A bus driver celebrating his 20th anniversary with Reading Buses is following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great grandfather spanning approximately a century of service in bus driving.
And by coincidence Mark Austin’s daily rota is to Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge secondary school in Sonning Common which he also attended.
Mark, 50, who lives in Sonning Common with his wife and daughter, said his father Geoffrey and his grandfather, also Geoffrey, as well as his great grandfather, all drove for Thames Valley, now part of the Reading Buses family, going back to the 1920s.
And not surprisingly Mark would strongly recommend a career in bus driving, “I would certainly say that the challenge of getting your full bus licence and the satisfaction that comes with the job itself should attract young people and I would encourage more to join,” said Mark.
“Bus driving, which I know is in my blood, is enjoyable. I like being out and about, I also like the driving itself and I get a lot of pleasure out of the job which provides good money.
“It’s also my mobile office,” he added, “meaning no two days are the same.”
And Mark’s hobby is also – driving. He not only restores classic cars and motorcycles, but also enjoys driving them.
Caroline Anscombe, Reading Buses HR Director, said: “Mark really does represent a family legacy within Reading Buses and it’s great to celebrate his 20-year service with him.
“He is a true testament that driving buses can be a job for life, and is a career that has always been needed, even 100 years ago.”