I hope this won`t be considered an inappropriate posting but I know there are many of you who regularly visit here and would want to know of, and be saddened by, the death yesterday of my Mortlake colleague Neil Townsend.

Neil always said that his time at Mortlake was the happiest of his life. So many friendships were not only made through our Showbus RM 1563 but lasted the years beyond to include, I`m sure, people who will read this.

Neil`s final painful months were, I know, made a little easier by revisiting those golden Mortlake years in bedside conversations with myself and Paul Almeroth thus reuniting the three of us from those very happy times which appear to have found a little place in Routemaster history. Neil was immensely proud that Mortlake is still so fondly remembered
and I can`t help wondering if he deliberately hung on to peacefully slip away exactly on the thirtieth anniversary of RM 1563 taking to the road in it`s 1960`s Showbus guise.

I`m actually writing this whilst on holiday in New Zealand where I`ve taken lots of pictures of one of our former Mortlake vehicles, RM 1670, which looks fantastic after a full refurbishment. I was so looking forward to showing these to Neil. He would have been so pleased that `one of ours` again looks like it did when we knew it.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be decided but it`s probably best if ongoing comments and questions go to my email rather than to this site.

Neil will be sadly missed by myself and many others. I have so many fond memories of Neil and Mortlake Garage, the place he loved so much. I remember the day I met Neil & Neil G like it was yesterday, it was Saturday 14th June 1980. I guess I must have looked like a bus enthusiast as when I got of off RM 1338 after travailing on it from Aldgate I was in invited to have a look round Mortlake by Neil G who was just starting work and also was on RM 1338. I jumped at the chance to, I was only 13 & felt very honoured. On going inside I met Neil Townsend, he was working on a RM. I made regular trips to "M" on my red bus rover over the next few months & became good friends with both Neil's. Seeing Neil fixing RM's made want to do that job when "I grow up" Neil always had time for me I was always asking him questions about how RM's work and what things did & he always took the time to explain it all to me. On leaving school I did go on to work for London Transport as a trainee mechanic and did indeed work on RM's & loved every minute of it.
Those of us that are lucky enough to remember Mortlake Garage will no doubt remember how immaculate there RM's were, chrome headlight & wheel rims, shiny paintwork, well this was down to the devotion that both the Neil's put in to it, and this raised staff morale.
RIP dear friend.

I knew neil very well and he loved his RM1563 It is a sad day.

It is indeed very sad to hear that Neil has passed away.

My bus number (if any): RM737

I am really saddened to have come home from a holiday and read of the passing of Neil Townsend.
I knew him well for several years when he was at Mortlake and at Stamford Brook.

I first met both Neil T and Neil G as a student. With a brief to design packaging for the Dinky Routemaster, I wandered into Mortlake bus garage to ask if I could photograph a smart Routemaster from all sides.

The two Neils moved heaven and earth to rearrange the garage to enable me to photograph RM1563 from an accurate perspective.

Black and white and on a very basic SLR, I still have those slightly underexposed negatives!

I was thus invited on a run to Cobham, then Brighton and a few other trips. I brought friends and we all had some great days out. My friends moved on but both Neils had passed on the bus bug and I have been tinkering around with RMs ever since and taking the odd photograph or two as well.

Having a cup of tea in the mess room both at M and V with Neil was always a welcome break from my career path. He always had an insight into the ways of LT (It was not all good, even then)

I met Neil just a few times after he quit LT but often saw his pristine blue Land Rover about in Chiswick.

I had heard that RM1563 was coming out of retirement and was really looking forward to finally meeting Neil again with his pride and joy.

A terrific guy who was truly dedicated to bus enthusiasm and far too modest about his contribution to the pleasure and inspiration to later fans of the Routemaster.

So sorry to hear he is no longer with us, but won't be forgotten, but will be missed.

I now have the details of the March 4th funeral arrangements for Neil Townsend. Please email me direct for these.

I am a colleague of Neil's from his last job. He was a fabulous man and will be greatly missed. Hope to see you at the funeral.

Sorry to hear of Neils passing away. As a Mortlake Routemaster bus owner it would have been nice for us to meet to discuss a common interest. Please pass on my thoughts to his family.

My bus number (if any): RM1403