The 2025 South East Bus Festival was a success this year, organisers say, with sunny weather a bonus, reports Jonathan Welch
The popular South East Bus Festival took place on Saturday 5 April, and was attended by around 4,000 people, its organisers report. As in previous years, the event was held as part of the Kent County Agricultural Society’s Heritage Transport Show, attracting those interested in a wide range of vehicle types as well as people who just like to enjoy seeing vehicles of yesteryear.
Alongside the 126 buses and coaches, of which 62 had not been to the previous 12 South East Bus Festival events, were around 800 cars, commercial vehicles, military vehicles, tractors, motorcycles and stationary engines.
Co-organiser Richard Lewis said: “After two years of very wet conditions, resulting in cancellation of the 2023 event and the implementation of our wet weather plan in 2024, it was great to be back to normal this year with the buses and coaches displayed on the showground and in glorious sunshine for the duration of the event. The oldest bus in attendance, and making its first appearance at our event, was 1931 Bedford WHB TM 9347 which carries a Waveney body and is believed to be the very first Bedford passenger vehicle, making a stark contrast to three brand-new 25-plate Mercedes-Benz Tourismos that were entered by local Kent operators.
“In between was a wide range of buses and coaches of many different makes representing a huge variety of operators past and present, covering most years of manufacture between 1948 and 2025. Our guest speaker this year was Roger French who gave a very interesting and well-received talk based on his extensive travels on the UK’s bus and railway networks for his Bus and Train User thrice-weekly blog, citing some of the best and some of the worst examples experienced along the way.”
The event included the usual mix of activities for people to enjoy, including free bus rides around the showground which are always very popular, around 40 sales stands selling bus-related merchandise and memorabilia, displays of model buses, a continuous and a live slide show and the Reunion Tea Room hosted by the Maidstone & District Staff Reunion Club. The small organising team say they are now looking forward to the 2026 event, which will take place at Kent Showground on Saturday 11 April.
