Free bus travel in Morecambe to celebrate 100 years of Ribble Motor Services

The Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust (RVPT) will be operating its popular event on Sunday May 26, where a selection of vintage buses will run on various routes between 9.30am and 6pm.

This year also marks the centenary of Ribble Motor Services, and the trust will be hosting a larger event at Morecambe Football Club as well as Morecambe Promenade.

With a selection of vintage buses, many from the old local Ribble Company, RVPT will operate a free service from Carnforth railway station, Happy Mount Park and Heysham Village to the Morecambe Football Club & Promenade every 10 minutes.

As well as a display of vintage buses and coaches on the promenade near the Midland Hotel and at the football club, there will also with open top tours subject to good weather.

A spokesman for RVPT said: “This is a great day out for all the family, while parents and grandparents can reminisce, the younger passenger can experience the sounds and smells of the past, chirpy conductors and possibly even try their hand with an old ticket machine.

“With additional easy access to Morecambe from the M6 via the Bay Gateway, you could start your public transport day out with great train links to Barrow in Furness, Skipton and Leeds or catch the bus from Preston or the South Lakes.”

There will be offering bi-directional bus stops at Carnforth Station, Morecambe Winter Gardens, Happy Mount Park and Heysham Village.

There will also be the popular Bare Circular, stalls selling memorabilia and three mystery tours (which last approximately 40 minutes) on vintage coaches.

Programmes will be available on the day for £4 with full details and timetables.

Additional attractions for 2019 include:

Stories of yesteryear, by film and sound archives.

New Ribble 100 book signings

Memorabilia stalls

Food and drink at Morecambe FC

Open top buses

VINTAGE BUS RUNNING DAY

Preserved buses ranging in age from 75 years to 25 will be available to operate a free service between Heysham Village and Carnforth railway station via Morecambe promenade and Happy Mount Park. The service will operate every 10 minutes between Happy Mount Park and Heysham and every 20 minutes between Heysham and Carnforth.

Buses will operate from 9.30am to 6pm.

Passengers may board at the Winter Gardens or the three termini but there are no other intermediate stops.

There will be an additional “L14 Bare Circular” operating on a frequent basis from outside the Winter Gardens on the promenade.

A vintage coach will also offer “mystery tours” in the afternoon.

As well as the service there will be a static display of buses and coaches on the promenade adjacent to the Midland Hotel and at Morecambe Football Club.

The main theme of both the service and the display will be buses which operated with Ribble Motor Services but other local operators will be represented, including Morecambe and Heysham, Barrow, Preston and Blackpool.

An RVPT spokesman added: “Carnforth Station, famous for the film ‘Brief Encounter’, has been named one of the most romantic location on Trip Advisor, so why not come and take a photo under the famous clock and catch the vintage bus for afternoon tea at the 1930s art deco Midland Hotel’s Rotunda bar overlooking the beautiful Morecambe Bay.”