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| Index | Diary | Officers | Membership Map | The Omnibus Magazine | Library and Archive | Branches | Presidential Weekend | Useful Links |

Membership Map

A Unique Organisation

Routes, vehicles, liveries, timetables; past, present and future - only the Omnibus Society, as implied by its name, covers all these aspects of the bus industry. Instead of focusing on one specialised area, we cover a wide range of subjects and give our members access to the realities of the bus industry. Our aim is to enable everybody with an intelligent interest in buses to find out not just what is happening but why it is happening. And no other enthusiast group can match the opportunities which the Omnibus Society offers to gain a broad understanding off the industry.

Whether your prime interest lies in past or present operations, company or route history and development, fleet changes or any other aspects, the Omnibus Society will keep you informed. Meetings of the Society are regularly addressed by leading figures from within the industry and we run visits to operators and manufacturers and longer study tours. The Omnibus Magazine contains a wealth of topical and historical articles and records route developments across the country; the magazine is backed up by more detailed regional publications from affiliated local Branches. The society's extensive archive of timetables, photographs and other printed material offers extensive research facilities.

In short, the Omnibus Society exists to study every aspect of the history and onward development of road passenger transport.

Services

• Meetings
  
  Society meetings are held in venues all over the country. Speakers are widely drawn to cover current bus and coach industry developments; historical aspects; prospects for the future; and generally to provide the opportunity for those with knowledge and experience to share their thoughts with others of like mind.



• Visits
  
  Visits are made to operators, depots, control rooms and factories throughout the country. Some outside events take the form of a study tour on one theme, such as recent route developments in an area. There is a weekend study tour each year under the auspices of the Society's President (who is usually a senior manager within the industry, but in 1999 was an exceptional journalist - Stephen Morris, Editor of Buses).



• Omnibus Magazine
  
  The Omnibus Magazine is the official journal of the Society, published bi-monthly and containing a wide spectrum of articles on current and past practice, of interest to enthusiasts and industry personnel alike. It is fully illustrated and has overview news of route developments from all areas, plus a diary of Society events and notices.



• Branch Bulletins
  
  Branches publish their own bulletins covering developments in their area. Members receive the bulletin of the branch to which they elect to be attached and can also subscribe to any combination of bulletins for other areas.



• Research Groups
  
  Specialised interest in the history of services in the LT area is catered for by the London Historical Research Group, whilst the Provincial Historical Research Group covers the rest of the UK. Both co-ordinate members' projects and provide a means of exchanging information, with regular meetings and newsletters.



• Library
  
  The John F. Parke Memorial Library, located at Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, contains a unique collection of rare and out of print books and periodicals available for reference under normal library conditions. A separate London-based library at Acton houses our LT-related collection.



• Timetable Library
  
  Also located at Coalbrookdale, this is recognised as being of national importance. The Society's comprehensive timetable collection is constantly being added to and contains complete sets going back to pre First World War days. The oldest and rarest are now being saved to microfiche, to make future reference easier.



• OSMART
  
  Omnibus Society members can subscribe to the OSMART sales service which is affiliated to the Society and which buys items of bus literature and complete collections at prices equal to, if not better than, those of commercial dealers. Catalogues are issued at approximately six-weekly intervals, in the first instance to subscribing members only, who thus have first choice of purchasing many rare books, timetables and other ephemera at sensible prices. Details of the relationship between OSMART and the Society can be found here.



• Photo Service
  
  Prints from historic negatives donated to the Society by members over the years are made available in lists at regular intervals. Many of the images date back to the 1920s and 1930s and are professionally printed from the negatives of eminent recorders of that era. The collection is growing constantly.

National Network

The Omnibus Society is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. The Society's own activities are supplemented by those of affiliated branches and groups across the country. Branches, each of which organises meetings and visits and publishes a regular news bulletin, cover the following areas:

• Scotland
• Northern (North East England)
• North Western and Yorkshire
• Midland
• South Wales and West
• Eastern & Southern

Historical research is the focus of two bodies; the London Historical Research Group (LHRG) is a branch in its own right whilst the Provincial Historical Research Group (PHRG) is an affiliated group open to members of any of the seven branches.

Membership and How to Join

Full membership gives access to all key services of the Society. Members may also elect to join an affiliated Branch or Group and can subscribe additionally for the publications of Branches other than the one they join. Full details, including the current rates, are set out on the PDF file membership application forms. Completed forms should be posted to the Membership Application Secretary, The Omnibus Society, Willow Cottage, The Street, Bromley, Tadley, RG26 5DD.

Updated 31 October 2007, T J Harper terry.harper@btinternet.com