Trolleybus Restoration Group’s 23rd Annual Show
Restoration Group Chairman Ion Castro was there of course taking pictures and explaining the event. For the past 22 out of 23 years the Hastings Trolleybus Restoration Group’s annual show has been on the third Sunday in May and this
year was no exception. Sunday 17th May saw the 23rd Annual Show which was a resounding success despite the absence of Hastings’ iconic and unique former trolleybus, ‘Happy Harold’, which is still undergoing major surgery in the engine department. Everyone seemed very pleased with the event and we had lots of exhibitors, lots of visitors and lots of sunshine, and can confirm that the show will go ahead next year, (Sunday May 15th 2016) hopefully with Happy Harold in attendance.
The fine weather brought out over a hundred classic and vintage buses, commercial vehicles, cars and, for the first time we were lucky enough to have Hastings Miniature Railway, from Hastings Old Town, attending with one of their trains, they laid some track and ran a service for the public to enjoy – the train can be seen running behind the row of buses with the mock tudor Hastings Museum in the background. Amongst the more unusual exhibits was an amazing 1926 Albion 2 ton. 24HP lorry Found as scrap in 1967 and, after restoration,
travelled New Zealand in 1972, then back to UK for a run from London to Brussels. Amongst the buses, the one being admired by my 19 month old granddaughter, Amelia Castro, was KYY529 a 1950 RT 1702. In 1950 this bus toured Europe as an exhibition bus for London Transport, after that it was tour bus for the Festival of Britain in 1951 and it looks as if little Amelia has inherited my love of buses! Another visitor was John Jempson’s recently restored DYM54 1936 , 6cyl sidevalve Commer N3 Lorry. Amongst the buses was double deck fleet no 5385, an Ailsa which is the only survivor of 5 trialled in Hastings in 1976 and former East Kent Bristol VR, and converted by them to open top after a disagreement with Swalecliff Rail Bridge in 1981 and the driver gave rides round the town. There’s more about Hastings Trolleybus Restoration Group on their website www.1066.net/trolley.
Hastings Town July 2015
All articles, photographs, films and drawings on this web site are World Copyright Protected. No reproduction for publication without prior arrangement. (Hard Copy Back Numbers Still Available) © World Copyright 2015 Cinque Ports Magazines Rye Ltd., Guinea Hall Lodge Sellindge TN25 6EG