Morecambe Vintage Bus Day celebrates the public transport of yesteryear

Monday, 7 April 2025 11:12

By Beyond Radio News

There’s a chance to take a nostalgic trip on the Morecambe buses of yesteryear at the Vintage Bus Day next month.

The Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust (RVPT) has confirmed the return of its highly anticipated Vintage Bus Running Day on Sunday, May 18, centred at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium in Morecambe.

This popular annual event features a fascinating selection of vintage buses, many from the iconic Ribble Motor Services.

The fleet of preserved buses, dating from 1931 to 2004, will operate a free service linking and offers a free public bus service running every 10–15 minutes, connecting Carnforth railway station, Happy Mount Park, Heysham Village, Morecambe promenade, and the Mazuma Stadium, with buses operating from approximately 09:30 to 17:00.

Parents and grandparents can enjoy nostalgic journeys on historic buses while younger passengers can immerse themselves in the sounds, sights, and smells of the past. They might even encounter chirpy conductors and have a go at using an old ticket machine!

Additional highlights include the popular Bare Circular service, with stops at Bare Lane Station (Mayfield Drive), and mystery tours on vintage coaches (lasting approximately 40 minutes each).

There will also be stalls selling memorabilia for enthusiasts and collectors.

To support the event, visitors are being encouraged to purchase a programme on the day, which contains full details of the services and activities. While all bus services are free, donations go directly towards the upkeep and maintenance of these historic vehicles.

Alongside the bus services, a static display of vintage buses and coaches will be held at Morecambe Football Club. The event’s main focus will be buses that formerly operated with Ribble Motor Services, although vehicles from other local operators – including Morecambe & Heysham, Barrow, Preston, and Blackpool – will also be featured.

The Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust is a registered charity dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history vehicles and artrifacts from the former Ribble Motor Services and associated companies.

Founded over 50 years ago, the Trust is based at its own premises in West Lancashire, where it houses an impressive collection of more than 30 vehicles spanning the years 1931 to 2004.

Unlike a traditional museum, RVPT is not static. Their mission is to bring the museum experience to the public by taking our buses to events, allowing people to relive the nostalgia of travelling on these iconic vehicles – whether it reminds them of journeys to school, work, or holidays.

Currently, around a 20 of the buses are fully restored and available for service, offering the community an authentic vintage travel experience.

Ribble Motor Services were the local bus company, set up in 1919 and expanding rapidly during the 1920s and 1930s.

By the 1950s it was one of the largest bus companies in the UK with over 1300 buses and at its height of operations in 1956 it was reported to have carried 216,648,878 passengers that year.

Operations were from Carlisle in the north to Liverpool and Manchester in the south, and from Blackpool in the west to Skipton in the east. Morecambe and Lancaster were home to two of its depots, at South Road, now 'Little ASDA', and Skerton, now Chelsea Mews, respectively.

As part of the build up to deregulation and privatisation in the mid-1980s, Ribble was split up and eventually the services in central Lancashire and north to Carlisle became part of Stagecoach with south Lancashire and Liverpool becoming Arriva and Transdev operation in East Lancashire.

For more information on the Vintage Bus Day see the Facebook page HERE.