Names on the buses

787 Jim the Fish

Connections with Brighton and Hove : 1949 - 2025
James Francis Smith, Jim dedicated his life to the guardianship of the River Ouse in East Sussex. He was born in Brighton and raised in Uckfield and Isfield. His connection to the river started at age ten, when he would fish from the River Uck with his homemade rod. He was soon 'hooked for life', and by 19 he was walking the banks of the Ouse regularly - a practice he maintained for over five decades. After leaving school at 14, he worked as a garden boy on Lord Neville's estate in Uckfield before joining the East Sussex River Board. During his time here, he worked on the Lewes Flood Defences, and by the 1960s he was asked to take on the role of Head Bailiff for the Ouse Angling Preservation Society. Jim served for 55 years, overseeing fishing permits, monitoring pollution, and coordinating volunteers. He also contributed to a hatchery programme restocking sea trout in the Ouse, Adur, and Arun rivers. Jim was devoted to his calling, and even after the closure of Barcombe reservoir fishery, he continued his duties voluntarily. He was a trustee of the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust and wrote regularly for environmental publications. He appeared in media features, including ITV's Tales of the River Man and The Guardian. Jim was also active in the parish council and Cliffe Bonfire Society. With a life spent living close to nature and the river, Jim knew the riverbanks and all the life that flowed through them. He was an environmental champion, highlighting the real and immediate need to protect the health of the river. Jim remained deeply concerned about the environmental pressures facing the Ouse, which included increasing demands from new housing developments, pollution and climate change. Despite declining health in later years, he continued to walk the riverbanks, observing wildlife and advocating for conservation. A lifetime dedicated to environmental stewardship.

787 ADL Enviro400 - carried name since December 2025.