Classic British Isles Buses Website

Past events diary (by Shane Conway)

Last updated 25 September 2024

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This page lists PAST events, rallies, museum open days and running days of interest to the classic bus enthusiast for 2023 and 2024, going back one year from the date of publishing this page. This is to give an approximate guide to events which MAY happen in 2025, but have not yet been advised to me. The county or district is shown at the end of each entry, by request of some visitors who find it easier to scan the list and see immediately what's happening in their particular area.

Please note that I cannot guarantee that any event listed below will actually take place - merely that it may be intended to. I also don't guarantee the accuracy of the information, but I do my best....

Please send details of any suitable event that you know about, and I will list it. Please include a postcode if possible (for static events).

The livery on this page is a tribute to Surrey Motors. Aaaah - sadly missed.....

Events Diary 2023

===============

SEPTEMBER

• 30 Sept: Quorn & Woodhouse Bus & Train Spectacular, Great Central station Quorn & Woodhouse yard. Great Central Railway in conjunction with the Leicester Transport Heritage Trust. Leicestershire.
• 30 Sept: Tinkers Park Open Day, Hadlow Down, Uckfield, TN22 4HS East Sussex.

OCTOBER

• 1 Oct: Autumn Running Day + Rear Engine Day. 65 years of the Leyland Atlantean. The Transport Museum, Wythall, West Midlands.
• 1 Oct: Wirral Transport Running Day, Taylor Street Transport Museum, Birkenhead CH41 1BG, 1000-1600. Displays, cars, military, stalls, refreshments, tram and bus trips to local sites etc. Email John Nolan or phone 0151-639-4929. Merseyside.
• 1 Oct: Chesham Running Day, c/o Amersham & District Motorbus Society. Chesham Broadway, Bucks.
• 8 Oct: Routes to Remember, bus running day Swansea Bus Museum. South Wales.
• 8 Oct (provisional): Bus Rally, Canvey Island Transport Museum, Essex.
• 14-15 Oct: Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust Bridgeton Bus Depot Open Weekend. Glasgow.
• 15 Oct: Isle of Axholme Running Day, The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, near Doncaster. Lincolnshire.
• 15 Oct: Model Trams, Crich Tramway Village, Derbyshire.
• 22 Oct: TransportFest 2023, London Bus Museum, Brooklands, Surrey.
• 23-27 Oct: Weekday openings, The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, near Doncaster. Lincolnshire.
• 28 Oct: Twilight Running Day, Cardiff Transport Preservation Group, Barry Bus Depot, South Wales.
• 28 Oct: Annual Samuel Ledgard Society Transport Collectors' Fair, Pudsey Civic Hall, near Leeds 1000-1500. Details from Barry Rennison 0113-236-3695 or email.
• 29 Oct: End of Season Twilight Running Day, The Transport Museum, Wythall, W.Midlands.
• 29 Oct: Nightryder event in Ryde, Isle of Wight.
• 30 Oct - 3 Nov: Half Term Autumn Fun Week, Crich Tramway Village, Derbyshire.

NOVEMBER

• 5 Nov: Chalk Farm garage running day. RMs, RTs and other vehicles operating on part of routes 24, 29, 31, 68, 74 and 139. Details are here. North London.
• 11 Nov: Bristol Vintage Bus Group Twilight run with assembly at the Flowers Hill site from 1900, and the convoy will set off at 1930.
• 12 Nov: Open Day at South Yorkshire Transport Museum, Aldwarke premises, Rotherham, Yorks.
• 19 Nov: Finchley running day. RMs, RTs and other classic London buses running on part of routes 13, 125, 134, 221 and 263. Details at this link. North London
• 25 Nov: ** NEW ** 8th Annual Northampton Collectors Fair at Roade Village Hall, Bailey Brooks Lane, Roade, NN7 2LS. Free bus provided by Northampton Transport Heritage from Northampton. £2.50 adult - children Free. Open 1000 - 1500 hrs. Lots of free parking. Refreshments available.

DECEMBER

• 2 Dec: Museum Open Day, Aycliffe and District Bus Preservation Society, Newton Aycliffe, Co.Durham.
• 2 Dec: Ensignbus Christmas Heritage Bus Running Day. Essex and Kent.
  
• 2-3 Dec: "Ride the Lights" Christmas Weekend, East Anglia Transport Museum, near Lowestoft, Suffolk.
• 9-10 Dec: "Ride the Lights" Christmas Weekend, East Anglia Transport Museum, near Lowestoft, Suffolk.
• 16-17 Dec: "Ride the Lights" Christmas Weekend, East Anglia Transport Museum, near Lowestoft, Suffolk.
• 17 Dec: Oxford Bus Museum Father Christmas visits. Oxford.
• 17 Dec: Re-creation of London route 227 (Bromley to Penge or Crystal Palace) with five RFs plus guest buses. Also RT and RM running part of Route 94 (Bromley to Petts Wood) and a couple of coach RFs running a segment of Green Line 725. London.
• 25 Dec: Christmas Day free bus service, on a 30 minute frequency. Vintage Bus Hire RTs on London route 430, Roehampton to Putney Bridge Station, starting at 0930. London.
• 25 Dec: Christmas Day service X51 by Black Prince, Morley to Leeds Hospital. West Yorkshire.

Events Diary 2024

JANUARY

• 1 Jan: King Alfred Mini-Running Day. Based on Winchester Broadway with a selection of King Alfred vehicles operating free vintage bus services approx 0930 to 1630. Hampshire.
• 1 Jan: Chester and Wrexham charity heritage bus running day. Large selection of vehicles running on free service 1H. Cheshire.
• 1 Jan: Route 376 Bristol to Wells and route 77 - Wells to Street running day. If you are interested in taking part drop us a line by email. The 376 runs into the clean air zone so check your vehicle is exempt or you'll have to pay the £100 charge. If you'd like to bring a newer vehicle then the 77 is for you. Bristol.
• 1 Jan: Oxford Bus Museum bus running day. Oxford.
• 1 Jan: New Years Day service 87 by Black Prince, Morley to White Rose Centre. West Yorkshire.
• 1 Jan: Happy New Year! East Anglia Transport Museum Open Day with free bus service to Lowestoft. Suffolk.
• 1 Jan: "Ale & Ride", The Provincial Society and CAMRA running free vintage buses on Route 24 (Gosport-Lee-Stubbington-Titchfield-Fareham) so that you can experience fine ales and excellent food en route. Hants.
• 6 Jan: The Omnibus Society, Scottish branch meeting in Edinburgh.
• 13 Jan: Leicester Transport Heritage Trust meeting at Braunstone Civic Centre (topic is 40 years of Midland Fox). Leicestershire.
• 13 Jan: The Omnibus Society, Eastern and Southern branch meeting in Chelmsford. Essex
• 14 Jan: January Sale Day Nottingham Heritage Vehicles Charity. Heritage Bus Depot, Portland Road, Hucknall. Nottinghamshire.
• 16 Jan: The Omnibus Society, South Wales and West branch meeting (online zoom meeting).
• 17 Jan: The Omnibus Society, Herts and Beds branch meeting in Luton.
• 20 Jan: The Omnibus Society, Midland branch meeting in Birmingham.
• 20 Jan: The Omnibus Society, Northern branch meeting in Stockton-on-Tees.
• 20 Jan: The Omnibus Society, London branch, presidential address meeting in London EC1.
• 27 Jan: The Omnibus Society, North Western and Yorkshire branch meeting in Sheffield.

FEBRUARY

• 3 Feb: The Omnibus Society, Scottish branch meeting and AGM.
• 10 Feb Oxford Bus Museum half term event - free heritage bus trips at 12:15 and 14:15. Oxford.
• 10 Feb: Leicester Transport Heritage Trust meeting at Braunstone Civic Centre (topic is annual transport review). Leicestershire.
• 10 Feb: The Omnibus Society, Eastern and Southern branch meeting in Chelmsford. Essex
• 14 Feb Oxford Bus Museum half term event - free heritage bus trips at 12:15, 13:00 and 14:15. Oxford.
• 17 Feb: The Omnibus Society, Midland Branch meeting and AGM, Birmingham.
  
• 23-24 Feb: 2nd Wellingborough transport fair, 10:30 to 16:00. Photos, slides, books and general transport ephemera. Free entry. Debit and credit cards accepted. Light refreshments available and free local parking. To be held at Wellingborough museum, Castle Way, Wellingborough NN8 1XB. Follow the 794 Preservation Group on Facebook @GRP794L. Northamptonshire.
• 17 Feb: Maidstone Vintage Toy Fair, Lockmeadow car park, Baker Street, Maidstone, Kent.
• 17 Feb: Open day and free bus trips Nottingham Heritage Vehicles Charity. Heritage Bus Depot, Portland Road, Hucknall. Nottinghamshire.
• 17 Feb: The Omnibus Society, Midland Branch meeting and AGM, Birmingham.
• 24 Feb: Auction of London's Transport Collectables and Railwayana.
• 21 Feb: The Omnibus Society, Herts and Beds Group AGM in Luton. Bedfordshire
• 22 Feb: The Omnibus Society, South Wales and West branch meeting (online zoom meeting).
• 24 Feb: The Omnibus Society, Northern branch meeting in Durham.
• 24 Feb: The Omnibus Society, North Western and Yorkshire branch meeting in Lytham. Lancashire
• 25 Feb: Morris Minor display at Greater Manchester Museum of Transport from 10.00 to 15.00. Manchester.
• 25 Feb: The Epping to Ongar railway have a winter bus event featuring London classic buses. Essex.
• 25 Feb: Gillingham Gathering, Commercial Transport in Preservation. Dorset.

MARCH

• 3 Mar: Spring Heritage Running Day, North West Museum of Road Transport, Hall St, St Helens. Stalls etc in the museum, free bus rides and bus link to Rainhill for model railway exhibition. Merseyside. WA10 1DU
  
• 9 Mar: Aldridge Transport Museum, Winter Running Day, 14:00 to 16:00. Free buses from Hatherton Road, Walsall. Aldridge, near Walsall WS9 8TP. West Midlands
• 16 Mar: Safeguard Coaches (of Guildford) centenary event at Guildford cathedral between 12:00 and 16:00. Free entry. Heritage and modern vehicle display, stalls, entertainment and heritage bus trips on the day.Surrey.
• 16 Mar: The Omnibus Society, Eastern and Southern branch meeting in Chelmsford. Essex.
• 17 Mar: 3rd Cotswolds Road Run in association with Troopers Lodge Motor Services - starting at Bourton on the Water 10.00. Open to all kinds of bus, coach or classic commercial. Entries via email please.Gloucestershire.
• 17 Mar: Northern National Restoration Group open day from 10:00 to 16:00 in Houghton-le-Spring, DH4 4ES. Co. Durham.
• 20 Mar: The Omnibus Society, Herts and Beds branch meeting in Luton. Bedfordshire
• 23 Mar: Midland bus kits 2nd model bus show from 10.00 to 15:00 at the Genesis Entertainment Centre, 32 - 46 King Street, Alfreton DE55 7DQ. Adults £3, concessions £2 under 16's FREE. Derbyshire.
• 23 Mar: Barking garage centenary event organised by Stagecoach London 11.00 to 16.00. Also free heritage buses operating on routes 62 and 145. East London.
• 23 Mar: The Omnibus Society, Midland branch meeting in Birmingham. West Midlands.
• 23 Mar: The Omnibus Society, Northern branch AGM and meeting in Newcastle. Tyne and Wear.
• 23 Mar: The Omnibus Society, North Western and Yorkshire branch AGM and meeting in Skipton. North Yorkshire.
• 24 Mar: Bus running day at Swansea Bus Museum. South Wales.
• 24 Mar: Storage Site Tours, Nottingham Heritage Vehicles Charity. Heritage Bus Depot, Portland Road, Hucknall. Nottinghamshire.
• 24 Mar: Two Ensignbus RT class buses (green 3232 and red 624), to run on route T15 from Piccadilly Circus to Tower Hill. London.
• 29 Mar -1 Apr: Blackpool tram and Easter Weekend with Family Treasure Hunt at East Anglia Transport Museum, near Lowestoft. Suffolk.
• 30 - 31 Mar: Cumbria Easter Rally, Kirkby Stephen. (Link available to Facebook members only or email for details.) Cumbria.
• 31 Mar: Oxford Bus Museum Easter event - free heritage bus trips at 12:15 and 14:15. Oxford.
• 31 Mar: Bristol owners gathering at Wythall transport museum.. Worcestershire.
• 31 Mar: Memories of the 1940s, Crich Tramway Village. Derbyshire.
• 31 Mar: Weston Park Motor Show, near Telford, Shropshire.

APRIL

• 1 Apr: Oxford Bus Museum Easter event - free heritage bus trips at 12:15 and 14:15. Oxford.
• 1 Apr: Bristol owners gathering at Wythall transport museum.. Worcestershire.
• 1 Apr: Memories of the 1940s, Crich Tramway Village. Derbyshire.
• 1 Apr: Weston Park Motor Show, near Telford, Shropshire.
• 1 Apr: Easter Egg Trail, Ipswich Transport Museum from 11.00 to 16.00. Suffolk.
• 6 Apr: South East Bus Festival and Heritage Transport Show at the Kent Showground, Maidstone, ME14 3JF. Kent
• 6 - 7 Apr: Wellingborough Bus Rally from 10.00 to 16.00. Based at Wellingborough Museum, Castle Way with buses on display and some running free services in the local area. Sales stalls and refreshments available in the museum. Information will be available on the NT Heritage website and Facebook page.
• 7 Apr: Bristol Vintage Bus Group Easter mini running day based at Flowers Hill, Brislington. Bristol.
• 7 Apr: Oxford Bus Museum Oxford and District Model Railway Club display with free heritage bus trips at 12:15 and 14:15. Oxford.
• 7 Apr: Classic buses in rural Hertfordshire, organised by the Amersham and District motor bus society. Hertfordshire.
• 7 Apr: Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum. Special Free Open Day, 10.00 to 1.600, with bus rides all day. Lincolnshire.
• 7 Apr: Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust Bridgeton Bus Depot Open Sunday. Glasgow.
• 13 Apr: Maidstone Vintage Toy Fair, Lockmeadow car park, Baker Street, Maidstone, Kent.
• 13 Apr: Leicester Transport Heritage Trust meeting at Braunstone Civic Centre (topic is buses in the West Country). Leicestershire.
• 13 Apr: Delaine Bus Museum Open Day 1200-1600, Admisson £2.50, includes heritage bus ride. Bourne, Lincolnshire.
• 13 Apr: at Pudsey Civic Hall, Dawsons Corner, Pudsey near Leeds, LS28 5TA. Open 10.00 to 15.00, admission £3. For enquiries email Barry, or phone 0113 236 3695. West Yorkshire.
• 13 Apr: "Beer & Buses", Merseyside Transport Trust. Three routes (with at least six buses) radiating from the depot at Burscough from 12.00. Lancashire.
• 13-14 Apr: UK Coach Rally, Blackpool Promenade. Lancashire.
• 14 Apr: Spring Gathering at London Bus Museum, Brooklands. Bus display, free bus rides, trader's market. Surrey
• 17 Apr: The Omnibus Society, Herts and Beds branch meeting in Luton. Bedfordshire
• 20 - 21 Apr: 200 years of the bus, part 1 1824 to 1940. Greater Manchester Museum of Transport. Manchester.
• 20 - 21 Apr: Sandbach Transport Festival. Cheshire.
• 21 Apr: Penzance vintage bus running day, Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust with the Cornwall Bus Preservation Society. Penzance Bus Station, Cornwall.
• 21 Apr: Oxford Bus Museum Free heritage bus trips at 12:15 and 14:15. Oxford.
• 21 Apr: National "Drive it" Day, Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs.
• 21 Apr: LT Country Bus Rally, East Grinstead. Facebook page. Sussex. (provisional date)
• 21 Apr: *CANCELLED* Midlands Bus Road Run. Route is Lichfield - Abbots Bromley - Uttoxeter - Ashbourne - Derby - Ashby de la Zouch - Swadlincote - Tamworth - Lichfield, starting from Lichfield Coach Park at 10:00.
• 21 Apr: Aldridge Transport Museum, Spring Running Day, 10:00 to 16:00. Free buses from Hatherton Road, Walsall. Aldridge, near Walsall WS9 8TP. West Midlands
• 27 Apr: Delaine Heritage Running Day. Lincolnshire.
• 27 Apr: Coventry Transport Fair at Coventry Rugby Club, Butts Road CV1 3GE from 10.00 to 16.00. Adults £4, family of 4 £10. For vehicle entries email Dean or phone 07968410306. Stall-holder enquiries to Sandra or phone 07775828421. Coventry.
• 27 Apr: The Omnibus Society, Northern branch meeting in Stockton-on-Tees.
• 27 Apr: *NEW* Irish Transport Heritage, mini bus rally at Drumkeen House, Galwally Court, Belfast BT8 6TB. Northern Ireland.
• 27 Apr: Alexander Dennis Ltd. open day at their manufacturing facility from 10.00 to 16.00. Farnborough, Hampshire.
• 28 Apr: Oxford Bus Museum Drive it day. Oxford and District Model Railway Club display with free tea /coffee and cake for drivers of visiting classic cars. Oxford.
• 28 Apr: Museum open day and free bus trips Nottingham Heritage Vehicles Charity. Heritage Bus Depot, Portland Road, Hucknall. Nottinghamshire.
• 28 Apr: Amberley Spring Bus Show, Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre, West Sussex.

MAY

• 4 - 5 May: Magnificent Motors, Eastbourne seafront, East Sussex.
• 4 - 5 May: Leyland National 52, everything Leyland National and much more.Workington Heritage Transport Trust, Whitehaven, Cumbria.
• 4 - 6 May: Llandudno Transport Festival, Bodafon Fields, Llandudno, North Wales.
• 4 - 6 May: A busman's holiday at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, near Doncaster. Lincolnshire.
• 5 May: Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust Bridgeton Bus Depot Open Sunday. Glasgow.
• 5 May: Essex bus day, Museum of Power, Maldon. Essex (tbc).
• 5 May: Oxford Bus Museum Free bus rides. Oxford.
• 5 May: The Cardiff Transport Preservation Group Spring heritage bus event marking 100 years of Merthyr Tydfil's buses, at Barry Bus Depot, Broad Street, Barry. CF62 7AH.
• 5 May: 52nd Ipswich to Felixstowe Vehicle Run, Ipswich Transport Museum. Suffolk.
• 5 May: *NEW*50th anniversary event of Southdown route 740 with a selection of classic Leyland and Bristol buses in service.
• 5 May: Keighley Bus Museum open day from 10.00 to 16:00 celebrating 100 years of Keighley buses, with free trips around Keighley on Keighley/West Yorkshire buses. Refreshments and stalls available. Unit 5, Riverside Technology Park, Riverside, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 4JP.
• 6 May: The Original King Alfred Buses Running Day based on Winchester Broadway with all available King Alfred vehicles operating free vintage bus services plus visiting vehicles. Approx 0930 to 1630. Hampshire.
• 6 May: Oxford Bus Museum Bank holiday bus rides. Oxford.
• 11 May: "Wales on Wheels", jointly run by Swansea Bus Museum, Road Transport History Association,Swansea Museum and based at the National Waterfront Museum and Dylan Thomas Square. Free admission and free heritage bus rides. South Wales.
• 11 May: Model Bus 2024, Salvation Army Hall, Wawn St, South Shields.
  
• 11 May: The Omnibus Society, Eastern and Southern branch meeting in Chelmsford. Essex.
• 11 May: Delaine Bus Museum Open Day 1200-1600, Admisson £2.50, includes heritage bus ride. Bourne, Lincolnshire.
• 11 - 12 May: 1960s weekend event, at East Anglia Transport Museum, near Lowestoft. Suffolk.
• 12 May: Classic Bus and Coach Rally, Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Wirksworth Station, Derbyshire.
• 12 May: Annual London to Brighton Run, Historic Commercial Vehicle Society. Sussex.
• 12 May: United Counties preservation group vintage bus day at Dereham Station, Mid Norfolk Railway. Norfolk
• 12 May: Oxford Bus Museum Spring running day; 75 years of the AEC Regent V and 50 years of Oxford Park and Ride service. Oxford.
• 12 May: Vintage Bus Day, Mid Norfolk Railway, Dereham Railway Station, Norfolk.
• 12 May: Running day recreating Wilts and Dorset route 6, between Marlborough and Amesbury with an additional rural 479 on the "Rockley Rambler" (serves Hackpen White Horse).
• 15 May: The Omnibus Society, Herts and Beds branch meeting in Luton. Bedfordshire
• 17 - 19 May: National Transport Trust Vintage Transport Festival at Fawley Hill, near Henley-on-Thames, Buckinghamshire.
• 18 May: Abingdon Air and Country Show, Abingdon Airfield (Dalton Barracks), Oxfordshire.
• 18 - 19 May: The Quorn bus and coach spectacular organised by the Leicester Transport Historic Trust. Leicestershire.
• 18 - 19 May: Listerfest event, Apedale Valley Light Railway. Staffordshire.
• 18 - 19 May: Rydabus Weekend based at the Isle of Wight Bus Museum, Ryde. Email for vehicle entries. Isle of Wight.
• 18 - 19 May: Bedford OB celebration at Wythall transport museum..
• 19 May: *CANCELLED* Fenland BusFest. Cambridgeshire.
• 19 May: Basingstoke Festival of Transport and Autojumble, War Memorial Park. Hampshire.
• 19 May: Isle of Wight Festival of Transport, c/o Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
• 19 May: Chiltern Hills Rally, Weedon Park, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
• 19 May: Oxford Bus Museum Free bus rides. Oxford.
• 19 May: Morecambe wintage bus day, Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust. Morecambe Football Club and the Promenade, Morecambe from 09.30 to 17.00. Lancashire.
• 19 May: Aldridge Transport Museum, Art in the museum, 10:00 to 16:00. Aldridge, near Walsall WS9 8TP. West Midlands
• 19 May: Southsea Sea Front Service, City of Portsmouth Preserved Transport Depot. Hampshire.
• 25 - 27 May: 6 wheeler event at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, near Doncaster. Lincolnshire.
• 26 - 27 May: Bank Holiday open weekend including route 50 tribute at Wythall transport museum. Worcestershire.
• 27 May: Model Bus Federation event including a working N gauge Eheim trolleybus system at Wythall transport museum. Worcestershire.
• 27 May: Volvo and Scania running day, Nottingham Heritage Vehicles Charity. Heritage Bus Depot, Portland Road, Hucknall. Nottinghamshire.
• 27 May: Oxford Bus Museum Show and tell, meet conductor Bear. Oxford.
• 25 - 31 May: Seaside Fun, Crich Tramway Village, Derbyshire.