24 Aug 2026
Harpenden schoolchildren have named the town’s new Hopper bus, with ‘Hetty Hopper’ set to join existing vehicle Harold as part of the service from this summer.
Harpenden Town Council and the Harpenden Hopper invited youngsters to submit names for the bus together with a creative design for a Hopper poster, and Aryan, Luke, James and Rory all suggested the winning name.
Harpenden Hopper chairman Andy Buchanan said: “We were overwhelmed by the bright, colourful drawings and imaginative name suggestions submitted by local children. Some of the entries really made us laugh, including Hopa Fett, Technoblade and Harry the Hare.
“Others perfectly reflected the Hopper’s community spirit, with names such as Friend, Hero and Happy. The most imaginative suggestion was Harpenden Piggy Hop Chop Hopper as suggested by Tony, but the winning name – chosen independently by the four children – is Hetty!
“The Harpenden Hopper team would like to thank every child who took part in the competition. The fantastic response made choosing a winning name incredibly difficult, and the creativity shown in both the artwork and name suggestions was a delight to see.”
Posters showing the competition entries are now on display and can be viewed at Harpenden Library, the Harpenden Building Society and in the Hopper buses.
Harpenden Town Mayor Cllr Kirsti Wenn added: “Thank you to all the incredible young artists who entered the Harpenden Hopper competition, it was a pleasure to see the wonderful artwork and ideas for a name for the new bus.
“The Harpenden Hopper plays a vital role in our community and the Town Council is delighted to have bought the new bus and continues to support this fantastic charity. This service provides essential support to people in our community and we are so grateful to their team of drivers. I’d really like to encourage residents to use the Harpenden Hopper it’s a great way to travel around Harpenden, access essential services, attend social activities, and meet friends and family.”
