Open Day - Sunday 4 November 2007

Somewhere in the region of 1,000 people came to Whisby Road for our 'End of Season' event on Sunday 4 November, and enjoyed a fine autumn day.

This attendance was in the region of 20 % higher than last year's record breaking event, and we must admit to being taken by surprise by this - we would like to offer our apologies in particular for the queues this generated at the toilet facilities. We apologise for any in-convenience, and we will make sure this is better next time! Apologies also to those visitors arriving later in the day to find we had run out of programmes - a first for us.

30 buses / coaches were 'in service' - on a par with Road Car bus depots at Boston or Grantham (including their outstations) in the late 60's!

Bluebird Coaches Bristol MW (HDV 639E) was unfortunately not able to run in service - its scheduled journeys were covered by the Museum's Leyland Tiger (FW 5698, Lincolnshire No. 1411) which was available at short notice, an engine overhaul having been completed shortly before the event. Lincoln No. 64 (BFE 419) suffered overheating and had to be substituted on some journeys. Stagecoach East's former Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka JAH 553D was an unexpected visitor, and this operated a number of 'extra' journeys, including as second duplicate on the 5.00 p.m. 'Twilight Tour' - the first time this tour has warranted three buses!

A total of 108 bus departures were made from our 'bus terminus', with around 2,900 passenger departures being made in the course of the day - highlights included 19 bus departures during the 'peak hour' from 2 to 3 pm, 136 passengers travelling on the 2.30 pm departure from the City (this consisted of the 'service car' plus two 'duplicates'.)

Birthdays - During 2007 the following vehicles celebrated significant birthdays:

80th - Leyland Lion 'No 1' (KW 474), Dennis lorry (YU 5455) and Humber (FW 9852);

70th - Ford V8 shooting brake (FE 9805), black Austin 10 saloon (VL 8960) and Vauxhall 12 (CWE 864);

60th - green Austin 10 (CVL 212), Austin K4 lorry (GRW 382) and Leyland PS1 single decker (GUF 727).

It says much for the preservational skills of the Society and its members that so many vehicles in these age groups are still with us, with more than half of them still on the road. Each of the vehicles involved displayed a 'Happy Birthday' banner, adding a little bit of glamour to an already stunning display of vehicles, resident or visiting.

By kind permission of our neighbours many vehicles were accommodated for the day. These included several of the smaller vehicles from the Museum, a range of visiting cars, no less than three Model T Fords and a number of visiting buses and coaches including a Dennis Dominator from Sheffield and the Yorkshire Woollen District Leyland PS1/Brush single decker, a Bristol MW formerly with Midland General and several more modern coaches on display in the Hillcroft Business Park next to the Museum. Three of the Society's petrol engined Leyland buses - Lincoln No. 5, the Bolton TD1 and the Leyland Badger, as well as some of the Museum's cars, were offering rides to visitors from this site. There were also several stalls selling a range of desirable items on the Hillcroft site, as well as in the Museum and Workshop buildings.

We would like to offer our thanks to everyone who came to the event, and to those who played a part in making it the success it was - including all our members and friends who took part both on the day and 'behind the scenes' in the days and weeks before, those who brought vintage / classic vehicles for display and service, and to a growing number of local businesses and organisations, particularly our neighbours who made their premises available - without this help on a large scale, the event could not happen.

All funds raised will go towards the running of our open days and upkeep of the Museum and vehicles.

Photographs from the event are visible here - (updated 30 December 2007.)

A DVD of the event is available from Next Stop Productions priced at £12.50 plus £1.50 p+p - if you would like to order a copy, please say you saw it advertised on our web site.

Reports / photos from Easter 2007open day