North of the Border bus enthusiasts from Lathalmond Bus Museum, Scotland, called in on Saturday to view the activities of the Aycliffe and District Bus Preservation Society, Aycliffe’s only accredited museum, on their way to Lincolnshire for a ‘busman’s’ holiday.
The visitors were told how the Society structured itself as a working collection and networked with regional museums and collections to provide its outreach to the public.
The visitors also saw the Society’s IT and Archive facilities from which members of the Society are digitally scanning an extensive photographic collection prior to launching it on the Internet and via Beamish, Locomotion and Head of Steam Darlington, as a research facility.
The visitors also inspected the current restoration project, 1982 Leyland National bus ex United Automobile Services Ltd single decker, MHN 131W. The stop over concluded with a run on the Heartbeat bus together with the recently finished 1958 LS coach before heading south to ‘yellow belly’ country.
The Society has just renewed its full Accreditation status, now overseen by the Arts Council. This achievement concludes a very successful year which included a celebration of 100 Years of United. It has given confidence to the members as it looks to 2013 for new challenges and events in which to display its collection of vintage buses.
For details about the Society visit our website www.aycliffebus.org.uk or call Ian Wiggett on 01325 317657.
