The organisers,
‘Country Bus Rallies – Kent & Sussex’, put on an excellent running day
centred on the market town of East Grinstead in April most years. The independent transport videos cameras
were in attendance at the 2019 and 2023 events to record the activities for
your enjoyment. The events feature
mostly former London buses and is centred in the High Street of East Grinstead
in Surrey. You will see an excellent
selection of former green and red London Transport buses in service with other
buses from fleets such as Maidstone & District, Metrobus, Brighton Hove
& District, Southdown and even more!
Each event features quite a few different vehicles. For example some of the green London
Transport/London Country buses seen at the 2019 event included RF, RT, RLH, XF
and MB types, whilst at the 2023 event we also see vehicles from the GS, RMC
and RML classes. Red London Transport
buses seen are RF, RT, RM and RML.
At
the 2019 event we see the former Maidstone & District DL39 (VKR 39), a 1956
low-bridge AEC Regent V, but at the 2023 event we see DH478 (VKR 470), a 1956
high-bridge AEC Regent V! Our programme
opens at the 2019 event on London Road, East Grinstead before joining the High
Street where all the action takes place.
We take a ride out to Crawley on MB90 (SMM 90F), a 1967 AEC Swift
(Merlin) in the London Country colours of Lincoln green and yellow operating a
473 service. Further action is filmed in
the High Street at East Grinstead capturing the wide variety of buses operating
through and picking up the crowds of enthusiasts and the general public. The weather was perfect which is more that
can be said for the 2023 event that brought heavy rain, but it does add
atmosphere to our filming!
The 2023
filming begins in the High Street where we see a good selection of mostly green
London Transport/London Country buses in attendance. Our cameras take a ride on the superbly
restored and presented RML 2456 (JJD 456D), a 1966 AEC Routemaster for a 409
service to Godstone. At Godstone we
change to RF28 (LYF 379), a 1951 AEC Regal IV in Green Line livery operating a
708 service back to East Grinstead. This
bus was one of a number that was modified in the late 1960s. We are joined on the journey with a group of
people dressed up in 1960s fashions, which adds a nice touch to our journey
back in time! We continue our filming in
the High Street before taking another ride on MB90. This journey on a 434 service to Troy Town at
Edenbridge. We travel through the
countryside on a spirited ride with an almost capacity load, which shows the
success of this excellent running day.
On returning to East Grinstead we film the action in the High Street
that looks like a late afternoon from the 1960s and as the sun begins to shine
we see the final arrivals and departures.
Our final filming takes place along London Road ending a programme of
sheer nostalgia that we are sure you will enjoy.