Drivers pay tribute to Joyce with one final bus trip

First Manchester bus and drivers get ready for funeral procession on street where Joyce Sutherland lived

The family of a First Manchester customer from Springhead who travelled on its buses for 21 years after her husband passed away has thanked the company for a “beautiful gift of respect” in helping celebrate her life.

Joyce Sutherland, who was 78, was a regular passenger on the 84 and 184 services between Manchester, Uppermill and Huddersfield and well-known to many of the bus drivers.

When drivers at the Oldham depot heard that Joyce had died, they arranged for a bus with the message ‘Joyce’s farewell journey’ to be shown on the destination screen and let the family know.

They were so touched by the gesture the family decided the bus should join the funeral cortege directly behind Joyce and travelled the whole route.

Speaking for the family, Joyce’s son James Sutherland said: “Many thanks to First and the bus drivers who led my mother’s funeral procession from her home through Uppermill, Diggle and to Oldham.

"Your beautiful gift of respect and affection will never be forgotten.”

Another son, Alec, added: "The reason why we wanted the bus right behind Mum in the procession was because the buses were her freedom.”

Driver Julie Slattery, who helped to arrange the tribute, said: “A lot of drivers have fond memories of conversations with Joyce at the terminus as she often did a round trip to keep busy.

"This was our way of showing our respects to Joyce and giving her, in a way, one final bus trip.”

She added that the drivers had also written their own recollections of Joyce in a memory book.

“We felt the family would benefit from hearing how much we all enjoyed speaking to Joyce about her past and home life,” said Julie. 

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