RT8 The return to London Part 1

OK no apologies for the length of this and tomorrows post as we follow RT8's return to London on Friday. I will be putting the posts up over today and tomorrow and would like to thank all those who contributed photos including, David Thrower, Russell Young, Chris Ruff, Paul Dickson, Bob Stanger, Dean Sullivan and Mark Kehoe.
The day was beautiful weather wise as the invited guests and RT8 eyed each other up. We were lucky to have such a wide range of people who had helped or contributed to the project from the beginning, including our guests and friends Molly and Scott who travelled all the way from St Louis, USA to represent the Museum of Transportation who donated the vehicle to us and who were the custodians of it for over 40 years.

Some body who just had to be onboard was our own Peter Howes, who is the man responsible for around 95% of the work on the vehicle and who has been tasked to work on the vehicle now for the past four years.

The first stage was to run to London where we would meet the remaining guests who had chosen Central London as opposed to Purfleet to join us. The venue was Aldgate Bus Station, where with TfL permission and a bay very kindly set aside for us RT8 pulled up around 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

The old meets the new with Enviro and RT side by side. It was interesting how many of the drivers came over to have a quick look over the vehicle, fascinated by how their predecessors had driven the same routes as they do today

With everybody ticked off on the list it was at 1330 time to move on to the Embankment where a lunch aboard the permanently moored boat the Hispaniola had been arranged. Ross Newman swapped over with Leon Daniels who drove the bus out of Aldgate and onwards to lunch.

Inside a party atmosphere reigned as RT8 made its way through once familiar streets for it. This was her first time in London for some 50 years and later when she re-entered service on a regular route, the 15, it would be her first time carrying passengers in our capital since 1955.

Leon, said he didn't stop smiling all day as this picture bears testament to. Or maybe that was just because he found a parking bay right outside the restaurant...

On the Embankment empty whilst everyone had lunch, RT8 drew dozens of tourists and families at one point queing to have their picture taken in front of her. There is something very iconic about Londons older generation of buses, that crosses age, sex and nationality with just about everyone passing commenting, waving or taking a picture.

And then it was time to leave the lunch venue and head off to Charing Cross, and a short run on the 15's, which already having so many guests on didn't leave a great deal of room for 'regulars', but we had 12 seats available so the time for her to re-enter was here...

Tomorrow I will finish the update with part 2 but for those regulars amongst you, the new blog following all we do with the vintage fleet will be at this address