How it started
History
In the run-up to deregulation, London Country Bus Services was broken into four smaller companies on 7 September 1986. The South West division contained 415 buses.
On 19 February 1988, LCSW was sold to the Drawlane Group. Drawlane originally intended each of its companies to be independent, but during 1988 and attempt was made to have a uniform identity, and some buses were painted into corporate livery, this however only lasted a matter of some months and it was decided a more 'hands off' approach lead to stronger local appeal to travellers. In 1989 the company began to trade as London & Country, a new two-tone green and red livery which had been used on some buses in 1988 was applied, although slightly differing from the original one with the red line located slightly below the dark green waist band instead of above it and with the new London & Country identity.
Garages in 1989 were at Crawley, Dorking, Guildford, Leatherhead, Staines, Reigate, Addlestone, Chelsham and Godstone, as well as an outstation of Crawley at Broadbridge Heath and the head office in the former LCBS building behind the garage in Lesbourne Road, Reigate.
The company already had some London Regional Transport tenders and it was decided that a policy of gaining as many as possible was advantageous as many garages were close to London. Many being operated by second hand vehicles bought in cheaply, which London Regional Transport had agreed.
During 1989, London Regional Transport had decided that many problems caused by older buses being acceptable for tender was incorrect and required many new contracts to have new buses. The first ordered by London & Country were a batch of Dennis Dominators purchased for route 131, later followed by thirteen 88-seater East Lancs bodied Volvo Citybuses, entered service at Addlestone garage in September 1989, displacing Leyland Atlanteans on route 110.
From Wikipedia’s article on London Country South West, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2