Saluting Andrew’s amazing career….RIP

Sunday 25th May 2025

I’m so sorry to update today’s blog (written yesterday) with the devastating news Andrew sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning.

Rest In Peace Andrew.

This very special blog is for a very special person.

The sad news came on Friday that the hugely respected and much admired, Andrew Wickham has stepped down from his role as managing director of Go South Coast.

Andrew has been battling the impact of invasive bladder cancer for the last five years and doing so with incredible courage, positivity and fortitude as well as retaining his wonderful sense of humour.

During all this time he’s rarely missed a business meeting, phone call or commitment despite dealing with the challenges of extensive medical treatment and interventions.

Sadly, Ben Murray, Go South Coast’s Finance Director, updated colleagues on Friday evening that Andrew “can no longer fulfill his role of managing director and is now at home surrounded by his family and reading as many messages as he is able”.

This special blog is therefore a personal but public message to you Andrew, so that everyone knows just what a special person you are and how much I’ve valued our friendship.

Because sometimes, tributes are only paid when it’s too late, so I’m taking the opportunity to let you know what a great friend and colleague you have been since we first met just shy of 40 years ago.

I will always regret the fact we were unable to offer you a job when you came to see us at Brighton & Hove not long after the company was formed as a separate business from Southdown in 1986 when you were leaving Aston University. By bad luck of timing we’d already just employed a graduate and couldn’t take another but I remember being hugely impressed with your passion for, and dedication to, the bus industry and was sure you’d carve out a hugely successful and rewarding career, which of course you have done in spades.

It was wonderful to see you share your love of buses in last year’s Geoff Marshall video on ‘Britain’s Buses At Their Best’ when, in what you thought was a moment not caught on camera, you explained in such an endearing way “my love of buses started at secondary school getting the school bus into school in Sussex”. Because that’s exactly how many of us who love the industry found our destiny for a career.

And, as we all do, you quickly realised the industry most importantly is about people, not the buses, and you have been a shining exemplar for us all to emulate; always being there for your staff and motivating the team to give of their best. Your social media feed regularly featured you taking time out to congratulate staff who’d achieved milestones of service or gone above and beyond their duties and I know from conversations we’ve had when the company has deservedly won so many awards, you’ve always passed the baton of praise on to the team you’ve led.

And, of course, I well remember catching up with you over that memorable weekend in Bournemouth in August 2022 when a frenzied, but highly professionally organised 48 hour marathon, in the aftermath of Yellow Buses’ overnight failure, saw you lead the team to successfully keep the town’s bus network on the road with a slick recruitment operation, vehicle acquisition and information, marketing and publicity for passengers all to hand.

More than any other challenge that has been thrown at you over the last forty years, that must stand out as the highlight demonstrating your superb leadership and organisational skills with so many of Yellow Buses’ drivers looking forward to being part of the Go South Coast company – which said it all.

And what a company you’ve led, having been at Go South Coast for 22 years, first as operations director, then after a short interlude at Plymouth Citybus as managing director in 2009 when Go-Ahead bought that business, returning to Go South Coast in 2012 as managing director.

The reason the company is deservedly renowned for being a regular award winner is simply because of your leadership and vision for the business. It’s grown tremendously over the last two decades not only adding small rural based bus businesses such as Damory, coach companies such as Excelsior and Tourist Coaches, but the former municipal bus company in Swindon and in addition to Bournemouth, expanding significantly in Southampton when First Bus withdrew from that city as well as gaining contracts to run services for both Bournemouth and Southampton Universities. Southern Vectis is renowned for its top quality bus network with Bluestar, Salisbury Reds and ‘more’ branded networks are shining examples of buses at their best.

Your passion for excellence in marketing and attention to detail is renowned and passengers throughout the region have been blessed with smartly turned out attractive buses, printed timetable books and excellent online information, so not surprising you have achieved impressive growth in numbers travelling.

Not only that, but you’ve overseen the huge success of Hants & Dorset Trim in Eastleigh which is the only example of a former National Bus Company engineering unit still in existence and trading successfully under your stewardship.

As you look back on your career all this is an achievement you should be firmly proud of, because I know of no-one else who has efficaciously managed such a varied portfolio of businesses so successfully.

You’re truly unique Andrew, not least because you’ve done all this with humility, modesty and with unstinting kindness to, and thoughtfulness for, your colleagues but shining through above all else, your love for the job.

As you told Geoff: “I do love buses”.

Back in 1988 I was delighted to see you were able to begin your bus industry career in your home county of Sussex, joining our colleagues at Brighton Borough Transport (BBT) and I remember you were given the role of Manager at Lewes Coaches – a small operator with many challenges that BBT had just purchased and which you turned around into something operationally sound against all the odds.

After that you joined the Go-Ahead Group in 1992 working under Keith Ludeman at London General as Operations Manager and then Service Quality Manager before moving to Group head office in 2000 as Group Development Manager. I know you were pleased to get back into the operating companies and the operations director role at Go South Coast was just the job for you in 2003, and how lovely it was to see someone who loves buses running buses and doing it so well.

Another memorable time we spent in each others company was in your year as President of the Omnibus Society in 2019 when you laid on a superb Presidential Weekend for members with interesting visits and looks behind the scenes and I know how much everyone enjoyed it and were appreciative of the huge trouble you went to in making it so enthralling.

And finally Andrew, it was an absolute delight to hear the news you had been awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours for services to the bus industry at the beginning of this year. There was no-one more deserving than you to receive this Honour and all so typical that in the news release issued to spread the news you added “above all, my own success has been underpinned by the skill and perseverance of my colleagues – past and present. I would like to thank them for the support and dedication they have shown me over the course of my career.”

No, Andrew. It’s all of us – colleagues past and present – who want to thank you for the support and dedication you have shown to us over the course of your career.

And, of course, not forgetting the thousands and thousands of passengers who’ve enjoyed top quality bus services thanks to you.

We’ll never forget it.

We’ll never forget you.

Sending you and your family much love and very best wishes at this time.

Roger French