NEWS FROM THE OMNIBUS SOCIETY

Five prominent busmen helped the North Western & Yorkshire Branch of The Omnibus Society to celebrate its 75th anniversary near Leeds on Saturday [22 October]. The five are all members of the branch and former Presidents of the society. They are Geoffrey Steel, former managing director of Wallace Arnold; Stephen Morris, now general manager Bus Users UK; Peter Shipp, chairman of EYMS Group; Peter Bell, former managing director Preston Bus; and Giles Fearnley, now UK Bus managing director for First. They joined more than 40 society members for a lunch, followed by presentations by the five Presidents that combined reminiscences with some hard-hitting words from Peter Shipp – on the many serious threats facing the bus industry, including concessionary fares reimbursement, EU regulations, BSOG, government interference and the future of tendered services – and from Giles Fearnley on the unnecessary complexity of the concessionary fares scheme and the time and money expended on the recent Competition Commission investigation. Displays traced the history of the North Western & Yorkshire branch from its creation in 1936.

Omnibus Society members travelled to and from the event in a 1938 Keighley-West Yorkshire Bristol K5G double-decker, now owned by Giles Fearnley and his former Blazefield colleague, Stuart Wilde.

Photo shows the five Presidents with the 1938 Bristol K5G, joined by another OS President, Gavin Booth of Bus Users UK, who was a guest at the event. L-R Geoffrey Steel, Giles Fearnley, Gavin Booth, Stephen Morris, Peter Bell, Peter Shipp.

Facebook Page

The Omnibus Society now has a Facebook Page. As you will no doubt have noticed just about everyone is talking about Facebook. Love it or Hate it, most companies and organisation now have a page on Facebook. Our page gives general information about the Society and allows Facebook members to click a link taking them direct to our main webpage. Any OS Members on Facebook please visit our page and "Like us" on Facebook!

North Western & Yorkshire Branch’s June 2011 weekend in Northern Ireland

A report from the recent North Western & Yorkshire Branch's weekend trip to Northern Ireland has been added to the Branch page. 27 Members and friends attended the trip with included a visit to the Wright Group factory at Ballymena.

2011 Presidential Weekend

Details of this years Presidential Weekend have been added to the 2011 Presidents page.

Photo Sales Website

We are pleased to inform members that the photo sales website is now open for business. The photosales site is provided by a 3rd party company IFP3 and can be visitied by clicking the link "Visit Our Online Shop" at the top left corner of this website. Alan will continue to add photos to the site as time permits. Any questions regarding the photo sales should be directed to Alan Oxley  osphoto@joxley.co.uk 

The 2011 annual general meeting of the Omnibus Society took place at 14.30 on Saturday 4th June 2011 at the South Yorkshire Transport Museum, Rotherham, (www.sytm.co.uk)

Around 25 members attended and those arriving into Doncaster were able to travel to the venue in restored Sheffield, Roe bodied Leyland PD2, 3156 WE. Members were able to take a look around the impressive museum collection prior to meeting, and were made to feel most welcome.

During the meeting Barry LeJeune retired both from council and his position as Chairman, his place on council was filled by the election of Kenny Barclay the society's webmaster.

An Emeritus Award was also made to Ken Swallow. Ken joined the OS in 1952 and the award was given in recognition of long and distinguished service to both the Society and its affiliated bodies. Both Ken and Barry are now the first ever Emeritus Vice Presidents of the Society.

After the meeting the return trip to Doncaster was made aboard Doncaster Corporation Transport, Roe bodied Leyland PD2, 388 KDT. This vehicle is rather special since its body was formally a trolleybus no. 395