Our 2024 Open Weekend was another success story for the GVVT.
A huge thank you to everyone who came along to our Annual Open Weekend.
We had over 2800 visitors over the weekend, including many first time visitors.
Carol Doran and her daughter posted about their visit on Facebook
We had visiting buses from all over the UK and Ireland many of which helped operate our free bus services and tours alongside vehicles from the GVVT collection. We had over 70 bus departures from Bridgeton each day (71 Sat and 77 Sun using 22 and 24 different vehicles respectively). A big thank you to the vehicle owners who made their buses available to ride on and also to the local bus companies who displayed their latest vehicles over the weekend.
Our visitors enjoyed free trips on a huge variety of buses ranging from the 1928 Leyland Titan to the 2006 Volvo B7RLE, there was something for everyone!
We could not run our event without our own team of volunteers who give up their own time to assist with GVVT events. We had 67 volunteers on Saturday and 77 on Sunday, with many working both days (plus pre-event preparation)! Duties include bus driving and conducting, entrance desk, shop, archive museum, bin emptying and cleaning! If you like to join the GVVT and help with our events you can do this here. Our patron, Ken Bruce volunteered on both days too!
Finally, a thank you from our patron, Ken Bruce
Don’t forget, you find our about our upcoming events at on our events page and on our social media channels.
It’s an absolute cracker, featuring over 100 images from the collection of the late Iain MacGregor, compiled by Phil Halewood.
Commemorating 100 years of Motorbuses in Glasgow we have 108 A5 pages in full colour. This book is only available from our online shop and our Wee Happy Shop at Bridgeton Bus Garage (only open on GVVT events and tour dates). All funds raised from this book support the work of the GVVT.
We just love this fly-thru video created by the very skilled Andrea Costa, with superb photography and drone piloting, it really has to be viewed to be believed!
Flying THROUGH buses – FPV ONE SHOT – Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust
Filmed at Bridgeton Bus Garage, the video is best viewed with earphones for the best experience! You can see some of Andrea’s other work on his YouTube channel or on Instagram
Andrea at the controls of the droneThe drone in the yard at Bridgeton
Don’t forget you can see more for yourself (from the ground) on our Open Weekend on October 12 & 13. Info: gvvt.org/annual-open-weekend
The countdown to Open Weekend starts at 100 with the launch of Paul Russell’s 100 Parade, an outstanding video account of GVVT’s historic celebration of a century of the motor bus in Glasgow, staged in August.
Experience GVVT’s collection of 130 buses and lorries plus 40 guest vehicles and a host of trade stalls at Open Weekend on October 12 and 13, 10am-5pm at Bridgeton Bus Garage. More at gvvt.org/annual-open-weekend
Back on the Road has marked its 25th anniversary with a celebration and a double funding boost.
As well-wishers gathered at Bridgeton Bus Garage to salute the GVVT programme which has helped steer scores of people out of addiction and into work, the People’s Postcode Trust announced an award of £21,452 and Glasgow Eastern Merchants’ Society revealed a grant of £5000.
With support by the Corra Foundation continuing, BotR looks to its past with pride and to the future with confidence.
Steven Booth addresses the guests at the BotR 25th celebration
More participants such as Alex will benefit. Aged 45, he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for 20 years, but under the guidance of programme supervisor Gordon Kerr, has learned work skills which have helped place his life on a positive path.
One of 37 guests at the BotR celebration, Alex said: “I worked as a labourer on building sites until drink and drugs took over and I became unemployable.
“Thankfully, I’m now in recovery and learning. Just getting up and coming to the garage means a lot. It’s a commitment, a routine and it has restored my self-confidence.
“Being introduced to coachbuilding and painting by Gordon has convinced me I can acquire skills and work again.”
BotR pre-dates GVVT by three years, and Alex is the latest in a line of more than 200 people in recovery who have benefited from the programme – a statistic founder Alistair Ramsay wouldn’t have dared forecast in 1999.
Former GVVT trustee and then director of Scotland Against Drugs, Alistair said: “Back then a lot of money was spent warning people about drug abuse. After 18 months of gruesome advertising, there wasn’t a single person who was not aware of the dangers.
Alistair and Aileen Ramsay
“However, there was nothing to help those in recovery get their life back together by getting a job.
“We turned to the former Glasgow Bus Museum and chose L446 as a restoration project. A six-month pilot proved so successful, similar projects were set up by SAD in Shetland, Aberdeen, Bo’ness and Dumfries, and BotR was flagship.
“After BotR relocated to Bridgeton and GVVT was established, the true hero arrived. Gordon Kerr was appointed supervisor and brought to the project not just a unique set of skills with the ability to pass these on to the participants but also an amazing ability to empathise with their issues.”
Gordon blends experience of coachbuilding with social care skills learned at college and puts BotR’s success down to its unique approach.
The guests view the Dart driving simulator, a recent BotR project.
He said: “I have an HNC in social care gained with support from GVVT. It has helped immensely because this job is as much about counselling as it is panel beating.
“We have developed our own techniques, working with empathy and we don’t judge. That’s how we have lasted.”
Gordon’s 20 years’ service was saluted by BotR board member Martin Walker, who also paid tribute to project co-ordinator Vince Ho and volunteers Heather MacDonald and Mark Caldwell.
Mark Caldwell conducts a tour of the facilities at Bridgeton Bus Garage
Other guests included Tracy Thomson, of NatWest Social and Community Capital, Veronica Hetherington, representing the Corra Foundation, and John Grady, newly elected MP for Glasgow East.
John said: “It was a privilege to join the Back on the Road team for their 25th birthday party.
John Grady MP with John Anderson
“It was incredibly moving to hear from the people the programme has helped, and I am sure it will transform many more lives over the next 25 years, too.”
GVVT has recruited its first patron – broadcasting legend Ken Bruce MBE.
The man who spins the hits insists he has spotted a chart-topper in Bridgeton Bus Garage.
Ken will take up his role on September 1, marking a major moment for the Trust as it seeks to build its position as a centre of excellence for preserving the transport and social heritage of Glasgow and the west of Scotland.
He will help broaden the appeal of GVVT to the public, encourage them to visit events, boost membership and raise awareness of Trust activities in the community.
Ken Bruce wearing his GVVT Bridgeton Bus Garage Polo Shirt
Ken – whose mid-morning show on Greatest Hits Radio boasts a weekly audience of more than four million – says: “Buses have been part of my life since I was taken to my granny’s in Riddrie in the 50s right through to owning several London buses in the 2000s, so I’m delighted to join GVVT as patron.
“It’s an excellent organisation which does so much to preserve the buses that are part of our heritage and does great work in the community.
“I look forward to helping continue their wonderful efforts at Bridgeton.”
GVVT chairman Steven Booth says: “To say we are delighted is an understatement. Ken is a great match for us – a Glasgow boy with a genuine interest in buses, especially those which operated in and around his native city.
Ken Bruce meets GVVT Chairman Steven Booth at Bridgeton Bus Garage April Open Sunday
“As a PCV licence holder, he has owned and operated buses. He is also a skilled and renowned broadcaster and communicator, all of which amounts to a unique blend of ability and experience to bring to the role.
“We are thrilled by the prospect of working with Ken and the possibilities this brings for the Trust to raise its profile and reach new audiences.”
Ken, who launched his career with hospital radio in Scotland in the 70s, switched last year from BBC to Greatest Hits Radio, taking PopMaster with him. Such is the immense popularity of the music quiz, he also presents it for television on More 4 and Channel 4.
Picture, John Devlin. 15/01/2020. GLASGOW. Glasgow Central Station.
Stock shot of Paul Lyons, tour guide and historian at Glasgow Central Tours.
Paul Lyons, historian, tour guide supreme and the face of television series Inside Central Station, will officially open the GVVT Family & Community Day on Sunday (July 28). Resplendent in trademark kilt, Paul will cut the ribbon and signal the start of a day of music and fun. Walk with Star Wars, dance to the Big Band, meet Tunnock’s, sail a model boat, drive the new bus simulator and more. Open 11am-4.30pm. Save time and buy your ticket online or pay on the day by cash or card! £8 adult, £7 Concession £6 Child, £22 Family.
We’re supporting Glasgow NE Foodbank – bring a donation if you can.
Our usual free bus service from the City Centre doubles in frequency for this event with buses operating every 15 mins, and it’s free – it’s the easier way! Free parking is also available in the streets around the Garage.
There’s more than ever to do at Bridgeton Bus Garage events. Now you can see, touch, ride … and drive.
Four exciting, very special attractions have been added – SIM 1, a high-tech, fully immersive bus driving experience for big kids and adults – Your Wee Happy Bus, guaranteed fun for enthusiasts of all ages, and two PlayStation 5 driving simulators complete with bucket seats, steering wheels and pedals.
SIM 1 is a three-screen, ride-on driving simulator with sound mounted on a moving platform. Climb on, select motorway, town or country roads, weather and time of day. Pick up your passengers and mind how you go – brake hard and rock forward, strike a kerb and feel the bump. Drive well and you’re king of the road.
The super simulator, specially imported from Australia, was purchased by Sir Brian Souter, co-founder of the global Stagecoach transport empire, and loaned long-term to Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust.
With its eye-catching Stagecoach bus front and video screen, find SIM 1 in the Clippies Cafe area next to Your Wee Happy Shop. The two PlayStation 5s, loaded with bus simulator games, are alongside.
Your Wee Happy Bus is by the ticket desk. Big, bold and packing fun, it was created by GVVT members and Back on the Road participants from the front of a former First Glasgow Dennis Dart and boasts driver’s cab and ticket machine. It offers safe access for all ages and with space and seats for the family, it’s perfect for snapping pictures.
There’s more to do at Bridgeton Bus Garage … and none of it costs extra. All new attractions are included in the admission price of events. Experience them and a host other special features at Family and Community Day on July 28.
Look out for our new selfie frames where everyone, young and old, is welcome to take a pic and share with your friends!
Steven Booth, chairman of GVVT, said: “We are delighted to be rolling out these new features which involved a big collaborative effort. I extend my sincere thanks to all who contributed to making the projects a reality. The results are fantastic.
“A special thank-you to Sir Brian Souter for the very generous loan of the simulator and PlayStations. Sir Brian and GVVT share a common view that heritage organisations and the bus industry must continue to grab the interest of kids to have a long-term future.”
• GVVT thanks the following for their assistance: Sir Brian Souter, Ewan Gray, Paul McKenna, Peter Grant, Kenneth Hay, Davy Scott, Mark Loughlan, Gordon Kerr, Stephen Templeman, Vince Ho, Martin Walker, John Kennedy, Duncan Hearsum, Dingbro, John Lawson, CKAS, Purdie Worldwide, Abbey Hodgson, Back on the Road.
We’re celebrating the centenary of the introduction of motorbuses by Glasgow Corporation Transport in 1924 with a special parade through the streets of Glasgow.
Buses were initially introduced to provide feeder services to the city’s massive tram network. The first route ran from Greendyke Street to Maryhill, starting on Monday 8th December 1924. In its first week over 46,000 passengers were carried. It had originally been planned to run the first service from Bridgeton Cross to Partick. The first buses were based at Parkhead tram depot in the east end.
Here’s the plan…
The main event will be a cavalcade of Glasgow buses through the years, from earliest days to present day, parading through Glasgow, starting at Glasgow Green (Greendyke Street), through the city centre and west end before finishing at Riverside Museum where the vehicles will go on display on the museum forecourt.
The route is proposed to go from Greendyke St, then right Saltmarket, through Glasgow Cross, left Ingram St, right South Frederick St, left George Sq south, St Vincent Pl, St Vincent St, Argyle St, Dumbarton Rd, through Partick, left Beith St, over the Expressway, left onto Castlebank St, right into Riverside Museum.
The parade will feature as many former Glasgow buses as we can muster. It will feature 111, the oldest surviving Glasgow bus from 1928, leading the parade with other vehicles then following in date order. We are hoping that representatives of today’s First Glasgow’s fleet will bring up the rear.
The date for the parade has been set as Saturday 3rd August. We hope you can find a favourite vantage point en-route to vitness this spectacle!
The approximate timings for the event are as follows:
•1030 – assemble at Glasgow Green near the People’s Palace •1100 – ‘Le grand depart’ of the parade from Glasgow Green. •Glasgow Cross •George Square •St Vincent Street •Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum •Riverside Museum •1145 – arrival at Riverside (assuming no delays or interruptions).
Kids from primary to pension age will snap up the latest book from Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust.
Claire’s Colour Me Bridgeton sprang from an idea by GVVT member Claire Hislop, writes Ed Bonner.
The student photographer captured 28 pictures of vehicles and scenes of Bridgeton Bus Garage and converted them to outline images for the A4-size colouring book. Packaged with crayons and priced £7.49 including P&P, it is now available from the Trust in shop and online.
When not behind the lens, Claire is a volunteer at GVVT open days, welcoming and assisting visitors.
• Claire’s Colour Me Bridgeton is available from Your Wee Happy Shop, open for events at Bridgeton Bus Garage, and online at gvvt.org/shop. Proceeds support the work of the Trust.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsOK
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
