This
is the second time that the independent transport videos cameras
have attended this spectacular event centred on the bus station in
Penzance,
Cornwall. However,
we did attend the
2024 running day and an event organised in 2006 when the final Bristol
VRs were
withdrawn from service in Cornwall that sparked off this event that is
now in
its 18th year.
The DVD
programme we filmed in 2006 is still available – details are shown at
the end
of this programme.
The
2026 event
organised by the Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust
sees preserved
buses and coaches operate a network of some 18 routes from Penzance bus
station
covering the southwest corner of Cornwall.
For a change our filming at this event begins with a train! 34028 ‘Eddystone’ the 1946
built Southern
Region 4-6-2 ‘West Country’ class locomotive is seen entering the
station on
Saturday evening before taking an excursion to Chester the following
day.
On Sunday
morning, 19th April, the
day of the bus running day, we see ‘Eddystone’ leaving Penzance station
for its
long journey north. Before the running day services begin a cavalcade
of some
thirty-plus buses and coaches are filmed as they pass through the town
to take
up their duties. Most
of the vehicles
have a West Country connection representing fleets of the past such as
Western and
Southern National, Royal Blue and local independents.
Vehicle types are mostly of Bristol
manufacture, but we also see AEC, Leyland, Dennis, Volvo and
Mercedes-Benz. Some
of the contemporary buses operated by
Transport for Cornwall (Go Ahead) are also seen in this programme. These can be seen in full
on our ‘All Change
in Cornwall’ DVD programme which is now available. Apart from the
action filmed
in and around the bus station and town we take three rides on three
different
Bristol VRTs. Our
first journey is on
board 1106 (SFJ 106R), a Bristol VRT/SL3/6LXB with an ECW H74F body
built in
1977 displaying ‘Cornish Busways’ livery on route 17 to St Ives and
return to
the bus station at Penzance where we continue our filming there and
also on
Station Road. Our
next ride is taken on
a similar VR, 1122 (VDV 122S), a Bristol VRT/SL3/6LXB with an ECW H74F
body in
the light green and cream Southern National livery as applied whilst
owned by
the Cawlett Group. We
travel on route
10B to the small bus station at St Just. Its here we change to 1157
(AFJ 764T)
another Bristol VRT/SL3/6LXB with similar bodywork in National Bus
Company
(NBC) Western National leaf green and white livery.
This interesting bus was the first to sport
the long hopper windows and experimental seats, which it still retains. It was initially inspected
at the Midland Red
Carlyle works in 1979 by the NBC.
We
travel back to Penzance on route 10 admiring views of the Cornish
countryside
featuring derelict tin mines and distant views of the sea. Once back at
Penzance bus station we see the final buses arriving and some leaving
for home
completing a superb day of spectacular scenery and happy memories. We hope you enjoy this
programme.
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| Filmed
: |
2026 |
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| Duration
: |
80 mins
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| |
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| Price
: |
Within UK - £16 |
| |
Rest of world - £18 |
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| Format
: |
DVD -R |
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Picture Aspect 16:9 |
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| Order
Ref : |
D510 |
