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Traditional green buses return to West Cornwall on Sunday 27 April when WHOTT, in association with First Devon & Cornwall, will run free vintage bus services on routes around Penzance. Vehicles in use will include around six Bristol VR double decks, the mainstay of bus operations in West Cornwall for over 25 years until the end of 2006. Their withdrawal was marked by a Final VR Running Day on 9 December 2006 organised by First with assistance from WHOTT and this event will recapture their era of operation . An added attraction this time will be a service to the Cornish coastal village of Mousehole via the fishing village of Newlyn. Mousehole is renowned for its narrow streets and picturesque harbour next to which is the bus terminus which must be one of the most photogenic anywhere in the UK. Two small capacity Bristol SUS and LHS buses will be used on the route to Mousehole. They will also be used on other routes requiring smaller vehicles |
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Colin Billington's SUS4A No. 600 entering Mousehole on a previous visit in 1999. The instruction to drivers at this point is to position the offside front wheel in the gutter. This bend was the design criterion for the SUS which entered service in 1960 replacing bus bodied Bedford OBs |
Bristol VR's line up in Penzance in December 2006 | |
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Illustrated programmes will colour pictures and maps will be available in advance from Colin Billington at Ledger Farm, Forest Green Road, Fifield, Maidenhead, SL6 2NR for £5.50 including P&P. Orders together with a cheque made out for payment to WHOTT should be sent to arrive no later than Monday 21 April. Programmes will be sent out between 17 and 22 April. | .gif) |
| 600 rests at Mousehole harbour terminus on a still September evening. The ECW rear end styling has a strong family resemblance to the predecessor SC and rebodied Bristol LLs. | Another view of 600 by the harbourside in Mousehole. Colin also owns a restored LHS No. 1560 (FDV790V), another Penzance vehicle expected to return to this scene in April. | |
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For those already in Penzance or travelling there the day before the event, WHOTT is arranging a social evening and slide show on Saturday 26 April which will be held at The Lugger Inn on the Promenade at 3 Marine Terrace, TR18 4DL, telephone 01736 363236. The Lugger serves food (not provided by WHOTT) from 6.30pm but there is no obligation to have food there. This gives everybody the flexibility to eat whatever they want at whatever time is convenient for them to suit their time of arrival. The slide show of superb photos by David Ray (to be seen with camera behind every bush on bus routes in the West Country) will start at 8.00pm, by which time everybody could have eaten and have a glass in their hands. Attendees will be encouraged to make a small donation to WHOTT to help defray costs of the event. For those travelling to Penzance on Sunday 27th April, the Western National Preservation Group has kindly offered to pick people up in Plymouth Bus Station just after 7.00am. They are planning to take VRs 1200 and 1226 and, no doubt, there will be the opportunity to swap between them en route. These and several other vehicles will be returning to Plymouth on the Sunday evening. It would be helpful if you would let the WNPG know of your intention to travel by email to YELLOWMATADOR@aol.com |
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LIMITED
OFFER The programme includes a 50p voucher which can be redeemed in Penzance against your purchase of the Ian Allan Western National book. This is a limited offer subject to stock and is therefore applicable to the first 100 copies of the book sold by WHOTT in Penzance. |
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©
Copyright The West Country Historic Omnibus & Transport Trust, 2001-2008
Registered in England Company No. 3780463. Registered Charity No. 1079795
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