Bus Related Outings and Reviews
Bus Related Outings and Reviews
On Sunday 22 May I visited Scarborough Bus Fest. This was the event’s maiden year and it was really enjoyable. I travelled down by train, catching the 09.35 Birmingham service from Newcastle Central. This was a good journey without any problems and we arrived at York on time. I was scheduled to have a few minutes in York before catching the Scarborough train which was coming from Liverpool. This train was delayed by 14 minutes so I decided to get some photos of First Bus and Transdev vehicles outside the station. It had been a few years since I had last been in York and I made the most of my time to get some spotting in. I was surprised to see owner operator Robson (Coach 42) of Bedlington with his single Iveco going past the station.
I boarded my Scarborough connection after a last minute platform change and soon we were on our way. I had last been to Scarborough as a teenager with my parents. I was excited to see how it had changed over the years. I spent most of the journey looking out the window at the lush agricultural land. Castle Howard one of the North’s largest stately homes is near to the route. In next to no time we were approaching Scarborough. We passed the garage of Shoreline Suncruisers on the approach to the station and there were plenty of deckers in their yard. We also passed the East Yorkshire Motor Services (EYMS) depot which is right next to the railway station.
On leaving the train, I made my way round to the EYMS depot. There were about 20 vehicles in the yard and I was able to spot and photograph most of these with ease. I had not spotted any EYMS vehicles before so this was a real treat. Next I walked to what I remembered being the bus station. However I was greeted with the sight of car park with the former buildings demolished. What I shame, I recall United Bristol LHs and VRTs operating from here when I was about 15.
It being a nice morning I decided to take a slow walk to the rally site near Peasholm Park This took me about 20 minutes at an ambling pace since I wished to clear my head after the train journey. I found the rally easily enough, the park being well signposted. The organisers had chosen a good location, it was held in the car park of the local leisure pool, which had it’s facilities open to rally goers. The adjacent park was popular with local and tourists. It benefited from plenty of swings etc for children. Nearby was a miniature steam railway which was open for trade. The seafront was only 5 minutes walk away.
The control bus, which was an EYMS vehicle was at the entrance to the rally. The bus and adjacent sales stand were well manned by West Riding Bus Group (WRBG) members. They were clearly identifiable wearing hi-viz. WRBG members were also among the vehicles on display as well. Here they co-ordinated vehicle movements and dealt with enquiries from visitors. I felt this was a well organised system as you knew where to go and who to speak to if you had a problem or query. Members of the WRBG were also promoting the rally programme.
The programme cost £3.00 and was printed on glossy paper. This was a really useful well presented guide. It shared roughly the same format as the 500 Group’s recent running day programme. It had pictures and descriptions of the vehicles attending. It also gave general information about the rally and a service timetable. The timetable showed which vehicles were scheduled to operate each service. A useful idea was also to show which vehicles were DDA compliant. This allowed families with buggies to plan their day. Any profits from programme sales were to be given to the local RNLI who had a stall present.
There were approximately 20-25 vehicles at the event. Not all vehicles listed in the programme were present, but there were also some surprises. United were well represented along with a good contingent of vehicles from Humberside and buses with Plaxton bodywork. Scarborough was the former home of Plaxton’s works. I made a good tour of the site and photographed the vehicles present. I then took my first bus ride which was a former United Olympian. It was about 13.00 so I travelled back into the town centre. Here I got some lunch, explored the shopping streets and visited the beach. I then walked back upto the town centre and did a bit spotting near the railway station. As well as EYMS vehicles, I also spotted Transdev and Arriva deckers.
The rally organisers had use of a centrally placed bus stop in the town centre. This was opposite the Wetherspoons (Lord Roseberry). The stop was clearly labelled with rally details and a timetable. From here I caught a preserved Bristol LH. The driver stopped near the sea front and asked any of the children on the bus if they wanted their photos taken in the driver’s seat. I thought this was a nice touch and a good way of getting families involved.
Next we had a great journey along the busy seafront. The beach was very popular with holiday makers. Unfortunately traffic was a bit bad at times, the donkeys seemed to be moving faster! I spotted EYMS and Shoreline open toppers plying their trade along the way. The weather was glorious as we made our way to the rally site. The full circular route was scheduled to take about 40 minutes.
Back at the rally, a good crowd turned had out. There were plenty of enthusiasts present but more importantly locals and tourists having a look round. It had a real family atmosphere as pensioners from the nearby miners’ home reminisced whilst young kids played in the sun. At one point enthusiasts seemed to be outnumbered by mums with pushchairs. This is how a rally should be, an event for all the community to visit and enjoy.
I got some more photos and had a look around the stalls. There was a good turn out of traders selling books, photos, old timetables and model buses. There were also food and drink stalls. I bought some good bargain books of North East bus operators dating from the 1960s. I then queued for more bus rides. Most popular vehicle of day was Keith Andrews’s open topper Bristol VRT. It ended up doing extra unscheduled journeys to keep up with demand. Mums and kids seemed to love this VRT and it was exhilarating thrashing along the seafront. The WRBG volunteers were doing a great job keeping everyone informed of the extra journeys. My favourite vehicle was a 1952 Austin in the livery of former Darlington operator Scotts Greys.
Time was getting on so I caught a Plaxton Derwent bodied Leopard back into town alighting opposite Wetherspoons. I did a bit of spotting and got some photos before catching the 15.53 Trans Pennine service back to York. At York I got some more photos outside the station. I also spotted one of Jim Hughes Mercedes coaches. My final train was the 17:25 Cross-Country service which was going to Edinburgh Waverley. I was lucky to get a good window seat. We arrived back in Newcastle on time, tired but happy.
It had been a brilliant day out, even the delayed train was a positive as it allowed me to do some spotting in York. The rally was really interesting and well organised. There was a good turn out of vehicles present and lots of interest from within the local community. The vintage bus service was well planned and followed a lovely scenic route. The rally site is probably big enough to accommodate 30-40 buses so there is scope for expansion in the future.
I will definitely visit this rally if it’s held again next year. Well done WRBG.
Finally on a personal note the 22nd May was my first birthday as a born again bus enthusiast. I took up the hobby after many years break on 22 May 2015. My first trip on that date was to Alnwick where I looked around Rothbury Motors’ yard and took a trip on Spirit Buses.
Hope you enjoyed the review.
Charles
