LOCHGELLY man Raymond Dziennik, by pure chance, was given the honour of driving the last bus to the Cowdenbeath Depot before it closed.

Raymond found it a moving moment last Monday morning when he drove into the Broad Street garage at 00.51am and realised this would be the last time a bus would come into the depot.

The Page Street bus driver said, “I did not realise that I would be the last person to drive a bus into the Cowdenbeath depot until one of my colleagues changed shifts.

“I started my Edinburgh Airport run at 5pm and really never thought much about it, picking up people at Halbeath and Inverkeithing Park and Rides and then a few other stops and then returning from the airport.

“But as I came back along Broad Street at the back of midnight it really struck me that mine would be the last bus to return to the Cowdenbeath Bus Garage after a century.

“I must say I was a little sad when I thought of the history of it in the town.” Although he admits it was pure coincidence that he got the honour it was perhaps fitting that he did so having worked in the local bus service for 37 years.

“I started at the Lochgelly Alexanders bus garage in Auchterderran Road and worked there until it closed before being transferred to the Cowdenbeath depot and I suppose apart from Joe Stenhouse, from Hill of Beath, I wasxs the longest serving at Broad Street,” he added.

“It was a real honour to get the chance to drive the last bus into the Cowdenbeath garage and one I will remember.” Raymond (63) is now operating out of the Stagecoach’s Dunfermline St Leonard’s Street garage and is still on the airport run which he really enjoys, “You get the chance to meet people looking forward to their holidays and on the return journey folk who are coming home after having a great time.

“It is one of the most enjoyable runs I have ever had,” added Raymond, who recalled that the mystery tours and Blackpool runs, out of the Lochgelly garage, as equally good fun.