This delightful event organised by the Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust, in previous years known as the ‘Kingsbridge 7’ 6” Vintage Bus Running Day’ is now in its fourteenth year. Unfortunately the 2020 event was cancelled due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic. Indeed Covid-19 precautions were in place reducing the number of passengers carried on the buses and coaches at the 2021 event. In previous years the event just featured buses and coaches built to that width due to the narrow lanes, but more recently larger vehicles have joined the ranks of superbly turned out buses and coaches that operate in and around the area of the pretty town of Kingsbridge in Devon on just one Saturday in September.
This is the third time the independent transport videos cameras have attended the event to record the operation of over thirty preserved buses and coaches in action for you to enjoy. There is a wide variety of vehicle types and bus companies represented, as you will see on this programme. For example, double-deckers are represented by a London Transport RTL, a Leyland Titan, Atlantean and Olympian a Bristol Lodekka and a number of Bristol VRTs. Single-deckers include a Leyland Tiger PS1, a rare Bristol H type, L types featuring both bus and coach bodywork and Bristol LHs. We must not forget the stars of this year’s event – the Bristol SU celebrating its 60+1 year since their first introduction into service. A total of eight Bristol SUs attended the event mostly in the familiar Tilling green and cream bus livery or cream and green coach livery, but one in Tilling red and cream formally from the West Yorkshire Road Car fleet.
Our filming begins at the start of the event in the centre of Kingsbridge where we record the arrivals and departures of the buses and coaches at the town’s small bus station. There is a good deal of action as the buses fill up to start their journeys and tussle with the modern day traffic. In view of this event featuring the Bristol SU we put our cameras on three SUs as they went about their business. The first is on board, as a passenger, former Western National 1224 (274 KTA), a 1962 ECW C33F bodied SUL4A. We travel on service 101A to the village of Aveton Gifford and back to the bus station. The second journey is the driver’s eye view with a camera in the cab as well as one in the saloon for the passenger’s experience. This in on board former Western National 603 (675 COD), a 1960 ECW B30F bodied SUS4A on service 102A to the tiny village of Goveton. You will see exactly why these little buses are designed for the narrow Devon roads! Our third ride is onboard another former Western National vehicle – 425 (275 KTA), another 1962 ECW C33F bodied SUL4A – for the 164A service to Sorley Cross and back to the bus station. Plenty of action in and around the bus station is recorded for you to enjoy. The final scenes show a convoy of six Bristol SUs leaving the town travelling up Ilbert Road. A big thank you to Colin Billington and his team for organising this event.
Produced by - Independent Transport Videos
Duration - 111 minutes
Region - 0 (worldwide) PAL
Aspect Ratio - 16:9 Widescreen
DVD only
Released - November 2021