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SAT 21ST SEPT

We are attending TVGWOT annual Kingsbridge running day on sat 21st Sept. We have entered group vehicles

Leyland Atlantean 171 and Dennis Dart 105. Members wishing to come along. Picking up Milehouse 8.20, Royal Parade P&R stop 8.30. Let Ian Byrne know - ianbyrne131@gmail.com if you wish to join us.

AUGUST 2024 ....... SO, NOT JUST ONE LEYLAND PD2, BUT NOW TWO OF THEM !!!!

FARRINGDON BODIED LEYLAND TITAN PD2 GJY 612 BETTER KNOWN 397

With 102 already secured back in our group. Up pops 397 ex PCT training bus from the 1970s to 90s. Purchased by David Jory from Duncan Richardson,who, at the Mid Hants railway had done an amazing job at its full restoration. Again a top notch upholstery job done with original moquette.

Delivered new to Plymouth corporation in 1953. It was one of those lucky vehicles to survive due to a 2nd life as a training bus with PCT. When finally withdrawn in the late 80s, it spent sometime as a trainer vehicle with a private company and then fell out of use in North Somerset (these details will get filled out when I get them.) Duncan then brought her in 2010 and spent several years restoring it to fantastic condition. He felt the time was right to sell her on, but it had to go to where it belonged. So the next chapter in this great vehicle's life is now back home. Though it will be based at Winkleigh, I'm sure we will have some great days out partnered with 102

FRI 9TH AUG LEYLAND TITAN PD2 OCO 502 ON THE MOVE

With a slot available with Chepstow classics, Winkleigh. Pete Hearn arrived to tow 102 from the Tram shed at Milehouse to Winkleigh for mechanical work which is needed to return it to the road. We are indebted to Richard Stevens for gifting 102 to the group and this fantastic opportunity to have a real piece of PCT history. We are also very grateful to group member Alan Sutton who is sponsoring its upkeep. It first entered preservation 1973, funnily enough at Winkeigh with the 373 preservation group. Over the years it had passed from owner to owner, at one point ending up in Kent before our group returned it to Colebrook. Citybus then took it on and spent a great deal of time restoring all the bodywork. New flooring and a complete repaint inside and out. A fantastic job on reupholstering all the seats in brand new original patterned moquette.

SAT 3RD AUG MORNING TRIP OUT WITH NDR 509J

With all 3 owners of 9 together, we had the chance to take 9 out for a run into Plymouth and to Yelverton.

At last the opportunity to fulfil the vision I had when we first brought 9 to Plymouth 11 years ago. To stop outside Pearl assurance house. I always had a strong memory of the famous Pearl assurance adverts on old PDR1s parked up or withdrawn on the tip at Milehouse.

The usual stop in Yelverton for the very tasty Bacon rolls at the Larder, and the chance to use the original Sunday working route boards for 57 Dartmoor link to Burrator.

THURSDAY 25TH JULY
NDR 509J NOW WITH ADDED PEARL

Atlantean PDR2 NDR 509J today received a pair of reproduction 1970s adverts. We've had them in storage for sometime, waiting for an opportunity to have them fitted professionally. A big thankyou to David Shultz of First bus South west for stopping by after work to fit them. Being 5 metres long it wasn't the easiest thing to do, but we got there. It was found that some of the upright panel beading was very fractionally off vertical and so was throwing the adverts off line. But with some master carving, hiding the lines inside the beading, the adverts sat straight.

Also big thanks to Darren Adams for designing and printing the adverts from our photo collection. Especially the Pearl assurance which looks perfect to the originals seen all over Britain from 1950s to 1970s.

The Harding's advert was for one of the brothers of the more locally well known Charles Harding furniture store on Mutley Plain. This one was based in the old Drakes Circus shopping centre. A little known fact : Fairway furniture is a continuation from the Harding legacy

SAT 15TH JUNE PLYMOUTH MOTOR SHOW STATIC DISPLAY

We attended the Plymouth motor show with Leyland Atlantean TTT 171X as static display, alongside Tom Pearce's Volvo B58 and a very nice period Bedford flat bed truck. We attracted some good attention throughout the day. Also being able to get back to Cadson in evening sunlight was a bonus

SUN 14TH APRIL M53 HOD PLYMOUTH TOUR

Ian Bryne's Volvo B6 M53 HOD made a welcome return to Plymouth's roads. We had a test run around some of its old routes. 24 to Mount Gould and Greenbank, 25 Barbican and west Hoe, 18 Millbridge, 46 city circular via St Budeaux, Pemros Rd, Ernesettle and the 61 West Park

APRIL 2024 IMPROVEMENTS AT CADSON

It was with great surprise when we arrived to do some work that the access lane to Cadson has been hardcored all the way from the entrance gate down to the barn entrance by our landlord. Plus drainage has been improved to clear lane of standing water.

SUN 31ST MARCH PLYMOUTH BUS CLUB 50th ANNIVERSARY SOUTH HAMS TOUR

P.C.T.P.G members were invited to attend the recreation of an original "Plymouth Bus Club" tour from Sunday 31st March 1974 around the villages and routes of the South Hams.

Organised by PCB members David Burch and Mervyn Kendall through TVGWT at Loddiswell, who also put the original tour together. The tour pretty much ran to the same time as 50 years before.

We took our members to Loddiswell with NDR 509J to join the trip leaving at 10am. The vehicle for todays trip was Bristol SUS 672 COD fleet number 600, with a total of 20 members of the 2 preservation groups onboard. The only thing missing was the original tour vehicle which was a Bristol SUL dual-purpose coach 317 EDV fleet number 1207. Based at Western National Laira depot. Though remarkably TVGWT had acquired one of the original fleet number plates "1207" so part of the bus did do the tour!!

Originally the tour started at Plymouth Bretonside and travelled out along the A379 to Modbury where we started the 2024 tour.

The first recreation stop was California cross just north of Modbury. The windswept tree had apparently only been chopped down a couple of years ago. The stump can still be seen in front of the California pub.

The next stop was Loddiswell Station on the old Kingsbridge branch. In the original photo it is Mr and Mrs (Paul) Burch senior

Travelling on into Kingsbridge and out to the Start point area of the South Hams, stopping at the tiny village of Beeson before turning at Beesands. Here it wasn't possible to get to the original photo shot.

Carrying on around the incredibly narrow and tight turned Start Peninsular we got to the village of East Portlemouth, opposite side of the river to Salcombe. Here the 3 original participants of the 1974 trip posed for a photo, L to R Mervyn Kendall. David Burch (holding 1207 fleet plate) and Philip Heseltine. Also the slip board painted by Paul Burch which used to accompany PBC tours if not using club owned PD1 89

Heading back into Kingsbridge and then onto Salcombe for an Ice cream stop. The next stop was South Milton

where a photo was taken outside a former coach depot. Passing Inner hope the next stop was Thurlestone. Then onto a very steep and tight hamlet of Buckland and down into Bantham beach where we were allowed to turn around in the private beach car park

APRIL 2ND VOLVO B6 M53 HOD RETURNS

Today Ian Bryne brought 53 back to our Cadson base from having an overhaul at Winkleigh. Also successfully passed M.O.T at Guscotts. It will be out for a members morning tour on Sun 14th April, departing Royal Parade at 10.30 returning by 13.00