Country Bus Rallies
updated 3rd July 2009

RLH48 at Chart, March 2000 Do you like GREEN London Transport buses?

Do you enjoy days out in the Country?

Do you remember glorious days on Green Rovers?

Answer yes to any of these and Country Bus Rallies are for you. Whether you are a bus enthusiast, a fifties fanatic, a number collector, a photographer, or someone who just likes a good day out, Country Bus Rallies are the thing for you.

They happen on about five Sundays a year, during the warmer (if not drier) months. Preserved green London Transport buses, mainly from the fifties and sixties - and their drivers and conductors - plus a few red friends, gather together for a day running services around a market town somewhere in the London Country Area, places like East Grinstead, Hertford and Dorking.

RLH48 at the Carpenter's Arms, Chart, on a preparation day in March 2000.

RTs and RTL at Easy Grinstead, April 2000 There are proper published timetable for the days, that can be obtained in advance so that you can plan your excursions and make connections. There are enough buses for you to do this, with connecting points scattered around in towns and villages - and at pubs. We even try not to leave anyone behind at the end of the day! Sometimes events conspire to wreck the best of well-laid plans, like road closures, drivers getting lost, or even punctures. It all adds to the enjoyment if you come in the right frame of mind!
Connection time at East Grinstead, April 2000. King Street suddenly filled with green RTs and RTL1256 as buses on routes 409 and 709 passed through in both directions.

Getting there
can be done in several ways: public transport from London is one, and there are often free feeder services from various places around London. (Details in programmes or from here a few days before each event).

RF679 at Tonwell, September 2000
Next Event

Sevenoaks, Sunday 12th July 2009.

A return of the popular south-east running day, with a mixture of London Transport and Maidstone & District routes Click here for more information, including a limited number of feeder services.


This family used the 384A to complete their Sunday afternoon walk in rural Hertfordshire. RF679 at Tonwell, September 2000.

Cost?
Well, its free. Yes! The owners of the buses enjoy these days, when their buses actually carry passengers like they used to. Back in the fifties and sixties Sundays were the busiest days for the Country Area, and they had to borrow buses from the red Central Area in order to cope.

We hope that participants may buy a programme for the day, containing the timetables and items of interest, which help to defray the costs of the day, but you don't have to buy one to travel on any of the services - or to watch!

When and where?
Q83 at East Grinstead, April 2000

10th-11th January 2009: St.Albans.
Sun 26th April 2009: East Grinstead.
Sun 17th May 2009: Horsham.
Sun 7th June 2009: Hertford, Hitchin & Stevenage.
Sun 12th July 2009: Sevenoaks
Sun 2nd August 2009: Eastbourne
Sun 6th September 2009: Leatherhead
Sun ?? September 2009: Loughton & Epping

GS1 at Hertford Bus Station, September 2000, testing blinds for the 2001 Stevenage event.


Past Events
GS1 at Gomshall, September 2002
Click on the name to see an illustrated report*
12th-13th January 2008: St.Albans.
Sun 18th May 2008: Sevenoaks.
Sun 1st June 2008: Hertford, Hitchin & Stevenage.
Previous years:
* There were more CBR events than this in 2008, but for a variety of reasons (illness, holidays abroad) I missed most of them.

GS1 crosses the narrow bridge at Gomshall on a special 448 working on 1st September 2002.

What sort of buses?
The theme for most events is London Transport 1950s and 1960s, so you can reasonably expect RTs, RFs and GSs. An RLH or two make appearances sometimes too. Most of the buses are green, but there are some red ones, a reminder that on Summer Sundays in the fifties the Country Area had to borrow heavily from the Central Area to keep up with demand. There is a growing more modern contingent too, with Routemasters, Leyland Nationals, AEC Reliances... plus non - participating visitors. As the Country Area abutted other operators there may also be some planned routes using preserved buses of Maidstone & District, Southdown, United Counties...as appropriate. Have a look at 2005's Gravesend report.

Q83 at East Grinstead, April 2000
Where can I buy a programme / timetable?
Programmes for each event can be obtained for about a month in advance of each event. They include the expected allocation/running sheet.
Send an A5 SAE with cheque or postal order for £5.50 to:
Country Bus Rallies
19 Hampton Way
East Grinstead
RH19 4SG
Programmes can also be purchased on the day, but buying one in advance will help you plan your day (and is £0.50 cheaper!). Possession of a programme is not required to use the services.

Some journeys that we expect to be heavily in demand will require a free control ticket to be obtained from the control point before boarding.

Q83 makes a visit to the East Grinstead Day, April 2000.

Who organises it? What should I know?
RT604 at Dorking, September 2001 RT1700 at East Grinstead, April 2000 Country Bus Rallies are a group of volunteers, who have come together to offer these events. They have a wealth of experience in bus preservation, and enjoy sharing their hobby with the public through these running days. It is NOT a business! The group has no obligation to provide the services, to operate in accordance with the published timetable, or to provide particular buses - but do try!

The buses are mostly provided by private preservationists. Some have private vehicle insurance, some are public service vehicles.
Please respect the vehicles, which are elderly and cared for in their owners' spare time. Enjoy your day, and help others to enjoy theirs.

RT604 was seen between turns on the Dorking Day, September 2001, while RT1700 was at the East Grinstead Day, April 2000.

GS62 at Chart, April 2000

Text and photos by Ian Smith. Click on photos for a larger picture.

Ian Smith and Ian's Bus Stop have no official connection with Country Bus Rallies, although I have enjoyed riding and recording some of the events in the last few years, and am regarded as group photographer for the events I can get to. Information is provided in good faith, but I have no responsibility for organising or providing facilities.

The reports are purely my personal record of the days, and not an official record, so the emphasis is purely mine and not that of the CBR organisers. Some aspects of the days get overlooked by me, or left until next time, so apologies to anyone who expects comprehensive coverage of all aspects!

The shadows lengthen at the end of the day as GS62 arrives at The Chart to meet with RF679 and GS1, before they all take different routes back to East Grinstead. (April 2000)

OTHER ORGANISERS also have London-orientated running days and rallies in 2009.
Please note that although many of the buses and participants in these events may be the same as on the CBR events,
Country Bus Rallies have no responsibility for any aspect of their organisation or content. Amersham & District are organising a number of events, but because when I mentioned them here people applied to us for programmes instead of to the organisers you will have to look them up for yourselves.

Ian's Bus-stop SA 2008 DG2008 HG2008 WP2008