The independent
transport videos cameras have returned to Morecambe to film the
excellent Vintage Bus Running Day organised by the Ribble Vehicle Preservation
Trust for you to enjoy. The 2023 event
was centred on the Mazuma Stadium, which is the home of the Morecambe football
club, where buses and coaches operated on routes to Happy Mount Park, Bare
Village, Carnforth and Heysham Village and some ‘Mystery excursions’ were also
operated for good measure! A superb
variety of buses and coaches attended the event with some running in service
and others being on display for the public and enthusiasts to inspect and photograph. Vehicle types included DAF, Daimler, Volvo,
AEC, Leyland, Bristol, Mercedes and Dennis to name but a few. Operators past and present were also in
attendance. Ribble was the major fleet
represented, but also Corporations from Morecambe & Heysham, Huddersfield,
Darwen, Barrow, Warrington, Southport and Blackpool also appeared. Various independents, including the famous
Fishwick, as well as Western SMT, CMS – Carlisle Bus, Merseyside PTE, Lowland
Scottish, North Western, Stagecoach and Firstbus also feature – the list goes
on!
Our filming begins at the Mazuma
Stadium as the vehicles arrive and the first departures take place making for a
very busy scene. Our cameras then jump
aboard preserved former Stagecoach Ribble 20131 (P131 XCN), a Volvo B10M-55
with an Alexander PS body for the 573 service to Carnforth via the Winter
Gardens situated on Morecambe’s promenade.
The lovely views of Morecambe Bay are seen as we travel along in the
sunshine passing other buses and coaches on the same service as we approach
Carnforth. At Carnforth we change to the
superbly restored former Ribble Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/13, 377 (ERN 700) with
a Leyland body built in 1952 that was operating the 573 service. We travel on it to the Winter Gardens, giving
a great comparison with the Volvo that we arrived at Carnforth on showing how
much bus design has change in the 44 years between the two buses. We film the action on the promenade by the
Winter Gardens and then return to the Stadium onboard former North Western 916
(VDB 920), a 1962 Leyland Leopard PSU3/1R with an Alexander C49F body. This coach was originally registered VDB 916,
but lost its original mark prior to the coach being preserved. At the stadium we board the recently restored
(to a very high standard) Ribble 1467 (JCK 542), a Leyland Titan PD2/12 with a
Burlingham H61RD body dating from 1956 for a ‘test run’ circular service via
Happy Mount Park. We have put a camera
in the cab for your enjoyment as the excellent driving of Ray Bignell is
recorded on this lovely trip around the area.
There is also a camera in the lower saloon that catches passenger’s
experience. On returning to the stadium
we film the final arrivals and departures of the buses in service and the
visiting buses and coaches leaving for home from this excellent event.
