driver competition

James Staggs won Best CPC Knowledge award.

IBUS control centres are being regionalised by Go-Ahead London, with four different locations across the capital housing control rooms.

Rainham in East London opened earlier this year followed by Bexleyheath’s control centre, covering south east London, on September 19, initially with three screens in use. A further four screens were installed on September 23, with the final screen placed in the centre in early-October.

Building work has now commenced on control centres at Stockwell, which covers central London, and Sutton, which covers south west London, but all three locations will be fully functional by January 2013.

Stockwell will also be the only control centre of the three to run 24 hours a day, with Bexleyheath and Sutton closing at around midnight daily.

“Not only does this help controllers do their

work to an even higher standard, it also provides a much better working environment,” said Gill Tynan, general manager – service performance.

“There will be more of my colleagues in the rooms, meaning breaks will be easier to take, and sharing information around will be more streamlined.

“Everything has gone very smoothly so far and I am looking forward to seeing all three locations fully operational in the very near future.”

BusTalk l October 2012 3

THE FIRST sets of drivers have been going through

this year’s CPC course, which started running on September 18.

SQUID, which stands for ‘Service Quality and Updated Information to Drivers’, keeps drivers up to date on a number of different issues, including the bus industry in London, the CPC itself and the tendering process.

The seven-hour course also contributes to the 35 hours drivers need to complete within five years to retain their licence to drive professionally.

OpportunityDrivers have been attending

the sessions in groups of 12, with all drivers required to participate.

As part of the course, drivers have had the opportunity to talk to a senior manager or director – the first time this has happened in a number of years.

“Everyone I have spoken to so far has found SQUID to be very informative,” said training and development manager Eric Dale,

who co-ordinated the initiative.“All of the topics on the course

were chosen to comply with the driver CPC syllabus and based on what we think employees need to know.

“For example, the buses in London are now monitored 24/7, so we thought it was a good idea to keep drivers up to date regarding that change.

“There had also been some confusion regarding the CPC and what it entails, which led to us including some information about that as well. Drivers who began their CPC training in September 2008 are also reminded that they have until September 9, 2013 to complete their 35 hours of training required to have their Driver Qualification Card (DQC) issued, and that they will then need to carry it with them at all times.

“The open forums have also been hugely motivational. It’s the first time we have done something like this in a while and I know drivers have really enjoyed sitting down for a chat with senior members of the company.”

PUTNEY driver Paul Miller was one of the first to sit through SQUID and says it was great to get refreshed on some of the finer details.

“It was all very interesting and I think everyone I attended with found it to be a well organised course,” said Paul.

“The section I found particularly engaging was headways, as this is something you are dealing with on a daily basis.

“Even if some of what is taught is stuff you already know, it never does any harm to have your memory refreshed.

“Meeting a member of the management was a welcome surprise and it was great to be able to ask some questions to someone in a senior position.”

DRIVER Hixford Simpson found the SQUID course to be a great refresher on returning to Go-Ahead London after 11 years.

New Cross driver Simpson who previously worked for the company for a number of years, before he returned, felt the SQUID course was well-taught and well-structured.

“CPC is a new thing for me,” said Hixford. “I found the trainers to be excellent with lots of energy and the course to be lots of fun. It provided a great insight into what I could expect before I was thrown into the lion’s den. I think that attending the course helped me cope a lot better while out on the road.

“It is so good to get a refresher course in things like this and I found it all very enjoyable and certainly a refreshing take on training.”

Course gets big thumbs up

New iBus control centres will improve service standards

Bill Searle keeps an eye on the screens.

Terry Nelson at the controls.

Noel Buckle on duty.

for

Pro-Drive – High Speed and Handling Circuit

WOW!!!! This was incredible. The sub-heading says it all. Driven by

Rob, a professional driver with many years of experience, the finalists were driven around a handling circuit with twists and turns at an astonishing 90mph in a Vauxhall Astra 2L Turbo! This was followed by driving at high speed around ‘the bowl’ - a two-mile circular track at a top speed of 160mph!

“You need to experience that,” said Michael Bakinson from Peckham. “It’s a once in a life-time opportunity. The driver was so competent. His road handling was outstanding. He went about 156mph around a bend! It felt faster than a plane!”

Skid CarsThe finalists were taught the practical side of

skid control training with the use of Millbrook’s very own Skid Car, which had a skid control

in his final challenge! He said: “I listened to the trainers

and used their advice accordingly. It really made a difference. Using the brakes properly really helped. It wasn’t easy but it was really good fun, I enjoyed it.”Blindfolded Driving

You’ll get by with a little help from a friend on this one! Well, a lot actually! This exercise is mainly about the person NOT driving the car! Your partner had to give very clear and precise instructions. ‘Go on, go on’, wasn’t good enough for this challenge. Comical to watch, the blindfolded driving challenge consisted of taking instructions from another driver. The aim was to get around a coned course with a number of turns in the quickest time without knocking any of the cones over! This challenge required perfect instructions, non-hesitant driving and a lot of trust!

“You can’t see anything! You just have to make sure the person instructing gives you a good guide,” said Kwado Boahen from New Cross garage. “I did OK. My partner, Albano Colaco (from Waterside Way) gave good instructions so I was OK. At times I felt like the car was moving but it was actually stationary. It’s a very strange feeling.”

Fun and Prizes WonAll 25 finalists had a fun-filled, action packed

day, full of exciting driving challenges. There were plenty of prizes won including cash, an iPhone 4S and an iPad. The ultimate prize was a 1.2 Fiat 500 car worth around £12,000, provided by our generous sponsor - MiX Telematics.Eco-friendly Driving Test

The ultimate eco-friendly driving test was taken by all 25 finalists with the Fiat 500 being the top prize. The finalists were briefed by Anthony Sale, a senior engineer in the Power-Train Department. He covered health and safety, reducing engine RPM, coasting in gear and gentle acceleration. He provided the finalists with some tips to ensure they would drive the test car gaining maximum miles per gallon.Sporting Trial Cars

The Sporting Trial Cars was a driving challenge with a difference. The cars, weighing in at 350kg, with a top speed of 30mph and resembling a home-made buggy with a motor, are designed to make it around a slippery and hilly mud-track. Like skiers (minus the ice), the challenge was to drive on a very unfriendly mud course, through 20 posts without any part of the vehicle touching them, while attempting to handle the car with one hand – the other hand is used to control the left and right hand side brakes and aid steering! If you think it sounds easy, I challenge you to have a go for yourself!

One finalist, Ray Taskas from Sutton, after his first attempt said: “It was brilliant! It was a real adrenaline booster. The brakes weren’t as difficult to use as I thought. It was about control of the car, not speed. Technique of my off-road bike is similar.”

The finalists all did exceptionally well. Joao Gouveia from Stockwell managed to get around the course without touching one post

BusTalk l October 20124

ECO DRIVERS

frame attached. The purpose of this exercise was to show the finalists how to control the car properly when skidding. They were also given ABS training.

“It was a fun-filled experience. When the car spun it was the same feeling as being on a fairground ride!” said Gabriel Ferreira from Bexleyheath. The WINNER of the 2012 ‘500 Challenge’ – Ian Jarrett – Belvedere

The eco-friendly driving test determined the ultimate winner of this year’s ‘500 Challenge’. The finalists were instructed to drive around Millbrook’s test roads in the most economically friendly way. Taking all of the advice from the brief, all 25 finalists improved on their first score. With a number of stop-starts and hills, each finalist had an impressive final result that was to have the highest miles per gallon score.

“It was more relaxing to go around for a second time. I’m not too sure how I did but it was all good experience,” said Patrick Wallace from Mandela Way.

25 finalists battle it out on the trackfor Fiat 500 prizen Continued from front page.

ABOVE: One for the album – winner Ian Jarrett with MD John Trayner and the finalists. LEFT: from left, Andre Amos (Merton), Hubert Czajczynski (Mandela Way), Krzysztof Chmara (Docklands) and Michael Bakinson (Peckham). RIGHT: Patrick Wallace (Mandela Way) with passenger Daniel Bacon (Blue Triangle).

for

This year, Belvedere driver Ian Jarrett was the triumphant winner and is now the proud owner of a brand new Fiat 500 car.

“I had a feeling of surprise and disbelief when Mr Trayner said my name. I was, of course, very happy that I had won,” said Ian. “There were a lot of good drivers there. It was good to win both for myself and for our garage, which is one of the smallest but obviously the best; next year we’ll do the hat-trick!”

Ian came into the day with the aim of having fun as he enjoys driving and he was looking forward to the challenges.

He said: “My favourite challenge was the Trials Cars; they were not just great fun to drive, the fact that they were so different to control, e.g having a break for each rear wheel activated by two handles not only for stopping but to aid steering and grip, all the while negotiating a tight

BusTalk l October 2012 5

ECO DRIVERS

frame attached. The purpose of this exercise was to show the finalists how to control the car properly when skidding. They were also given ABS training.

“It was a fun-filled experience. When the car spun it was the same feeling as being on a fairground ride!” said Gabriel Ferreira from Bexleyheath. The WINNER of the 2012 ‘500 Challenge’ – Ian Jarrett – Belvedere

The eco-friendly driving test determined the ultimate winner of this year’s ‘500 Challenge’. The finalists were instructed to drive around Millbrook’s test roads in the most economically friendly way. Taking all of the advice from the brief, all 25 finalists improved on their first score. With a number of stop-starts and hills, each finalist had an impressive final result that was to have the highest miles per gallon score.

“It was more relaxing to go around for a second time. I’m not too sure how I did but it was all good experience,” said Patrick Wallace from Mandela Way.

gated hill course. It was superb.“The Eco Drive training was invaluable both in the

car and in the presentation beforehand. This really helped me achieve my high MPG score.”

Ian was most grateful to John Trayner and Go-Ahead London for the opportunity to be part of the competition. He would also like to thank everyone who organised such a great day.

Congratulations to Ian and a huge well done to our runners up who won the following prizes:Second: Nigel Aimey of New Cross – an iPad.Third: Patrick Wallace of Mandela Way – an iPhone 4S. Fourth: Diana Smolarek of Waterloo – £400. Fifth: Hoshyar Sheikh of Camberwell – £200.

A very big well done to all of Go-Ahead London’s greenest drivers. We are sure you all had a great time and we look forward to another fun-filled, action packed, thrilling and prize-winning event next year. Make sure you make the finals in 2013.

Brilliant! It was a real adrenaline

booster

ABOVE: One for the album – winner Ian Jarrett with MD John Trayner and the finalists. LEFT: from left, Andre Amos (Merton), Hubert Czajczynski (Mandela Way), Krzysztof Chmara (Docklands) and Michael Bakinson (Peckham). RIGHT: Patrick Wallace (Mandela Way) with passenger Daniel Bacon (Blue Triangle).

BusTalk l October 20126

All change for trio on the rise

TENDER NEWSfrom across

LondonIN OUR regular column for Bus Talk, we highlight recent announcements made by Transport for London.Abellio• Retention of Route 969 (Whitton to Roehampton Vale, Tuesdays and Fridays only), using existing vehicles from other routes. New contract begins June 1, 2013.Arriva London• Route 106 (Finsbury Park to Whitechapel) won from Stagecoach East London. New double deck vehicles (16 PVR). Contract begins April 27, 2013.• Route 230 (Wood Green to Upper Walthamstow) won from Stagecoach East London. New double deck vehicles (12 PVR). Contract begins June 22, 2013.Metrobus• Retention of Route 127 (Tooting Broadway to Purley). Existing double deck vehicles (11 PVR). Contract begins April 13, 2013.Stagecoach Selkent• Retention of Route 386 (Blackheath to Woolwich). New and existing double deck vehicles (10 PVR). Contract begins June 1, 2013.

IT’S AN exciting time for management at Go-Ahead London as managers

Nigel Wood, Peter Russell and Angie Ryder will all be changing roles.

The change has given Nigel Wood, general manager at Blue Triangle, the opportunity to begin a six-month secondment as operations manager at Go North East in Newcastle starting from October 7.

To cover his absence, Peter Russell, operating manager of Blue Triangle, will step up to Nigel’s role on a three-month secondment, while Angie Ryder will cover the Mandela Way responsibilities.

“It’s an exciting challenge,

IN OUR Face 2 Face column, we chat to Martin Fleming, a driver at Sutton, who has worked for the company for 35 years. We ask Martin eight light-hearted questions. Q: Who do you admire the most and why? A: The Paralympians who did so well this summer. They have problems but don’t give up.Q: What would you have as your last meal? A: I would have steak and chips – always well done.Q: What is the best thing about your job? A: The freedom of being out and about. It’s a different job every day. Q: What is your idea of a perfect day? A: A nice sunny day in a theme park – Chessington, Thorpe Park or Alton Towers.Q: What job did you want to do as a child? A: When I was younger I worked in technical drawing but my brother and cousin persuaded me to go on the buses.Q: What do you most admire about other people? A: A happy, laid-back approach.Q: If you could have anything in the world what would it be? A: A good car, probably a Jaguar XKR – I’ve always loved sports and performance cars. Q: What is your favourite sport? A: I’ve always loved playing cricket. I love watching it live but can’t stand seeing it on TV!

being in the same Group but in a completely different environment.

“I’m looking forward to working the deregulated market outside of London, it will give me another set of skills and put me in good stead for my future career,” said Nigel.

Peter, who has worked for the company since 1987 and has considerable experience with most of Go-Ahead London’s garages, is looking forward to taking on his first long term placement as a general manager.

“It’s a challenge that I am ready for. I’m looking forward to being in the GM role for the next three months,” said Peter.

STAFF at Blue Triangle are choosing a healthy lifestyle this autumn as drivers and depot staff don their running shoes and raise money for charity.

Drivers Leroy Jordan and Oz Hassan both like to keep fit but it was only after hearing that other staff members were walking route 20 for Great Ormond Street Hospital that they decided to get involved too. However, instead of walking the route, the pair decided to run the 11 miles.

The October 6 run was completed in 1 hour and 26 minutes, starting at

Staff step out to run Route 20 for charity cashWalthamstow and finishing at Debden.

The staff who joined Oz and Leroy went the extra mile by walking the EL1 route as well.

“Watching everyone at the depot getting fit inspired me to take part in the run. I’ve also given up smoking,” said Oz.

“I trained by running a few miles a day, increasing the distance gradually. My girlfriend thinks I’m crazy for running in the pouring rain and coming back soaked, but it’s the sense of achievement and the stress relief that keeps me going.”

Peter Russell (left) says farewell to Nigel Wood on his departure to Newcastle.

BusTalk l October 2012 7

COMMENDATIONS

THIS year doesn’t just mark the Queen’s Jubilee, it also marks the 60th birthday for the Stockwell depot since its construction in 1952.

To mark the occasion, driver Andrew John has taken it upon himself to give something back to the depot by creating his own historical fact sheet.

He fell in love with the depot, a Grade II listed building, as a small child. Enchanted by the grand roofing and inspiring design, it wasn’t long until he found himself working there as a driver.

After a visit to the depot from Stockwell charity organisation Our Hut, Andrew took it upon himself to research and develop the fact sheet, which will now be distributed, if requested, to any groups who visit Stockwell in the future.

The fact sheet lists important dates and people involved in the construction of the depot, details Andrew researched by himself.

“With the 60th birthday this year, I had to do something to celebrate

our beautiful depot.“I did some research and two days later

created the fact sheet which our manager agreed to be used as the official handout for future visitors,” said Andrew.

To mark Stockwell’s birthday, Our Hut hosted a family day on September 29. Families and children were invited to celebrate the garage through model making and fabric painting.

BEXLEYHEATHn A CUSTOMER has described Darren Smith as “very kind and helpful” when he assisted a blind man exiting his bus.BLUE TRIANGLEn CRYSTAL Nwokia and Luis Cunha have been praised by passenger Mr Bowman for returning his wallet when he left it on the bus. Crystal took the wallet back to the garage, where Luis then tracked down Mr Bowman.n MR M Jumma has written in to commend Mohammed Nadeem for stopping and waiting for him when he was in a hurry to get to the station.n AN EXTREMELY relieved Mr Pardoe has thanked Menelaous Kostara for helping to return his daughter’s lost purse.CAMBERWELLn A CUSTOMER has written in to thank Roy Fearon for his “helpful and friendly attitude” when he assisted a passenger with a severe limp.n THE HELPFUL manner in which Nickeshia Blake served Miss Chapman when she boarded his bus has earned him a commendation.n AN IMPRESSED Mr Austin has written in to praise Shaun Munroe for his “helpfulness and courtesy” that “should be commended”.DOCKLANDSn THE “professional and courteous” attitude of Jannicka Alexander has earned her a commendation after having to deal with an abusive passenger.MANDELA WAYn MISS Powell wrote in to commend Artur Taranta for his “very good customer service” which she says “made a difference”.MERTONn THE professionalism and caring attitude of Stephen Palmer has received praise from Mrs Maybank who said he was “calm and very friendly” to all his passengers.n A BATTERED and bruised Ms Taylor has written in to commend Balbir Dhami for stopping to help when she fell over on the pavement.PUTNEYn MOSTAFA Zaadane has been described as a “nice and kind man” by Mrs Poloniecka, after he stopped to help an elderly passenger.STOCKWELLn MISS L Gordon has written in to thank Goel Desir for his “friendly and sympathetic” attitude when helping her recover her lost phone.n DRIVERS who travel around Cycle Superhighway 7 have been applauded by Mr Waugh for being “absolutely outstanding” and “always giving way when appropriate”.n CUSTOMER Mr Ireland says Roy Lambe is a “credit to the company” and “does his job with pride”.

THEY can weigh up to 44 tonnes, hold 1500 litres of fuel and do an average of nine miles to the gallon. No, they’re not Go-Ahead London’s buses – they’re articulated lorries and New Cross driver Michael George’s greatest passion.

Michael first became interested in lorries and trucking as a young boy. His cousin and uncle are long-haul drivers and so was his grandfather – the George family have trucked to countries such as France, Italy and Portugal often bringing Michael along with them for the ride.

A Go-Ahead London driver for two and a half years, Michael previously worked as a mobile car cleaner before realising his passion was in driving.

“I absolutely love it. I got my first taste of

driving as a future career when my uncle let me sit in his articulated lorry as a young boy. Straight away, I was amazed by lorries, their power and their presence,” said Michael.

Michael regularly attends Truckfest – an annual trucking and long-haulage event.

Having been every year since

the age of 11 – Michael spends the time there meeting other enthusiasts, admiring engines and body artwork and enjoying warm weather and barbecues.

A passion is nothing without a dream and Michael has his very own.

“I would love to one day be able to drive a Scania V8, a rare articulated lorry. I would drive it to an exotic destination – Doha, China or maybe even Russia,” added Michael.

Diamond celebrations for Stockwell depot

Trucking is a lifelong passion for Michael

Michael George pictured with a favourite Scania truck.

Andrew John cutting a birthday cake for Stockwell’s 60th birthday.

BusTalk l October 20128 Published by Go-Ahead London. Produced by Ruxley Communications, Walton-on-Thames. Printed by Evolve Print Solutions, Rickmansworth.

BEXLEYHEATH’S B team were crowned winners in Go-Ahead London’s annual team golf competition held at Mitcham Golf Club on 20 September.

The winning team consisted of Marco Quickendon, Paul Bartlett, Andy Hodgson and Graham Evans who were victorious with a score of 55.

Sixteen teams took part in the competition, some of which were represented with staff from head office or garages and the others were made up of invited contractors or suppliers.

Bexleyheath’s A team placed sixth with a score of 57 and a head office team were eighth with a score of 58.

If your garage is interested in taking part in the 2013 competition please contact Geoff Robertson on extension number 6182.

IT WAS 15 years ago when Lisa Fludder, a driver at Waterside Way, was enjoying a drink at her local pub, when the landlady and fellow Go-Ahead London driver, Debbie asked her to participate in the local ladies’ darts league.

Fast-forward to the present day and Lisa has since competed yearly in the Oval & District Ladies Darts League, winning every year bar this one.

Lisa and her friends at the pub had never played darts before, but quickly picked up the technique, shocking the other teams and winning the league the first year they entered.

“I love it for a few reasons. It’s the social aspect, it’s a great way to meet other teams and other girls – you make good friends and good rival-banter too!

“We have a disco every year which is really fun and we have even had holidays together,” said Lisa.

Lisa, who has been a driver at Waterside Way for five years, also competes in a ‘sixes’ tournament, which comprises teams made up of six players, as well as a mixed pairs tournament which has her matched up with a male partner.

NOT content with just going out on the river to catch fish, Nick Burnett decided to build his own pond so he could look after them as well!

New Cross senior garage administrator Nick has been a fishing fanatic the majority of his life, starting when he was just a child.

However, the idea of a pond came about as Nick has recently been finding it harder and harder to find the time to pursue his favourite hobby.

“I have always been interested in carp fishing as well as many other types of fish,” said Nick.

“The problem is that fishing can be quite a time consuming sport, which means sometimes there just isn’t enough hours in the day to do it.”

In total, Nick’s pond took around two weeks to build, plus two weeks for the initial fittings to dry, and Nick says he will probably stop at just the one for now.

“The whole point of the pond is to keep some of the fish that I would normally be trying to catch,” he said.

“It’s 15x6 feet in size so it is pretty big, but I’m sure there’s always room for a bigger one. At the moment I’ve got carp, koi and a number of other different types of fish in there. Spending time feeding the fish is a great way of relaxing and the pond itself has ended up looking really nice.

“Unfortunately my wife says that for now the one I’ve just built is probably more than big enough!”

THE NEONATAL team at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, worked tirelessly to deliver Scott Horney’s two prematurely-born children safely.

Since that day, the Merton driver has worked hard to return the favour by raising nearly £20,000 for First Touch, a charity that supports the hospital where his two daughters were born as well as fundraising for Cancer Research, Macmillan Cancer Support and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

This August, Scott organised a 6-a-side football tournament,

the sixth he’s done, for staff members at local depots.

Thanks to some fantastic weather and a great show of staff from Camberwell, Stockwell, Docklands, Mandela Way, Waterside Way, Merton, Peckham and Putney, to name a few, Scott raised £2,100 for the charity.

With lots of help from Derek Barker, the operating manager of Camberwell, Scott was able to offer an iPad and a TV as some of the prizes in a raffle.

“To know that the money we have raised goes to a good cause and helps other parents

makes me really happy. I’d do it all the time if I could,” said Scott.

“It’s definitely hard work organising all these things so I can’t thank Derek, my parents, my in-laws and my wife enough for taking some of the weight off my shoulders in the organisation.”

Scott, who has completed two fundraising events already this year, will be taking part in a third event, a half-marathon, in October. He will also be organising another football tournament next year. Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/horneyboy.

Bexleyheath B hit the sweet spot in golf tournament

It’s hook, line and sinker for Nick

Fundraising is First Touch for Scott

Lisa hits the bullseye in local darts league

Angela Jessup, team secretary, Helen Whelch, former Go-Ahead driver, Lisa Fludder, June Dyson, team captain and league founder, Lisa Guest and Lynne Hoblyn.

Camberwell operating manager Derek Barker, left, with Scott Horney.

Waterside Way football team.

Nick Burnett enjoys spending time feeding his fish.