Transport Museum Wythall will separately hold an assembly of Bedford coaches and buses and mark the return of its Harrington Gathering for coaches and other vehicles from that manufacturer during 2026.
The first Harrington Gathering was staged in 2023. It will be held again on Sunday 17 May 2026. The museum hopes to see “the largest ever gathering of Harrington coaches and cars, plus any other Harrington coachbuilt product that surfaces in the meantime,” it says.
A date for the Bedford coach and bus gathering is awaited, but it will welcome all such products from that manufacturer regardless of age. Further information and details of the date will be published later in 2025, Wythall says.
The Bedford event in 2026 is in place of this year’s planned Bedford OB gathering, which is cancelled. Owners of those coaches have informed the museum that insufficient examples are available to stage the planned meeting.
It has been decided that the iconic front-engined model will be celebrated every five years instead, with the next OB gathering to be in 2029, following 2024’s 85th anniversary event.
A good response was received to the inaugural Harrington Gathering at Wythall in 2023. It drew 400 visitors and a selection of coaches representing eight decades of the art deco-inspired designs on various chassis.
A single-deck bus with Harrington bodywork was also present during 2023, along with a number of cars showcasing the manufacturer’s workmanship.
Information on the 2026 Harrington Gathering will be released later this year, but the museum advises that owners of those vehicles will be welcome for the whole weekend.
Wythall will provide a shuttle service to local accommodation plus an evening pub meeting for those staying overnight. Vehicles will also be kept secure between Saturday and Sunday, it advises.
