BristoL Vintage Bus Group Registered Charity number 1083056 ANNUAL REPORT 2023 / 24
BristoL Vintage Bus Group Registered Charity number 1083056 ANNUAL REPORT 2023/24 The Executive Committee is oLeased to report on another very succe5sfuL year for the Group and presents this report to members. Outreach Some school involvement was again possible this year, although they are generaLly not happy for us to provide rides owing to their safety concerns because our vehicLes Lack seat belts, ALthough these are avaiLabLe on hired coaches, they aren't fitted to Service buses 50 presumably the chiLdren are never taken on these eithefft We did manage to pay visits to three primary schools in the area during the year to show the pupils what pubLic transport looked Like years ago. Under the auspices of the respective Parent Teacher Associations, we were abLe to provide free rides for the Year 6 (eLeven-year-oLds) pupils of two LocaL schools as part of the children's Prom ceLebrations. We have aL50 been fostering a link with the Museum Service's working exhibits, based at L Shed on the harbour5ide. Our involvement with them is Listed in the Events piece beLow and we hope to deveLop this further in 2024/5. Gettin Out and Abo STALL The 5talL made appearances at the bu5 raLLie5 at ALton, Barry, Cotswold Barn, Stroud and Yatlon. It was a0 in attendance at the two harbourside bus dispLays that we organized as weLL as, of course, our own mini running days in ApriL and October. We also had a particuLarLy profitabLe time at our big event at the BrisLington Park & Ride site in JULY. We have successfuLLy introduced card payment5 to the list of skiLLs acquired by the saLesforce, BU RALLIES and EVENTS Firstly, at the end of November 2023, there wa5 a repeat of the previous year'5 Twilight Run through the city centre, finishing up at the Cribbs Causeway maLL. There was some confu5i0n about the route, which Led to the 5maLL convoy breaking into two parts twice and originally terminating in two different parking places at Cribb5 but, overaLL, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We shaLL definitely be repeating it in 2025, hopefuLLy minus any misunderstandings. The 2024 raLLy season attendances were as foLLows'. On l ApriL we held our season-opening event at FLower5 HILL. One week Later than usuaL because of the earLy Easter holiday, Another 5maLL, but successfuL event, in spite of the growing problem of other parked vehicLes on the trading estate, May Saw u5 rnount a Sunday dispLay of buses outside the M Shed museum on the Bristol harbourside, the Ryde Bu5 Museum weekend event was attended by Lionel Tancock's Bristol L coach and the Group supported a bus rally at Yatton railway station.
June featured attendances at the Barry FestivaL of Transport, a di5pLay of buses at the Aerospace Museum at FiLton, the Royal Blue Run entered by Lionel Tancock with his coach, and our staLL and a bu5 at the Stroud Vintage Bus Show. July had us at a CLassic Coach Gathering in CheLtenham, with LioneL Tancock's and Richard Avery'5 coaches and a bus at the ALton Bus RaLLy. The 28th was the date of our Bus Show at the BrisLingtor) Park & Ride site. Once again there was a good turn-out of buses and coaches for the event, we managed to offer a good number of free rides, Julie Tancock's refreshment5 team did brisk business (thanks to them for aLL their hard work during the year) and both exhibitors and visitor5 seemed happy with the day. Thanks are aL50 due to the marshaLs and other5 who made the whoLe thing possible. We were aLs0 once again extremely grateful to Alan Peters and Mike WaLker for their sponsorships. The first weekend in August was the GLoucestershire Vintage & Country Extravaganza at South Cerney. Another very enjoyable (and profitable) weekend. Congratulation5 to the crew who stay with the vehicles acr05S the three days. The month also saw Richard Avery's MW bus attend the Victory Park Summer Picnic in Brislington and we attended the Cotswold Bu5 RaLLy with a bus and our staLL. September Saw attending the CrickLade & Swindon Railway for the first running of a restored AC RaiLbus, travel there being by MW bu5. There was a Second buses dispLay of the year outside M Shed, this time on a Saturday to judge any diffference in footfaLL. Lionel Tancock's coach attended the Kingsbridge 7,6" event and we had a bus on dispLay at Museum Square and sorne free 5huttLe runs aLong CumberLand Road to link Museum Square with UnderfaLL Yard on Historic Harbour weekend at the end of the month. Vehicle5 Concerning the Group'5 own vehicLes, at the start of our reporting year.. the RE was finaLLy back on the road. The Mercedes sat idle for a 51gnificant part of the year owing to 155ues with her rear brakes. RepLacement cylinders were not easy to obtain but the work did eventually get done only for her to need replacement cabLe5 for the parking brake by year end. The step Dart repeatedLy reminds us of her presence. The fuel pump needed attention after Leaking on a trip to get an MOT test - turned away - and the injector pipework was replaced. New front tyre5 were fitted and the wind5creen5 and destination box gLass removed and refitted with new rubbers. The fuel pump subsequentLy failed on the second trip to get an MOT test carried outl The Lengthy job of replacing it was started in the current year, The VR on extended Loan from the Aer05pace Museum had a Leaking radiator, which the volunteer5 at Aer05pace were happy to mend. This turned out to be a protracted business and in the meantime the Group acquired another second-hand to get her back on the road. The originaL is now back with us. Some attention was paid to the indicator wiring so that She could be (succe55fuLLy) presented for an MOT test. There wa5 a bus added to the colLection when Culina advised that they were disposing of a BristoL-engined Bristol Omnibus FLF. She was open topped when di5P05ed of by BOC and had subsequently been converted into an event hospitality vehicle, with catering faciLities in the
lower 5aLoon and the top deck used as an open viewing platform, with raisabLe plastic cover. Work was commenced on stripping her out and removing the awning fixed to her nearside. The intention is to re-equip her with seats on both decks and to return her to the road a5 an open-top bus. She definitely needs a repLacement clutch and some refurbishment of other part5 of her running gear is going to be nece55ary. A photograph of the bus in 'as delivered, state is shown on the front cover of this report. Work on members, vehicles continued apace.. a fuLL OIL change on the 'J' type seem5 to have cured the strange noise that the engine was making. GHT 154, the BristoL Tramways K5G, needed repairs to her radiator. This ultimately got sent away for professionaL attention, including fitting a modern core. the Western NationaL K6A is another bus in need of a new cLutch. bodywork repairs were virtually compLeted on the LeyLand PDI. This has left a Lot of fiLLing and sanding to be done before a repaint. Her rear spring5 were sent away for refurbishment and subsequently refitted, as were a new Set of tyres. Towards the end of the year, it was decided that we needed to move on the LS coach formerLy owned by the Late John Grigg. MechanicaL work had been carried out on her by John and body paneLs replaced before a repaint. She had been completely stripped out internalLy, Mowever, and with aLL the other work involved with the fleet there wa5 no way we saw her being restored under our ownership in a reasonabLe timescaLe. Having advertised her for sale we weie very pleased that she was bought by a weLL-known preservationist, Roger Burdett, who is in the proce55 of completing her restoration, Premises Various work has been carried out on the FLowers HILL buildings incLuding the regular chore of cleaning out the vaLLey gutters. We were contacted by Avon Fire & Rescue as they needed to carry out an inspection of our premises. This threw up a number of issues, most of which we were aware of, but some of which need attention sooner rather than laterl This has meant that major work on the eLectricaL instalLation in Unit H has been put on hold whiLst the more pressing i55ue5 are addressed. Media Josh Hughes has done a sterling job enhancing our social media presence, monitoring the situation for any probLematic material. We have a presence on X, Facebook and In5tagram. Finance Members WILL note from the Annual Accounts that we had another satSfaCtory year. Governance At the Annual General meeting in March 2024 Richard Avery stepped down as Secretary and thi5 role was subsequentLy taken up by Aled Ree5. Nick Sommer wa5 Co-opted by the committee to fiLL the vacancy and subsequently took on re5ponsibiLity for the rllinutes.
Bristol Vintage BLJS Group Income and Expenditure Account Year ended 31 October 2024 2024 2023 INCOME RaLLy sales Stock saLes 111 Other sales (21 Storage charges Donations MisceLLaneou5 income 13) Membership subscriptions Total income 5,238 862 10,040 5,900 2,165 2,575 1,190 3,860 404 1,437 7,616 3,453 1.260 1,576 27,970 19,606 EXPENDITURE Stock Rally expenses 141 VehicLe expenses 151 Propety expenses Sundry expenses Administration expenses TotaL expenditure 5urpLus (Def icit) for the year 240 930 7.717 7,463 412 418 1,092 857 12,844 12,650 814 386 17,180 28,643 10.790 -9,037 BaLance5 at end of year.. Current account PayPaL account 52,766 589 53.355 41,897 331 42,228 TotaL Notes.. (l) The late John Grigg left the Group his BristoL LS coach. A5 there wa5 no prospect of our having the time to restore her. she was soLd on to a well-known presepdationist for £IOk. (2) John's death meant that the Group lost £IOO/month of storage income, so depite charges rising a year ago, less money was raised. The space 15 now being Daid for again. (3) The proportion of Life membership5 grows as the total membership decreases. There may be a need for a recruitment campaign. (4) The previous year's exceptionaL items have not been reoeated. (5) An overcharge of £2.5k for electricity in the previous reporting year was refunded in this and we continue to find ways to reduce utility C05t. eg.. fitting LED lighting. Dayley Lawrence Treasurer g March 2025
Bristol Vintage Bus Group Annual Accounts 2023124 Inde endent Examiner's Re ort I confirm that, with the information provided to me by the Bristol Vintage Bus Group, these Accounts are a true and fair representation of the financial situation of the Group. Anita Manning (Mrs) 69 Duckmoor Road Bristol BS3 2DH 24 August 2025