Nottingham City Transport (NCT) will mark 100 years of the South Notts bus operation with a celebratory weekend on 18-19 July that will bring together preserved vehicles from across its history.
The South Notts centenary weekend follows the unveiling in March of a heritage-liveried bus to commemorate the first South Notts service operated between Gotham and Nottingham on 13 March 1926.
South Notts was bought by NCT in 1991, but the identity has been retained by the municipal operator, and branded double-decks are used between Nottingham and Loughborough every 20 minutes.
As part of the celebrations, a cavalcade of buses will run from Nottingham to Loughborough, passing their former Gotham Garage, on the Saturday.
The line-up is expected to include preserved South Notts vehicles from different eras, ranging from older single-deck and double-deck buses that once operated from Gotham Garage through to more recent vehicles that served the route under NCT ownership. The vehicles are being assembled in partnership with preservation groups.
Among them will be that 2015 Scania Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double-decker repainted in heritage livery and and re-introduced 100 years to the minute after the first journey departed from Gotham.
The Sunday programme will centre on a South Notts-themed open day at Nottingham Heritage Vehicles Charity in Hucknall. A commemorative book charting the operator’s history will be launched during the weekend.
Anthony Carver-Smith, NCT Head of Marketing and Projects, says: “We are delighted to be celebrating a centenary of South Notts with a special weekend in July.
“The return of preserved South Notts vehicles to the area operating along a route that’s been a key service for a century will be a real treat to enjoy.
“We pass our thanks to all parties who are supporting the celebrations on what is going to be a truly memorable weekend”.
