Buses to the Bill. Sunday 22nd September 2024
Bit of a left-field event for BODA but, for what it's worth, I'm planning to attend this event, having enjoyed it last year.
I confess that I was a teenage bus spotter (think train spotter with a less elegant dress sense and a smaller travel budget) and my first enthusiasm was for Bristol - that is from the other half of the George White empire, originally Bristol Tramways Company, later Bristol Commercial Vehicles. I didn’t come across Bristol Cars until I was into my twenties and hadn't yet made the connection between buses and aeroplanes.
The day out is a run with preserved buses and coaches from Salisbury starting at about 09:00 to Portland Bill early afternoon (so starting in "South Central" and ending in "South West" BODA districts, calling/refreshment/comfort points depending on local authorities and any traffic issues but pencilled in as Ringwood, Ferndown, Poole, Wareham and Weymouth. This year, parking restrictions for large vehicles at the Bill itself mean that the coach park in Weymouth is the effective terminus and buses will go in small groups to Portland Heights and the Bill lighthouse.
Organiser Dave Bickley will post updated details on Facebook.
The Bristol interest is that quite a few of the participant vehicles are likely to be from our step-sisters at the other Bristol. Most of the country and inter-city bus operators in the area (and indeed a very large number nationwide) bought Bristol products in the 50s-80s. Twice as many Bristol "Lodekka" models were sold 1954-68 as the comparable AEC "Routemaster" over the same production period, and ownership by enthusiasts tends to reflect this. My school friend Denis is still a bus spotter, lives along the route and plans to bring his 1971 Bristol RELL6L single-decker to join in.
Regards
Robin Oakes
mob 07949 055022
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