The 2023 edition of Imberbus, the one-day vintage bus service from Warminster to the abandoned village of Imber on the Salisbury Plain, raised a record £38,000 for good causes last Saturday (19 August).
Twenty-five Routemaster buses as well as guest vehicles from operators such as Delaine Buses were used in the 14th annual staging.
The buses carried around 10,000 enthusiasts to the village evacuated in 1943 which is now on Ministry of Defence land used for training purposes and with only limited public access. Tilshead, Chitterne, New Zealand Farm Camp, West Lavington, Market Lavington, Brazen Bottom were served en route.
The fleet included a modern-day electric Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV – powered by Zenobe’s mobile charging technology, which is used on route 63 in London and which stood out from the crowd with its Pride in London wrap.
Speaking about Imberbus 2023, organiser Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill says: “The Imberbus team were amazed at the number of people who came to the event this year, bringing us record breaking attendance as well as funds raised for charity.
“We’d like to thank everyone who came and spent the day with us at Imber. The day proved to be more popular than ever. All the bus drivers and conductors were exemplary, especially given the number of people who bought tickets.
“We welcome any feedback and will be reviewing how the event went so that we can improve the experience for attendees next year.”
Tickets were priced £10 for adults and £2 for children and the funds went to local and national charities. Last weekend’s event surpassed the previous busiest in 2019, when 4000 people attended and £25,000 was raised.
Alastair Willis, Head of Commercial, Abellio London, adds: “It is always exciting to be at Imberbus. We were delighted to be able to celebrate the future of Bus and EV technology alongside the rich heritage of our industry. Zenobe’s innovative mobile battery technology ensured that everyone at Imber had an unrivalled opportunity to travel on, and learn about EV buses.”
