20/7/2014 Fresh FacesHaving been involved in bus preservation for nearly 15 years, I'm always looking at ways to attract others into this weird and wonderful hobby. As someone who is genuinely passionate about seeing vehicles saved, fresh faces will definitely be needed one day when I'm too old to get under a bus (that'll be about two years time!) to ensure the continued preservation of the vehicles. After all, I would be gutted to know that once I shuffle off this mortal coil that they would be scrapped... It would also be a waste of my time and resources preserving buses that one day I know would be scrapped. So how do we attract new people into bus preservation? Well, each generation seems to have their own 'favourite' vehicles, many of the older generation would've liked the half cabs, whilst many my age like the NBC era and the 1990's. To younger enthusiasts it'll be Dennis Darts and Volvo B7s! Sometimes there does seem to be a certain amount of 'snobbery' in the preservation movement and potential new members can find doors (literally) shut in their faces. On top of that, there seems to be certain enthusiasts who pooh pooh the ideas of modern buses being preserved, in some cases, by modern I mean anything built after 1968! "Who'd want to preserve a Volvo Olympian?" Well I would for starters, but then if an AEC Regent needed a home and I had the time and resources I'd take that too! To attract younger faces, I think a lot of us will have to start accepting that bus preservation in a rolling thing. As buses leave service, they attract attention and people (hopefully) want to see examples saved. 'Pooh poohing' those who choose to preserve Darts, minibuses and Vollys could long term see the end of this hobby, which, would probably see the end of our buses.
6/12/2013 40306 and TOL the Metrocab.As you would've seen in Picture Of The Month, Bernard's ex Stagecoach minibus has returned and will hopefully be on the road next year pending a few minor jobs. Also officially joining the collection from next year is TOL the Metrocab taxi. I know it's not a bus but these taxis are very collectible and are slowly becoming a rare sight on our roads. Originally built by MCW, who had a long pedigree in bus building, the design later passed to Reliant (those of the Regal and Robin fame) and finally onto Hooper. TOL is a 1999 series 3 Metrocab and features a fibreglass body with 6 seats in the rear and 2 (including the driver) up front. She was latterly owned by friend of the collection Chris Cartwright, a bus preservationist from Gateshead. Following the gearbox failure on my Fairway taxi, he kindly lent TOL to me. I now have the option to acquire her for myself, so following some major MOT work on her kingpins (more on that later) she will be on the road as our fleet support vehicle.
25/9/2011 Minibus finally passes MOT.This is Bernard's Mercedes Minibus (N306XRP) which last saw service with Stagecoach United Counties. He's owned her for nearly 2 years now but what with everything else going on the work was trusted to a garage which worked on her as and when! Finally she's been done, MOT'd and repainted into a different livery - more on that at a later stage. I've always been a big fan of these Mercs when I used to drive them at Stagecoach East Kent. This one differs from our local Kent ones by having coach seats. Just one remains at East Kent now (as far as I know) and that is N933NAP although there are a few in use with our local independents. A future classic for sure and in another ten years we will be wondering where they have all gone. Considering the huge part minibuses played in turning the flagging industry around, they are very poorly represented in preservation. Imagine if the same had happened to the Bedford OB??? I would've liked to have acquired an early Transit- in fact I owned one for a while which was a works van having been an ex welfare bus with Hackney Council - to restore as an ex EK Minilink or Southern Vectis Wanderer. If you know where any old Carlyle, Robin Hood or Alexander bodied Ford Transit is, I'd love to know... although I'm not holding my breath!
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Click here for the archive news pages dating back to 2008.JakeOwner of 5807, 5809, 5137, 7656, 7681, 7041 & 40301 All pictures and information contained within this website are the copyright of J Bamford, R Addison, P Tripptree, B Sealy & R Harrison 2008-2019. Any images or information supplied by individuals will be credited to that individual and will be copyright of that person/persons/website.
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