Walworth Bus Depot Open Day (Saturday 19 July)- Vintage Bus rides to Dulwich

[officialeastdulwich]

On Saturday 19 July 2014, Abellio?s Walworth Bus Depot in south London will open its doors to members of the public in the next of a series of bus garage open days across the capital in celebration of the Year of the Bus.

Visitors to Walworth Bus Depot will get the chance to:

- Take a free trip on vintage buses from Walworth Bus Depot to Dulwich, with departures every 20 minutes. In addition a special vintage bus service will operate on route 100 between Elephant & Castle and Shadwell;

- View a wide selection of heritage vehicles including London Transport Museum?s newly restored B-type bus;

- Take a ride through the bus wash;

- Jump up and down on the bouncy bus;

- Go on a ?behind the scenes? tour of the engineering and operations function of the depot;

- View the Year of the Bus mobile exhibition which tells the story of the London Bus and looks to its future;

- Take part in family activities about how to use the transport system safely and responsibly with the Transport for London (TfL) Safety and Citizenship team and pick up your free bus-themed family activity sheets;

- Find out more about a career with Abellio as a bus driver ? a recruitment bus will be on site for anyone interested in finding out more;

- View model railways from the Southwark Model Railway Club;

- Browse the London Transport Museum pop-up shop selling exclusive Year of the Bus gifts, and stalls selling bus-related merchandise and memorabilia.

The bus garage open days are part of TfL?s celebrations to mark the Year of the Bus, in partnership with London Transport Museum and the capital?s bus operators. All proceeds generated from the Walworth Bus Depot Open Day will be donated to charity.

Walworth Bus Depot occupies a site originally acquired as a tram depot in 1891. It was known as the Camberwell Tram Depot until 1950 when its name changed to Walworth with the arrival of buses at the site. Major rebuilding work took place during the 1950s to repair bomb damage from the Second World War. The current depot re-opened in 2004 after being fully refurbished with the latest environmental technology including solar panels on the roof.

The first bus garage open day was held at Catford on 10 May and attracted around 3,000 visitors. Since then, Alperton, Stockwell, Fulwell and Potters Bar Bus Garages have all opened their doors to the public to offer behind-the-scenes access in celebration of the Year of the Bus.

Events and activities are being held throughout 2014 to celebrate the role that London buses, bus drivers and the staff who support them play in keeping the capital moving, and mark a number of important anniversaries. These include 60 years since the creation of the original and iconic Routemaster, 75 years since the launch of its predecessor the RT-type bus, and 100 years since hundreds of London buses were sent to the Western Front to play a crucial role during the First World War.

Buses are a vital daily service for millions and one that is very local, with the vast majority of Londoners (95 per cent) never more than 400 metres from a bus stop. Buses link homes to jobs, schools and hospitals in every part of the capital. They are the backbone, and often the forgotten workhorses, of London?s transport network.

Further information about Year of the Bus events can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/yearofthebus and www.ltmuseum.co.uk

The Year of the Bus is supported by and delivered in partnership with Exterion Media, Abellio, Arriva London, Clear Channel UK, Go-Ahead London, Metroline, RATP Dev UK, Stagecoach, Wrightbus, Optare and Telent Technology Services.

(East Dulwich Online Community)

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