The independent transport videos cameras returned to Kirkby Stephen and Brough at Easter 2025 to record the excellent rally and running days. The event known as the “Cumbria Easter Rally” is now a regular fixture in the bus rally calendar.  The event was just as good as ever and coupled with some lovely spring weather, it was a joy to attend and bring you this DVD programme. 
 
We filmed the event from early on Saturday 19^th and on Sunday 20^th April.  As usual our cameras will take you around the area, filming at the best locations and also riding on a number of the classic buses and coaches attending the rally. This event brings the past to life as the buses and coaches run through the pretty towns of Kirkby Stephen and Brough. There is a good variety of vehicle types that include the Leyland Titan, Atlantean, Tiger, Leopard, Olympian and National.  From the AEC stable there is the AEC Regent, Routemaster and Reliance.  Bristol buses and coaches and a Seddon are also represented, not to mention other types including Daimler, Volvo, MAN, Bedford and MCW Metrobuses - the list goes on!  Bus fleets featured include Barrow and Darlington Corporations, Cleveland Transit, Crosville, Cumberland, CMS Carlislebus, Ribble, Stagecoach, United, Merseyside, London Transport and Isle of Man Transport.  Scottish fleets are also represented with vehicles from Glasgow Corporation, Strathclyde’s Buses, Western and Midland Scottish, Clydeside, Kelvin, Lowland Omnibuses, Eastern Scottish, Kelvin Central, Lothian and Highland.  Also featured are a good number of independents. Our filming locations in Brough included the main rally site, New Road and Main Street.  In Kirkby Stephen we filmed along North Road, Market Street, Victoria Square and outside both the West and East railway stations. At the East station we visit the Stainmore Railway Company and see the departure of a train with a superbly restored carriage.  On Saturday evening we film at Ash Fell, a lovely picturesque spot on the moors and see the buses travelling along on the road run.  All of these locations are linked by rides on the different buses and coaches that we travelled on over the two days of the event.  During the time of our visit we travelled on twelve different buses and coaches that you can experience in this programme. 
   
On Saturday the first ride from the rally site at Brough is on former London Transport RT4548 (OLD 768), a 1954 AEC Regent III with a Park Royal body that was originally fitted to the chassis of an STL and was known as an SRT, to Market Street in Kirkby Stephen.  The next ride is to Kirkby Stephen West station on board 1005 (F805 FAO), a former CMS Carlisebus Leyland Olympian with an Alexander body.  From here we travel to the East station on SL43 (XSS 43Y), a Leyland Leopard with Alexander B53F bodywork from the Strathtay Scottish fleet.  We then travel back to Market Street in Kirkby Stephen on 48 (MAN 3432), originally Merseyside PTE 1235 (XKC 862K), an Isle of Man Transport Leyland Atlantean also with Alexander bodywork.  A ride back to Brough is on board 808 (BVP 808V), a Leyland National formerly of Midland Red (North).  With a further ride to West station we travel on RM835 (WLT 835), an AEC Routemaster preserved in its Clydeside Scottish livery and we return to Brough on SV494 (N94 OGG), a Volvo B10M with an Alexander PS body to get ready for the evening road run. 
 
Our Sunday rides start on 66780 (YJ05 VVZ), a former First West Yorkshire Volvo B7RLE with a Wright Eclipse Urban body to West Street in Kirkby Stephen, then in contrast we travel to the West station on board 6447 (HAP 985), a 1953 Bristol KSW with an ECW H60R body from the Brighton Hove & District fleet.  Here we join a former Crosville Bristol Lodekka, DLB978 (627 HFM) for a ride to the Fat Lamb pub at Ravenstonedale. From this lovely location we travel on A350 (SGD 500), an AEC Regent V with an Alexander body formally of Glasgow Corporation, via the East station.  Our final ride of the weekend is on board L25 (CAS 519W), an Alexander-bodied Leyland Leopard that ran with Highland Scottish when new. Final scenes are filmed at the rally site at Brough.  We hope you have enjoyed your trip around the superb Cumbrian countryside featuring these lovely classic buses and coaches.