Generations of Isle of Wight bus and coach staff will come together in Ryde this weekend for a special reunion celebrating the people and vehicles that have helped keep the Island moving over the years.
The Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum in Park Road, Ryde, will host its annual Vectis Day on Sunday (25th October), welcoming serving and retired bus and coach staff, along with their families.
The reunion has become a popular fixture towards the end of the summer season, giving former colleagues the chance to catch up, share memories and reflect on their years working in the Island’s transport industry.
Albums of historic staff photographs will be on display, with visitors encouraged to see how many familiar faces they can recognise.
Many of the images come from the collections of the late Reg Davies and Dave Evans, which have since been secured in the museum’s archive.
The photographs have proved particularly popular at previous reunions, as former busmen identify colleagues and recall their time working together.
The museum is also keen to receive further snapshots of staff pictured alongside their vehicles to help preserve the history of bus and coach operations on the Isle of Wight.
As part of the event, several short bus trips will operate from the museum between 10:00 and 16:00.
Among the historic photographs associated with the event is an image of Southern Vectis coachmen gathered on Ryde Esplanade in around 1965, with Ron Kitcher and Arthur Bartlett among those identified.
Vectis Day takes place at the Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum, Park Road, Ryde, on Sunday (25th October).
