The popular Warminster Bus Running Day, after an absence of a few years, returned for 2017. This year the event took place on Sunday 1st October and the independent transport videos cameras were invited back to record the action for you to enjoy.
This superb event sets out to re-create the 50s, 60s and 70s era of bus operation in West Wiltshire and this year gave more of the same excellent action. The area has been traditionally the home of the Bristol/ECW marque of which a large number of the type are seen in this programme. These included Bristol J and L types, as well as LS, SC, SU, MW, LH and REs with double-decker Bristols featuring the LD, FLF and a number of VRTs. Other vehicle types are represented by the Bedford OB, Leyland Titan, Tiger Cub, Panther Cub, National, Atlantean and Olympian. Also an AEC Regal and Routemaster. As a result a vast array of vehicles feature in this programme.
Our filming begins at the very start of the day in the Bus Station as the vehicles start to arrive. The control bus this year is a Volvo B7RLE with a Wrightbus Eclipse Urban body supplied by First Mendip in the retro Badgerline livery. Further arrivals are also seen making their way to the Bus Station along Station Road. Now it is time of a special treat! We jump into the cab of 2355 (AHU 803) a 1934 Bristol J type with a 1947 BBW B35R body formally owned by Bristol Tramways, for the service to Horningsham via Crockerton. Here we see the driver hard at work and get the idea of what it was like driving a country bus service in the 1950s. At Horningsham we meet up with a former Hants & Dorset Bristol L type and Bristol Omnibus Bristol RESL. We return to Warminster Bus Station as a passenger to complete the experience. For our second ride out our cameras join former Barton Transport 467 (JNN 384) a Leyland Titan PD1 with a superb semi-coach Duple L55F bodywork dating from 1947. We enjoy the ride to Westbury railway station and back to Warminster. Our filming continues along Station Road, High Street, and Market Place and concludes at the Bus Station. As usual we would like to thank Bob Eade, Dave Andrew and “H&DW&D” for organising this excellent event.
Produced by - Independent Transport Videos
Running time - 60 minutes (approx)
Format - 16:9 Widescreen
DVD only
Release date - October 2017
Brighton & Hove Buses 2017
It is some six years since the independent transport videos cameras visited the Sussex coastal resort of Brighton to record the bus scene. A good deal has changed making the contemporary bus scene just as enjoyable in 2017 as it was in 2011. In 2017 the bus services are still chiefly in the hands of the Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company which is part of the GoAhead group. We also see buses from Stagecoach, Compass Bus, The Big Lemon and Metrobus, as each company operate services into and out of the city. This programme covers two visits our cameras made to the city, the first in April and the second in July 2017. We begin filming at Old Steine where we see the spectacular lime green and mid-blue liveried, Wrightbus StreetDeck double-deckers operating the frequent route 12 group of services that run along the coast connecting Brighton with Eastbourne. We continue filming around Old Steine and view most types of the contemporary Brighton & Hove fleet as well as the Enviro400 double-deckers of Stagecoach on the frequent 700 Coastliner service that links Brighton with Portsmouth to the west. Our cameras then move to Castle Square, North Street and the busy Churchill Square. Look out for the new low-height Wrightbus StreetDeck double-deckers on service 1 and the silver liveried Wrightbus StreetDeck demonstrator, numbered 293 (SN64 CTU). We also see the Volvo B9TL Wrightbus Gemini 2 double-deckers in the smart purple/maroon and buff livery that operate on the Regency route linking Tunbridge Wells with the city. Filming continues along Queens Road and York Place to the Railway Station to catch up with the action at this busy interchange. St George’s Place, Gloucester Place and Grand Parade are our next locations where we view the buses as they go about their business. Further filming along Pavilion Parade and Old Steine takes us to Marine Parade where we catch up with the action here. We see the Coasters running alongside the red and cream liveried buses in the Brighton & Hove fleet. Our April visit concludes with filming on Eastern Road and Edward Street as well as catching up with the evening rush at Old Steine, North Street and Churchill Square. Look out for the former GHA Coaches Volvo B7RLE, a Wrightbus Eclipse Urban, registered BA58 GHA now with Compass Bus. Our cameras return to the city on a hot day in July 2017. Again our locations are similar to the April visit taking in Old Steine, Castle Square, North Street, the Railway Station area and Churchill Square. Now it is time to sample the Coaster service! We board 940 (BX15 ONS) a Wrightbus StreetDeck with a H81F body for a ride along the coast to Seaford Library on service 12X. We pass a number of similar vehicles as they head towards Brighton. At Seaford we film the action on Sutton Park Road, Station Approach and Clinton Place. Our cameras then return to Brighton on board 925 (BX15 OMY) arriving at Marine Parade. Our final scenes are at Old Steine where we also see the solar powered Optare Solo of the Big Lemon company, YK55 ENM, together with buses from Stagecoach and of course Brighton & Hove buses. We hope you enjoy your visit.
