Time has been called on the popular Isle of Wight Classic Buses, Beer and Walks Weekend, with organisers confirming the annual event will not be making a return.
The event, a collaboration between the IW Bus Museum and IW CAMRA, had grown from an initial attendance of 3,000 visitors and 40 buses to 20,000 visitors and 105 buses by the 2019 event.
Visitors travelled from all over the UK, as well as international visitors which included a vintage bus driven across from Belgium. It was estimated to contribute up to £500,000 each year to the Island economy.
The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the 2020 and 2021 events from taking place but equally gave the organisers an opportunity to reflect on the stress and strains of previous events.
Tim Marshall of IW CAMRA has said:
“The decision to ‘call time’ on the event was not an easy one to make. The event was organised by a small group of volunteers with specialist backgrounds who gave their time at no cost. However, with planning taking nine months to complete, this would be unsustainable in the long term. Also, the loss of some key members from the organising team, including the sad passing of IW Bus Museum chairman Bill Ackroyd during 2021, had been contributing factors, alongside many restrictions that would be necessary to implement, even in a post-Covid world”.
Although the Beer and Buses Weekend won’t be returning, a smaller event will be held in the Ryde area.
Ben Bartram from the IW Bus Museum explains:
“Although the event will no longer be held in the same way, true enthusiasts of beer and classic buses are promised to still be well catered for. The IW Bus Museum will hold major weekend events on 14th/15th May and 8th/9th October 2022, when we hope to attract a reasonable number of visiting classic buses to the Island, operating services in the Ryde area and beyond. It is hoped that visitors and locals alike would make a weekend of it and visit the IW Bus Museum, ride on the classic buses in service, whilst also visiting local pubs and venues.”
Tim adds:
“IW CAMRA are hoping to collaborate with the IW Bus Museum in the future on some small pop-up events. A joint campaign with Southern Vectis is also likely, reminding the public that it is possible to travel around the Island 365 days of the year, visiting many great pubs and venues whilst seeing the sights from the top deck.”
On behalf of their respective organisations, the event co-ordinators would like to thank all the landlords, advertisers and the dozens of volunteers, but especially all the vehicle owners who brought their buses from all over the UK to take part.
Such sad news. Was a great event
That is such shame, it seems like they are a victim of there own success.
Also, some people not to happy with the bigger crowds and pub crawl lagar lout elements creeping in.
Sad, but understandable. best of luck with the ‘pocket’ versions.
The last bus running weekend was a lot nicer without the beer! look forward to visiting the museum again for the May event.
I agree, I used to take my kids and it was just lovely being on the old buses. We couldn’t get a seat when it morphed into Beer & Buses, however I was pleased it was successful for them.
Yep, agree. My boys loved the old buses – hopefully, the two smaller events will be decent!
There are places you can ride old buses but you would have to pay a fee
Something the people who didn’t enjoy the pubs refused to see. It wasn’t a free ride for children it was an experience for adults and bought in a lot of revenue for the many out of the way establishments.
Its not all about children. If you really want them to appreciate such things it would be a good opportunity to show them the true cost. There are many private tours that run at little profit or volunteering to survive.
There’s nothing stopping anyone from organising their own beer & buses weekend with their friends. All you need is to have a route and a 24 hour group rover ticket for 5 people (£5.20 ea). I would like to think Island publicans & Southern Vectis would be switched onto this?
It is not the same now is it.
What you are suggesting sounds more like a STAG DO.
Shoot it down already.
Typical island attitude.
So sad – it woke the island up no end in October!!
Sad to hear it’s going, but great fun while it was here. Thanks to all those who organised and volunteered, to make the event a great success.
Sad news,was a great event
I sincerely hope that all of the young islanders who used it for a pub crawl, being drunk very early in the day and had no interest whatsoever in the buses are really happy now; and those that caused several of the beautifully looked after buses to have to be taken out of service during saturday; I hope that you are really proud of your actions !!
Speaking to the volunteers at the bus museum it was not the young but the middle aged people or older who refused to buy a programme and due to red tape the organisers were not able to charge a fee without incurring the need for public Liability insurance etc rendering it financially pointless and also removing the old fashioned spirit of the day which was what made it a unique experience..
I’m tired of the ill informed laying claim to something they have no real knowledge of.
It does nothing for the fight of the project concerned.
That’s not strictly true. Whilst you can never put a wise head on young shoulders youngsters will drink too much in a short space of time, at least they brought a programme and spent money in the pubs during that weekend. The real culprits were the individuals/couples(generally retirement age) that never brought a programme, travelled on a route, stayed on the bus, never went into a pub and contributed diddly squat to the weekend. Free loaders.
BLOOMING BABY BOOMERS !
Expect everything for free.
And always the first to moan.
Very Sad. I hope notification s are made for any future
Hope notification s go out for future smaller event s
Such a shame. I know the organisation of this project is huge but it brings in revenue.
My comment is, WE pay for The bid to encourage tourism shouldn’t this be a project they oversee?
So agree the buses are such an asset to the Island and the volunteers a credit. Such a shame the bus museum can not be houses in the old ice rink. So we can reach a wider audience and see them regularly run down Ryde front. Not just for a couple of weekends.