Classic Bus Day

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Steve
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Classic Bus Day

Post by Steve » Fri 03 Jun, 2016 2:22 pm

I've seen very little publicity for this (same last year)
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SloopJohnB
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Re: Classic Bus Day

Post by SloopJohnB » Fri 03 Jun, 2016 3:34 pm

Me neither. Terrible lack of publicity about this. I'm not too sure where to lay the blame. Other towns would give their right arm to host this - what do we do? :oops: :x

This is a good day out. Old buses going to older villages along roads that haven't seen a bus for years. And best of all its FREE although it is always good to offer something for the programme to allow this day to continue. On a darker note I think the day last year was shared with Stevenage - there were fewer buses and fewer anoraks than in previous years around Bircherley Green. Hope the sun shines on Sunday.

Take a chance and a take a ride; great for the kids as well. And don't forget the camera.You may never see some of these buses again, apart from in a Museum

I am pleased that the Lee & Stort Boat company are sponsoring this. During Fun Days the Bus Rally was so well attended; hundreds milling about the bus station, every bus full going to the Mundens and all parts west, or east. When I ran the Hidden Hertford boat trips Colin Rivers the then organiser offered to adjust the timetable so that people could take a boat to Ware and catch a free bus ride back. And vice versa.

Even sadder to think that someone like me who once helped to organise this Bus Rally along with Fun Day knew nothing about it (or forgotten about it) until seeing Steve's post. In fact back in 2001 we brought forward Fun Day specifically because the Bus Rally always took place on the first Sunday of June. Never looked back.

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Footfruit
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Re: Classic Bus Day

Post by Footfruit » Mon 06 Jun, 2016 10:52 am

Despite the lack of publicity it seemed to be well attended. Unfortunately both buses running the 333 route had broken down, so no run up to the Woodman at Chapmore End for a cheeky pint :-)

Clive
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Re: Classic Bus Day

Post by Clive » Mon 06 Jun, 2016 11:08 am

I attended this years event, despite no advertising it was well attended as mentioned in the previous post. Why didn't the Hertford Mercury advertise this? However, disappointed this year. Too many buses going to Hatfield and Stevenage, plus lack of information. I got a Hatfield bus, we were informed that we would then be going onto Stevenage and back to Hertford. Fair enough, but it wasn't until the journey started that the conductor informed us that they would be having a 40-50 minutes lunch break so we would need to get something else back. All very well, but a bus that arrived into Stevenage was full up and so had to wait for ages to get a return service. Usually you go from A - B and back on the same bus so disappointed in this. As previously mentioned, 2no 333 buses broke down, I dodn't know this until now and nobody knew that in the bus station. Some guys were waiting for the 3pm 333 to Chapmore End but gave up at 330pm. Surely some sort of announcement could have been made. Anyway, still good fun, all the buses were in superb condition and lots of people turned up, both young and old so would seem to have been a success.

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Steve
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Re: Classic Bus Day

Post by Steve » Mon 06 Jun, 2016 1:55 pm

Clive wrote:Surely some sort of announcement could have been made.
I don't think they're great communicators. Their website is devoid of any contact details.

Clive
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Re: Classic Bus Day

Post by Clive » Mon 06 Jun, 2016 3:01 pm

I found this by chance, if you go to their website, click on Bus-stop in the bottom left hand corner, then approx 3/4 of the way down is "country bus rallies" in red, click that and if takes you to their up-to-date page. Not very helpful really, doesn't seem very professional to me at all.

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Steve
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Re: Classic Bus Day

Post by Steve » Tue 07 Jun, 2016 1:31 am

Clive wrote:I found this by chance, if you go to their website, click on Bus-stop in the bottom left hand corner, then approx 3/4 of the way down is "country bus rallies" in red, click that and if takes you to their up-to-date page. Not very helpful really, doesn't seem very professional to me at all.
It's a very dated website coded in HTML3, which was superceded by HTML4 in 1998!

SloopJohnB
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Re: Classic Bus Day

Post by SloopJohnB » Sat 03 Jun, 2017 12:32 pm

Should have posted this much earlier but tomorrow June 4 is Classic Bus Day. We moved Fun Day forward to incorporate this in the events. Vintage buses on old routes that haven't seen a bus for years. Excellent photo opportunity and for grandads to explain to younger members of the family what it was like to ride on a rickety old bus. And best of all its free - but worth a donation as they are all maintained and driven by volunteers. See my earlier comments on this above. A lost opportunity. we used to have one bus on a round trip to the Castle and there's a motor show there as well. Not to mention the river bus. I was working with the organisers of the bus rally to time the Hertford/Ware buses with the river trips I ran under Hidden Hertford.

Enough of nostalgia. :(

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