A special occasion marked a number of anniversaries in the South West, report Jonathan Welch and Ray Ward
Classic coaches returned to the town of Cheltenham en masse in early July. “I was the main organiser and originator of the concept for this event,” explained the Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust’s Jonathan Radley. “The idea came to me last October, when I realised that 2024 was the year of four significant express coach services anniversaries: 90 years since Associated Motorways was formed in July 1934; 60 years since 122 Bristol RELH/Eastern Coach Works coaches entered service on express coach routes, the first rear-engined, 36-foot long coaches in Britain; 50 years since all Associated Motorways services were re-branded as ‘National’ by the National Bus Company in the summer of 1974; and 40 years since the last mass departure of express coach services from Cheltenham coach station in January 1984. I’m sure many older readers of CBW will remember many of these events!”
On Sunday 7th July, as close as possible to the Associated Motorways anniversary, the Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust (TV&GWOT) organised the classic coach gathering back in the town, courtesy of its football club, located a short distance from the former coach station site which is now a commercial car park.
Some 30 coaches dating from the 1940s to 1980s were assembled for the day, representing BMMO (Midland Red), Black & White, Greyhound, Red & White and Royal Blue as well as ‘on hire’ fleets. Complemented by local buses including several Cheltenham District vehicles, there was a regular shuttle serving the town’s railway and bus stations, passing the original coach station site, and the racecourse park & ride site. Circular coach tours to Southam gave passengers further opportunity to sample different coach styles. A grand finale saw a re-creation of a mass departure; on the whistle, coaches streamed out from the simulated coach station, dispersing to distant compass points.
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