By Isle of Wight Observer
Former soldier, and the IW Council’s Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Ian Dore, has managed to track down a mystery bus driver who paid a touching tribute on Armistice Day.
Cllr Dore was just about to read the Exhortation at the War Memorial in Binstead, when he noticed that, although most traffic was moving as usual, a bus had pulled in and turned its engine off. The driver got out and moved to the rear of the vehicle and bowed his head, as he and all his passengers observed the two minutes silence. But what really impressed Cllr Dore was that the driver had changed the number 9 at the front of the bus to 11.11. He said: “At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, we will remember them. This may have been a small gesture, but I put a thank you up on social media to show it was appreciated. Almost 3,000 people agreed with me, and it helped me track him down. On Tuesday, I waited for the bus to shake his hand.
“It turns out he has an incredible back story, and his grandad was in the First World War. Moreover, his kids had paraded with St John’s Ambulance, in Newport on Sunday. We chatted briefly and, just like that, he was on his way.
“To quote The Simpsons, ‘Hail to the bus driver’. Who in this instance was Chris Hadgraft.”
