Names on the buses

815 Sir Samuel Brown
405 Sir Samuel Brown

Connections with Brighton and Hove : The first pleasure pier in Britain was at Brighton and was designed by Sir Samuel Brown. He had retired after a fine career in the Navy and was a specialist both in naval architecture and marine engineering. Brown, usually known as Captain Brown, who was a pioneer in the use of cables, had already built the Union Bridge across the Tweed and designed the ironwork for Hammersmith Bridge in London. He used help from Thomas Telford in the Chain Pier and Telford in turn used Brown’s expertise in the Menai Straits Bridge in Wales. Opening in 1823, the Chain Pier was an immediate hit with the public who liked walking over water without getting their feet wet. Ten years later it was badly damaged in an electrical storm and the people of Brighton were so upset that they raised money to repair it. Three years after that, it was damaged by a hurricane and was again repaired. Brown designed it as a suspension pier using chains. People used to promenade on it but its prime purpose was for boats to disgorge or pick up passengers. The pier survived until 1896 when it was destroyed in a third, highly celebrated storm.

815 Dennis Trident - carried name since delivery in May 1999, originally named Samuel Brown, Sir added February 2001, originally on METRO Line 1 then repainted into normal red livery from March 2002, repainted into new livery April 2005. April 2011 name transferred to 405 Volvo Gemini.