By Isle of Wight Observer
Classic buses toured the Island as the Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum hosted its annual Wightrider event.
The two-day celebration of the golden age of bus travel saw a fleet of heritage vehicles transporting passengers back in time as well as around the Island. Many of the buses and coaches were brought over from the mainland at their owners’ expense, giving visitors a chance to ride on vintage vehicles which once served towns and cities across the country.
This year’s programme included a special guest, a fully restored 1929 Leyland Titan, originally operated by Jersey Motor Transport, which ran during the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands. Its visit marked the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Channel Islands.
Museum chairman, Richard Newman, said: “It was fabulous; there were various trips to some of the Island’s top tourist spots including IW Pearl, Brading Station, which has opened up its heritage centre, and the Donkey Sanctuary, as well as visits to places like Newport, Seaview and East Cowes.
“We also had a trip to the IW Steam Railway at Havenstreet with an added bonus, as they were holding their own ‘Beer and Steam’ weekend.
“We had 50 vehicles from the mainland, as well as our own fleet and people took between 6-7,000 journeys. It was a great day with special thanks to our visitors from the mainland and all our volunteers at the museum, led by our trustees, who all give up their time for free.”
Isle of Wight Observer