Empress Coaches & Carriage Masters

07/09/2026

Our latest livery has just been applied to our 22 seat Mercedes Benz Unvi, now ready for you to hire for your autumn booking! 🍂

🍁

22/08/2026

Our most local and shortest distance contract booking!

Back in the 1990’s we were operating a regular Friday early afternoon contract, collecting workers from the Sussman shirt factory in Parker Road, to drop them off in Hastings Town Centre.

Sussman’s were a large local employer on this site from the 1950’s up until the 1990’s.

Part of their business was manufacturing shirts for Marks & Spencer for their St Micheal brand.

At their height of production, Sussman was said to employ around 900 people….

14/08/2026

Planning on coming to Hop Fest but fancy a drink without the worry of driving?

Steve Empress Coaches & Carriage Masters has you covered (providing you’re heading to Rye 😊)

All day, from midday, Empress will be toing and froing back and forth to Rye train station.

And best of all, it’s entirely free, included in your Hop Fest ticket 🔥

Early bird tickets are only £6 until 31st August, available to buy here https://shop.beyonk.com/lg8bqssr/experiences/68l776bw

📅Hop Fest - Saturday 19th September 2026

06/08/2026

We recently took local Brownies up to Blackland Farm to enjoy the summer Olave camp taking place!

A great chance for a photo opportunity 😁

03/07/2026

29/06/2026

Looking back at last week’s exceptionally hot weather, reminded us like many, of the hot summer of 1976.

That particular year, Empress enjoyed the benefits of an endlessly glorious summer for day trips, evening drives and private hire bookings too.

Empress’s owner at the time, Tony Patten, was at Breeds Place coach stand with our 1973 41 seat Bedford SB Duple selling excursions. (Something you don’t see today!)

Who else remembers that hot summer?

18/06/2026

We recently visited Kilndown and stopped at the delightful Christ Church in the heart of the village. Built in 1841, it is considered to be one of the finest early Victorian churches in the country. Our modern 22 seat coach is seen outside ⛪️

08/06/2026

A super day out for Motorcycle enthusiasts at the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum in the New Forest!

What an amazing collection, spanning decades of many different motorcycles.

If you have a group looking for a day out, why not give us a call to discuss ideas.

Let us take care of the travel and you enjoy the day 😁

01/05/2026

Thank you Debbie Goodsell Funeral Celebrant for capturing our Rolls Royce hearse and Mercedes limousine entering Eastbourne Crematorium, being paged in by Catherine from Arthur C Towner.

It was a privilege to drive our Rolls Royce for a very well loved and respected lady on her final journey.

Thank you Catherine and Debbie for everything you do, supporting families during a difficult time.

16/04/2026

What’s in a number! ☎️

On this day in 1995 the UK telephone exchange and area codes were overhauled overnight to create more capacity in its system, as it was running out of available numbers.

Reflecting on our local telephone number, we have only had just two in 97 years! In 1929 we started out with 162, which was in use until the early 1970’s. From 1971 we gained a second line 621 which with changes to the exchange became 430621.

Take a look at the Hastings dialling codes on some of our coaches over the years to see the changes.