Year of the Bus celebrates two centuries of buses with Regent Street Bus Cavalcade
- DATE: SUNDAY 22 JUNE 2014
- TIME: 11:30-18:00
- LOCATION: REGENT STREET, LONDON W1
- ADMISSION: FREE - JUST TURN UP
Almost fifty buses from the earliest horse-drawn model of the 1820s right up to the New Routemasters of the present day will transform Regent Street in the heart of London's West End on Sunday 22 June in celebration of the Year of the Bus.
The Regent Street Bus Cavalcade, which will allow visitors free, unprecedented access to the most celebrated London buses of the last 185 years, will be held along the entire length of Regent Street which will be closed to traffic for the day.
There will also be a variety of free family activities on offer including Lego workshops, a children's theatre show and the chance to have a personalised message recorded by the voice of London buses, Emma Hignett.
The most modern buses - including those powered by hydrogen, electricity and hybrid technology - will be stationed near Oxford Circus, with vehicles increasing in age as visitors make their way towards Piccadilly Circus. Buses on display from a bygone era will include an example of the earliest horse-drawn bus, motor buses - including London Transport Museum's recently restored B-type bus, a trolley bus and the original and iconic Routemaster.
Visitors to the Regent Street Bus Cavalcade will also get the chance to
Visit a bus shelter and bus stop made entirely out of Lego outside Hamleys toy shop. Lego will also be holding workshops for children throughout the day where they can make Lego bus stops to take home
View theatre performances throughout the day - full of fun, feathers and laughter - of the much-loved children's book Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Take home a personalised announcement recorded for you by Emma Hignett - the voice of London's buses
Visit the Battle Bus exhibition and find out about London Transport Museum's newly restored B-type bus which will be on display at the event. These buses were commandeered in large numbers during the First World War and converted into 'Battle Buses' to carry soldiers to the frontline and were also used as ambulances and even mobile pigeon lofts
Visit the London-based contemporary jewellery company Tatty Devine's stall which is launching a bus-inspired jewellery range created especially for the Year of the Bus. Tatty Devine will also hold jewellery making workshops on board a London bus
Browse London Transport Museum's pop-up shop selling exclusive Year of the Bus gifts inspired by London's classic red buses. Shops along the length of Regent Street will open at noon
Re-fuel at the London Transport Pop-Up Canteen. The Regent Street Bus Cavalcade, which is supported by the Regent Street Association and The Crown Estate, is part of Transport for London (TfL's) celebrations to mark the Year of the Bus which is organised in partnership with London Transport Museum and the capital's bus operators.
Leon Daniels, TfL's Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: "I'm delighted that Regent Street will play host to fifty buses from across almost two centuries in what will be a hugely memorable tribute to the humble London bus. The cavalcade will give Londoners and visitors to the city a unique chance to clamber aboard an exciting array of vehicles from the 1820s to the present day with lots of other free activities on offer to keep the whole family entertained. Buses have always been a key part of transport in London and this flagship Year of the Bus event will ensure that London buses, the bus drivers and the staff who support them get their richly deserved moment in the spotlight."
David Shaw, Head of the Regent Street Portfolio at The Crown Estate, said: "Over 90 per cent of those who come to Regent Street arrive by the great public transport delivered by TfL. We have partnered successfully with TfL on the Oxford Circus diagonals and the Piccadilly two way scheme. The Regent Street Bus Cavalcade is an important part of the Regent Street event programme and will be great fun."
Events and activities are being held throughout 2014 to celebrate the role that London buses 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 the Year of the Bus 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.
- For more details about the Year of the Bus Cavalcade and other Year of the Bus events, log on to http://www.tfl.gov.uk/campaign/our-events and www.ltmuseum.co.uk
- Special theatre performances of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! performed by the Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company and aimed at children age 3 and up will be held at 12:00, 12:45, 13:30, 15:00, 15:45 and 16:30. Performances last approximately 10 minutes with a 10 minute photo opportunity for families after each performance
- Emma Hignett, the voice of London buses, will be available to record personalised announcements for 20 minutes at 12:45, 13:45, 14:45 and 15:45
- More information about Tatty Devine's jewellery making workshops is available at www.tattydevine.com/events
- Further information about London Transport Museum's recently restored B-type bus can be found at http://blog.ltmuseum.co.uk