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Thursday 4 March 2010
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Following on from the showing of the first part of this photographer’s work in December 2008, we were treated to the second part of Peter Little’s collection featuring buses from Lowland Transit, Lowland Scottish, Alexander Midland, Strathtay and Western SMT. The commentary was kindly supplied by Steven Oliver.
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Thursday 4 February 2010
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The first meeting of 2010 was Gavin Booth’s annual slide show, this time consisting of many black and white photos taken by him in the 1960 and 1970s, of buses owned by Scottish Omnibuses. These were illustrated by buses in the liveries of SMT, ‘Scottish’, Eastern Scottish, Stark’s of Dunbar and Baxter’s of Airdrie. A vast array of different bus types were shown amid scenes that have greatly changed since they were taken, accompanied by Gavin’s excellent commentary.
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Thursday 3 December 2009
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The first part of this event was the Annual General Meeting. Reports were given by the Chairman, Membership Secretary and Treasurer, all of which were approved by the membership present. The Management Committee was re-elected. The formal business was concluded, and the the entertainment commenced. Following a break for a buffet supper very kindly provided by Jim Reid, the next part of the meeting was a slide show. This was the first of a two-part collection of photographs taken by Peter Little, showing buses from Alexanders, Lowland Motorways, Stark’s of Dunbar, SMT; Aberdeen, Glasgow and Dundee Corporations, and the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum at Lathalmond. The show was presented by Lindsay Walls.
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Thursday 5 November 2009
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A slide show was presented by Jim Reid, consisting of many photographs of buses and coaches mainly from Glasgow and the surrounding area, but also including shots from other areas and nearer home. A lot of the photos were from the 1960s, 70s and 80s and reminded us of bygone days not only in terms of buses and liveries long gone, but other contemporary road traffic, street furniture and fashions.
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Thursday 1 October 2009
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This meeting saw us return to our Winter indoor events following a successful and varied programme of Summer evening trips. The October event was our annual prize quiz night, arranged and compered by George Balloch. The membership was divided into teams, who competed to answer George’s sometimes transport-related questions. The competition consisted of a traditional quiz, followed up with more questions based on a slide show.
In a shock outcome, the team that scored most points and therefore won the major prize, was that led by Chairman David Wilson. Thank you to everyone who attended and took part in the competition.
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Thursday 3 September 2009
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For this trip, we used Edinburgh Coach Lines’ SN09 FUY, one of two Plaxton Centro used on the company’s recently won tendered Service 13 in Edinburgh. The bus is in a special livery for the service it operates on, and took us through the streets of Edinburgh visiting Wallyford, Ocean Terminal, Craigleith Retail Park and Edinburgh Park on the way, on a very wet and windy evening. However, members were not put off by the weather and many turned out for the event, enjoying a journey on a new bus in the service of a smaller operator in the city.
Many thanks to the management of Edinburgh Coach Lines for providing this bus.
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Thursday 6 August 2009
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Continuing the variety of buses used on our trips this year, we were given the use of First Edinburgh’s 30358 (G281 OGE), a Volvo Citybus/Alexander from the Borders fleet based at Galashiels. This is the last Scottish-originated Volvo Citybus remaining with First Edinburgh and proved to be a fine beast to take round our Edinburgh route. Among other places, we visited Ocean Terminal and Edinburgh Park, and Donald Stirling had the pleasure of an extra 30 miles or so both before and after while collecting the bus from Galashiels and taking it back again afterwards in the dark. As usual, the event was enjoyed by a good number of members.
Many thanks to the management of First Edinburgh at Galashiels for the hire of this bus.
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Thursday 2 July 2009
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A refreshing breeze was experienced on the top deck of an open top Edinburgh Tours Leyland Olympian with Alexander R-type body. This bus was new as one of the first batch of Leyland Olympians bought by Lothian Region Transport in 1987. Our trip took us eastwards and out of the city for a change, to the coastal town of North Berwick in East Lothian. A photo stop was taken at North Berwick at the First depot there to add to the transport interest. Another great night out that was well attended by a good number of members.
Many thanks to the management of Edinburgh Bus Tours for the hire of this bus.
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Thursday 4 June 2009
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With the imminent withdrawal of Lothian Buses’ last traditional madder and white-liveried buses, the Volvo Olympians with Alexander Royale bodies, we were very fortunate to arrange the use of one of these for our evening trip on 4 June. Bus 281 (P281 PSX) was almost filled to capacity for a journey that seemed to cover most of Edinburgh, with photo stop opportunities at the Balerno terminus, at the old Morningside terminus at Balcarres Street, at Gilmerton, and after a bit of faster running along the Edinburgh City Bypass, at the 26 terminus at Seton Sands in East Lothian.
The Royales also represent the last generation of traditional step-entrance buses, and the advance publicity for this trip has generated the addition of several new members to the Group, who are all very welcome. 281 and her remaining sisters in the Lothian fleet are expected to be finally withdrawn in July 2009, so enjoy them while you can.
We express our thanks to the management of Lothian Buses for arranging the hire of this bus to us.
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Thursday 7 May 2009
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Our first Evening Bus Trip of the year took place on 7 May when we hired VMP 10G from WJC Coaches. This bus was built with a rare 12-metre long Alexander Y-type body and was new to the Road Transport Industry Training Board in June 1969, where it was used for driver training. After it was withdrawn by the RTITB, it passed into private ownership for preservation, when it was painted in the livery of Baxter, Airdrie.
In 2008, the bus was acquired by WJC Coaches of Chapelhall in 2008 and was painted in its two-tone blue livery. The company’s livery is based on the colours of the former Scottish Bus Group company Kelvin Scottish, and uses a fleet numbering scheme based on that of Eastern Scottish. The bus has regular work carrying fare-paying passengers.
Our trip on the sunny evening of 7 May took us eastwards from the city centre to the coastline from Leith to Seafield, from where we travelled south to Newcraighall, then onto the city bypass and along the new A68 road into Midlothian, passing through many villages such as Dewarton, Newlandrig, Gorebridge and on to Bonnyrigg. The chosen route provided many chances for the owner to demonstrate the turn of the speed and hill climbing (and descending!) powers of his bus.
Many thanks to John Carson, the proprietor of WJC Coaches, for the use of his bus.
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Thursday 2 April 2009
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A presentation of photographs by Brian Patten. This featured the many bus types of Central SMT based in central west Scotland, with a wide variety of buses shown in various locations from the 1960s onwards.
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Thursday 5 March 2009
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A two part special by Gavin Booth, starting with a quiz based on the place names listed on Lothian Buses’ destination screens, with photos used as cryptic clues, followed by a slide show of Edinburgh Corporation buses.
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Thursday 5 February 2009
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A photo slide show by David McGow, detailing the history of tour buses in Edinburgh from the earliest charabancs of the 1920s up to the present day, also including photos of buses with subsequent owners in the UK and overseas after leaving Edinburgh.
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