Wednesday 1 August 2012

A visit to Oxford Bus Museum

Hi, breakfast was another gut busting meal. Yesterday I stuffed myself silly and suffered a bit when I went to bed, big meals just do not agree with me. My own fault, I can be a pig if I want to. So, breakfast was the full works, I felt I had to eat it all so I didn't offend my very nice B & B lady. Her two little dogs looked pleadingly at me in case a tiny morsel found it's way onto the floor.
I set off for a walk and left my car there for the day, it was slightly overcast but warm and dry. Not long before the combine harvesters come out to gather the crops.
My first stop was the Oxford Bus Museum at Long Hanborough. I had picked up a leaflet at the B & B and it looked pretty interesting. I like looking at old buses, especially if they are the type I used to drive in the late seventies and early eighties. It brings back memories. The first exhibit was a typical scene of an abandoned bus, there must be lots like this hidden in the undergrowth. It takes a dedicated enthusiast to search them out and restore them back to their former glory.
All aboard for a ride to the seaside.
This bus is a bit before my time, I'm not that old you know, ha ha.
But I remember driving buses like this one, I also remember putting one into a ditch, full of school children. Wasn't funny at the time but I can laugh about it now. There was a seperate drivers cab, and the steering wheel was so heavy I almost had to stand up to turn it.
I took this photo from the top deck of the bus opposite. The old ones are lovely.
Hey up, it's me. This mirror gives the illusion of the place being twice as long as it really is.
I remember tickets like this, the conductor usually had a little machine to punch a hole in it. Then the inspector got on and punched another hole in it.
This is a topless bus, used for sightseeing tours around city centres. Open top buses they call them.
Also at the museum is a Morris car exhibition. These old Morris Minors like this one are very popular amongst enthusiasts and collectors. I remember learning to drive in one of these.
Time is getting on again, I've had a full day which has made me a bit late getting to Carol's house. I don't want to keep her up half the night so I'd better call it a day. There are photo's of Bladen where  Winston Churchill is buried, and lots of Blenheim Palace. I will save them for another day, probably when I get back if you can hang on for them. Tomorrow is London, so I'll say toodle pip, and go to bed.

PS Blogger is mucking up the gaps between the photo's and text, which bugs me no end, bluddy blogger. I don't like it all scrunched up like this, I'll have to come back later to it and sort it out.

13 comments:

  1. interesting place and photos,

    Gill in Canada

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  2. Love the morry photo. hubby tried teaching me to drive in his but decided for the sake of the relationship to pay a professional to teach me instead. good idea as we are still together 40 years later ha ha.

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  3. I love the police car! I didn't know about this museum, so thanks for letting us tag along.
    Can't wait to see your Blenheim photos!
    Is it tomorrow that you visit ILONA?
    Jane x

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  4. In the second picture,the one with woman and child, is that a horse-drawn bus? Blogger puts two inches between my pictures and texts. I sort of like it better scrunched that stretched out too much.

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  5. There's a rather dapper elderly lady who lives round here who drives around in an identical police car!

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  6. I finally get a tour round parts of Britain following your adventures. Not bad for an old bird on the other side of the world, here in Tasmania.

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  7. We went to pick up some pigs once from a guy that collected buses, he had converted one to live in. The toilet, and shower were the drivers seat, yes you had to sit on the toilet to have a shower!! I have a photo somewhere we were amazed. It was very ingenious!!

    Love the museum, I didn't even know we had a Bus Museum in Oxford!!

    Sue xx

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  8. This has brought back a few memories of charabanc rides.

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  9. That was an interesting outing.
    Still hope to meet up with you on Sunday.
    Thanks for your phone call by the way. I had to keep the conversation short as I was in the middle of preparing our dinner. Sorry, if I came across somewhat ubrupt. Shall make up for this when we meet, I promise!

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  10. Hi Jane, I went to see Blenheim after the museum. There are that many photo's I have decided to post them when I get back. This net book is not very fast.

    Not to worry Sarina, I can't afford to talk for ages on a mobile.

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  11. Hello Ilona, dropped in for a visit from John's Don't Unplug Your Hub blog and stayed quite awhile to look around. Especially enjoyed your money-saving tips section. Many were new to me; others I have done. We are also returned and believe in living a frugal lifestyle. It's true that we don't deny ourselves, but we also do not spend foolishly or on things we can get for less$$. For example, there is no TV service in our home, we always check out thrift stores at home and when traveling, we only buy a grocery item if we are out of it or nearly out of it, books are only bought at library sales or thrift stores or more often borrowed from the library. All thrift store books are donated back after reading. We also have found some great bargains when traveling and one day will add these to our blog. This visit to the bus museum looked like a place we would visit too. And, like yourself, we have met a few fellow bloggers and they do indeed seem like old friends. We are hoping to meet more in the future. Thanks for the video on the corret pronnunciation of your name, which is very lovely. Feel free to drop in for a visit to our blog anytime as the guest mat is always out.

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  12. Looks like a great place to visit.

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  13. Just seen your blog and pleased you enjoyed your visit. Lots of new events and exhibits arriving this year as 2013 is the Centenary for Oxford Motorbuses and for Morris Car manufacture, so please come again. www.oxfordbusmuseum.org.uk
    Oxford Bus & Morris Motors Museums.

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