Bishops Lydeard Steam Fayre
	7th August 2004

On the 1^st July 2004, starting from an advertisement in Buses magazine for the West Somerset Railway’s Bishops Lydeard Steam Fayre and moving onto the internet, I surfed into the Quantock Heritage website and followed the job vacancies link to offer my services as a volunteer. To my delight I received a very prompt reply saying that although Quantock Heritage operate mainly very old crash box buses it was very likely that they could use my talents at the event in August.

	Buses, Ian Allan Publishing Ltd
	West Somerset Railway
	Quantock Heritage

A couple of days later I got the call that was to send me off on my "Silverstone Adventure". When I got back I set about arranging time off, arranging to meet family at the event and making sure that Quantock Heritage knew I was coming. It was a great relief when on Monday 2^nd August 2004, an email arrived containing the instruction please turn up on Saturday and ask for Paul or Steve signed by Paul.

	My first agency job
	Farewell to the Routemaster
	London Scratch Pad

I arrived at the rally site on Saturday morning and found Steve, who knew nothing about me coming and pointed out that all the buses in service were crash box so he didn't have anything for me to drive. I waited about for a bit taking some photos and bumping into friends, but unfortunately Paul was called away to a breakdown and I didn't get a chance to talk to him.

	Wealdstone & District Home Page

While watching the queue of entrants and public entering the main gate I was very surprised to be confronted by a magnificent red London RT. I was even more amazed to start researching and find that it was RT1594 (KLB716) formerly owned by Michael Lane who brought the bus back from the dead and housed her at Cryers Hill when I used to visit Wealdstone & District the ¡Self-preservation Society! in 1998. Michael felt that he really couldn't find the time to keep RT1594 ship-shape and sold her to Phil Dale in Sherborne who has taken the restoration to full former glory.

Only the opportunity for one photo of 1949 Bristol L5G KFM893 in original Crosville colours of Thomas Tilling green and ivory presented itself. This is one of five similar buses owned by Quantock Heritage.

A classic pre-war East Kent Road Car coach. JG9938 is a Leyland Tiger TS8, from 1937. It has kept its original Park Royal bodywork, the only example to survive and is preserved in authentic livery.

One of six buses new to Exeter Corporation in June 1950 primarily for country services. Daimler CVD6SD/WeymannB35F JFJ875 was withdrawn in 1966 and immediately purchased for preservation. Quantock Heritage are reputed to have paid £16000 + VAT. to acquire the bus in February 2004.

890ADV is ex-Grey Cars (Devon General) 890 , an AEC Reliance 2MU3RV with a Willowbrook Viking 41 seat coach body. The coach was transferred to the Royal Blue fleet (as 1237) and painted into their early NBC livery. Now restored by Quantock Heritage for use in their special service fleet.

Ipswich 65 (DPV65D) is a 1966 AEC Regent 5 2D2RA chassis with a Neepsend built East Lancs body. A batch of four were the last rear platforms for Ipswich and all survive. Electric House, now known as Tower Ramparts Bus Station is the main departure point for all Ipswich Town Services, as well as a few passing country services.

From the 1967 intake of Leyland Titan PD2/40 chassis with Neepsend built, East Lancs designed H36/28R bodies HJA965E was Stockport Corporation N^o. 65.
Stockport Corporation became one of a number of local municipal operators amalgamated to form the South East Lancashire and North East Cheshire Passenger Transport Executive (SELNEC PTE) on the 1^st November 1969, bringing to an end almost 70 years of municipal services in the borough. Stockport Corporation N^os. 41-70 re-numbered to SELNEC PTE 5841-5870 respectively.

Withdrawn in 1983, now hard at work in a non-PCV capacity, former Pontypridd UDC N^o. 4 (NNY761E) is a 1967 AEC Regent V 2MD3RA bodied by Metro Cammell (MCCW). Refitted, one might hesitate to say refurbished, as a support unit for the show activities of Kent Plant Contractors of Banwell complete with a very agricultural looking towbar.

© Martin G. Layton 2004

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