A century-old Isle of Wight coach company has been bought by a mainland firm.

Xelabus based in Eastleigh, Hampshire, has acquired the company trading assets of Seaview Services, of Sandown. 

Seaview Services has been trading for over 100 years and the family-owned coach firm decided to sell the company with a view to its well known name continuing on the Island.

Managing director of Xelabus (part of Xelagroup) Gareth Blair said: “This acquisition provides Xelabus with a platform for further growth in the private hire, coach tours and corporate markets, as well as strengthening its network in Hampshire.

"We have been looking at a coaching division for some while and as we already operate a large number of school and college contracts we regularly receive requests for coach hire for longer distance.” 

While the company will continue to trade as Seaview Services, it will form part of the new Xelacoach brand. 

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New branding has been applied to the coach fleet with new company logo.

Two additional Euro 6 PSVAR coaches have already been obtained for Seaview Services through Mistral Bus and Coach.

What is the history of Seaview Services?

The company began businesss in 1922, when Seaview businessman Richard Newell, owner of Seafield Garage, introduced a bus service between Seaview and Ryde using a converted wartime ambulance.

At the time the service ran under the name of Newell's Express Motor Service, but the company was later to become known as Seaview Services.

Towards the end of the decade, fierce competition on the route made it necessary for Newell to increase and update his fleet of vehicles and also expand his operations to include excursions from the village to various locations around the Isle of Wight.

In 1979, the Robinson family took over Seaview Services and have been running the business ever since.