(04 Aug 2016, 6:26 pm)Adrian wrote Tom, to be fair, you never bother going to them anyway. 


Michael, I'd suggest its more down to the way the events are organised, rather than what turns up. NEBPT tend to rely on a few local groups to turn out at each event, and in turn bolster their numbers at the rallies. Specifically Tyneside Heritage Vehicles, County Durham Bus Preservation Group, the Northern National Restoration Group and the 500 Group. 

THV and CDBPG sent one vehicle each to Durham, and I don't think either bothered with Whitley Bay, which made the rallies look bare. NEBPT have enough of their own preserved vehicles to bring along, but even their own numbers have been scarse this year.

Elsewhere in the UK, rallies seem to get guests turn up from all over. Aside from the odd few at the Metrocentre, that simply doesn't happen here. Lothian have plenty of preserved buses just north of the border, and I can only remember one occasion when they've sent a bus. I find that puzzling, unless non-NE groups simply don't want to take part in our events?

Without taking this to far off-topic, I have to agree about the poor turn outs this year and lack of guest buses at our rallies. I thought that even the MetroCentre Rally was poor in comparison to last year.

I hope Seaburn has a decent turnout of vehicles again this year like it did last year but based on the season so far, I have concerns that it may not be especially after some of the stuff that's occurred, especially in regards to modern buses being in attendance.