On 30th
April 2023 the independent transport videos cameras made their
third visit to the superb Amberley Museum in West Sussex. With good spring weather we were able to
catch up with the collection of elderly former Southdown buses that live at
this museum that has been transformed into the countryside of yesteryear giving
complete escapism from the modern world. The Museum is set in a disused chalk
pit and has developed over the years to create a bygone era, with buildings,
long lost crafts, a small railway, a fire station, country garage and of course
a Southdown bus garage from the 1930s and on this occasion our cameras have
captured the atmosphere for you to enjoy.
Being the ‘Spring Bus Show’ the resident Southdown buses were joined by
a number of more modern buses and coaches, that were on display and also in
service for the visitors to enjoy. We
can see how bus design has developed from the 100-year-old Leyland N
double-decker to a modern Alexander Dennis Enviro400MMC double-decker that had
arrived from Stagecoach South for the day, this being 10945 (SN18 KNJ). Some of the other visiting vehicles included
former East Kent 1937 Leyland TS8 single-decker JG 9938, former London
Transport RTW185 (KLB 915), PPH 698, a 1951 Bedford SB in the livery of Epsom
Coaches, former Maidstone & District Leyland Titan PD2 DH400 (NKT 896) and
former Southampton Corporation 353 (373 FCR), a 1963 AEC Regent V with an East
Lancs body just to name a few. You will
have to watch the DVD to see the other vehicles attending!
Our cameras have sampled rides on the older
buses for you to experience. These rides
included Southdown 1205 (UF 6805), a 1930 Tilling-Stevens B10A2 ‘Express’ which
has a Short Bros. body seating 31 passengers.
Former Southdown 125 (CD 5125) is a Leyland N open-top double-decker
also with a body built by Short Bros. and seating 51 passengers. This bus in its present format is 100 years
old in 2023. Our final ride is onboard
813 (UF 4813), a 1929 Leyland TD1 with a Brush 51-seat open-top body. This bus has recently been acquired by the
Southdown Omnibus Trust based at Amberley having recently been sold by
Stagecoach from their heritage bus fleet.
Our filming takes place at many locations around the museum site
bringing a bygone age back to life. Most
of the visiting buses that have been on display during the day are filmed as
they leave the site at the end of a most enjoyable day.