Names on the buses

902 Fanny Burney

Connections with Brighton and Hove : One of the earliest British woman novelists was Fanny Burney who stayed in Brighton frequently when she was a young woman. Born in 1752, she published her first novel, Evelina, anonymously in 1778. When it was revealed that she had written it, Fanny achieved almost overnight fame because the book had such a strong story and was so amusing. Four years later she produced Cecilia and in 1796 her last major novel, Camilla was produced although she did also pen The Wanderer in 1814. The three main stories are about a young and beautiful girl who finds problems in the world because she is gullible. They were much admired by Fanny’s contemporary Jane Austen but are not much read today. Fanny, who died in 1840, was known as a novelist during her long life but her reputation now also hangs on journals and letters. These were published after her death and show her talents, both as an observer and as a writer of character sketches. In 1779, she stayed in Brighton with her friends, Henry and Hester Thrale, who had a house in West Street. The site is marked with a blue plaque. Fanny was pointed out everywhere that year as the author of Evelina and she recorded some waspish observations on the Brighton scene in her diaries. She also recorded her pleasure in going into the sea, an activity made fashionable only a few years earlier.

902 Scania Omnidekka - carried name since delivery in September 2006 in Metro 25 livery. Rebranded to Coaster 12 livery in August 2008. Repainted into revised Coaster livery July 2011. Coaster branding removed November 2014. Bus sold in February 2020.