Brooklands Bus Museum Spring Gathering Review

The Brooklands Bus Museum Spring Gathering was another very enjoyable event, helped enormously by clear skies, sunshine and surprisingly warm weather for the time of year, which made for an excellent day for both visitors and photography.

A major highlight was the presence of Reading Buses celebrating its 125th Anniversary, with Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV “4” (RG04 ZEB) appearing in its striking anniversary livery. It was a real standout vehicle and attracted plenty of attention throughout the day.

Another major theme of the event was the celebration of Green Line and its anniversary year, with a strong variety of vehicles carrying Green Line livery in attendance. Particularly notable was Arriva Kent & Surrey’s 4106 (SN17 MKE), presented in heritage Green Line livery for the 724 service to Heathrow Airport, which was a fitting tribute and one of the standout modern vehicles on display.

Stagecoach London once again delivered a strong and varied showing, bringing not only the regular Selkent special liveried vehicles that have become a feature of these events, but an especially impressive selection this year, including Ambassador (12345), Diplomat (11066), Envoy (11011), East London Ambassador (12400), Spirit of London Remembering 7/7 (11377), and Wright Electroliner (82112) in Macmillan Cancer Support livery. Together they created one of the strongest operator-presence displays of the event.

Another strong feature was the excellent showing from Arriva Kent & Surrey overall, who brought a very good mix of modern and preserved vehicles, adding both variety and depth to the line-up.

Other notable mentions go to Go-Coach for bringing the interesting WrightBus Rightech RB6 electric minibus, which attracted plenty of attention as a less commonly seen vehicle type.

One of the true stars of the event, however, was THM 515M, the remarkable Daimler Fleetline-MCW rebuilt in 1991 for the “Supercar” One Day Travelcard promotional advert. With its Fleetline front end, London Underground tube carriage centre section, and Network SouthEast train front end at the rear, it remains one of the most unique road vehicles in preservation. It garnered huge attention throughout the day and, as a result, required a good deal of patience to photograph properly — though it was well worth the effort.

The North East also had a welcome, if small, presence at the event, which added a personal point of interest. Former Garnetts Coaches Volvo B7TL Wright Gemini (LX05 FBL) was a pleasing sight, alongside former Go-Ahead London WVL172 and former Go North East 6942 (LX54 HAA), itself formerly Go-Ahead London PVL390, both now preserved. It was particularly good to see North East-linked vehicles represented among such a nationally diverse line-up.

With over 140 buses in attendance, the scale of the event was impressive. What made this year especially interesting was that more than 50% of the vehicles present had not attended either of the previous two events I’ve been to. That made the line-up feel much fresher and more engaging, and rewarded repeat visitors with plenty that was new to see and photograph.

Beyond the display itself, the event offered much more than static exhibits. The free shuttle network was a real asset, with free Service 462 linking Weybridge Station and Library with the museum using both heritage and modern accessible buses, alongside new-for-this-year free heritage links to Cobham and West Byfleet. The additional feeder service operated by First Bus London added even more connectivity for visitors.

The wider event programme was also a major strength. The bus tours using the museum’s beautifully restored 1925 Dennis 4-ton and 1930 AEC Regent added a unique historical dimension, while heritage trips beyond the museum site, taxi rides in the historic London Beardmore cab, and behind-the-scenes workshop tours all added to the depth of the day. For families, the Children’s Area, balloon modelling and the ever-unpredictable Professor Crump helped ensure there was something for all ages, making the event feel much broader than a traditional enthusiast gathering.

That said, there were some recurring frustrations. Bus parking was again too cramped, with vehicles positioned very close together, which impacted photography and, in some cases, limited appreciation of the vehicles themselves. Stewarding was also an issue at times, with repeated obstruction of photographers, which detracted from the experience and is something that would benefit from review at future events.

Overall though, despite those criticisms, this was a very strong Spring Gathering with an excellent turnout, some exceptional visiting vehicles, a much-improved variety of exhibits, an extensive supporting programme beyond the displays, and ideal weather conditions. I thoroughly enjoyed the event and would recommend it to anyone in the North East enthusiast community considering making the trip in future. The Spring Gathering is, in my view, the event to aim for, as the Summer and Autumn events are generally not as well attended. An overnight stay is advisable, and I tend to stay in Weybridge town centre, which works well as a base for the event. For anyone considering going in future, it is well worth the journey.

Hi everyone, just wanted to share a recent experience from this afternoon to raise awareness and help keep people safe while out spotting.

While taking photos of buses, I was followed from Sunderland Road into Gateshead Town Centre by individuals from Shomrim. For clarity, Shomrim are a volunteer security / neighbourhood patrol group who support and look after the Jewish community.

There were four individuals, all communicating with each other (including via mobile phones), who followed me across multiple locations. I attempted on four separate occasions to disengage and asked to be left alone, after briefly explaining I was a transport enthusiast. Despite this, they continued to follow and confront me, eventually surrounding me, which caused alarm and made me feel unsafe.

Police (Northumbria Police) were contacted, attended, and confirmed I was acting within my rights and allowed me to continue my day. They also spoke to the individuals involved separately.

? Key reminders for all spotters:

✔️ Photography in public is legal
You are well within your rights to photograph buses in public spaces across the UK.

✔️ You do NOT have to show or delete your photos
Only police have limited powers in certain situations—not volunteer patrol groups or members of the public.

✔️ You are not required to stop or engage
You can politely refuse and walk away if approached.

✔️ Keep interactions brief and calm
A simple line like:
“I’m a transport enthusiast taking photos in public”
…is enough. Avoid arguments.

✔️ Do not be intimidated by numbers or persistence
Even if multiple people approach you, they have no additional powers.

✔️ Trust your instincts
If something feels off, remove yourself from the situation early.

✔️ Stay in safe, public areas
Use busy locations, shops, or transport hubs if you feel uncomfortable.

✔️ Contact police if needed
Call 101 for non-emergencies or 999 if you feel threatened, followed, or unsafe.

✔️ Log and report incidents
Make a note of times, locations, and descriptions—this helps build a picture if behaviour is repeated.

⚠️ Take seriously if:
You are being followed between locations
You are repeatedly approached after refusing
You are surrounded or feel intimidated

This is NOT normal and should be reported.

Sharing this so others are aware—not to cause concern. Bus spotting is a completely normal hobby, and everyone should feel safe doing it.

Stay safe ?

Has anyone been and attended this year?

 I was going to go today but weather has put a stop to that, I believe the A66 is closed at Scotch Corner. If it is, wondering how much of an effect it has had on attendees, both entrants and public?

10th May 2026:

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB10 East Stanley Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED 62 (62A) Doxford International Pennywell

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB1 Blackhill Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB2 Bridgehill Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB4 Shotley Bridge Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB5 Consett Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB8 Stanley Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB9 Stanley Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED X10 Newcastle Peterlee

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED X10 Peterlee Middlesbrough

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED 32 Low Moorsley Sunderland Docks

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED 20 (20A) Durham Sunderland

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB3 Medomsley Edge Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED 6 Lanchester Newcastle

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED 65 Seaham Durham

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB6 Rowlands Gill Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB7 Castleside Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED X20 Sunderland Durham

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED X31 (X30, X32) Stanley Newcastle

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED X71 (X71A) Newcastle Consett

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Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED X1 (X1A, X1B) Newcastle Peterlee

The £2.5M Revamp of Stanley Bus Station is set to begin from April 7th

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0e74gxyj3go

Stagecoach Newcastle (Slatyford and Walkergate) are in pay negotiations again as of 26th March 2026. The company have offered a deal of a total percentage increase of 7% by June 2027. 

The deal is a 2 year deal with the first increase being from April 2026 a 2.8% increase, a further 1.25% increase in November 2026 and then a final 2.95% increase from June 2027 putting the final hourly rate at £16.88. 

Voting on this deal is happening on 22nd April 2026. Let’s hope it doesn’t lead to strike action again.

I know about LinkUp and U Call, have there been any other examples of DRT or Rideshare schemes up here.

We’re planning timetable changes for a number of services across Sunderland, Washington, Hexham and Gateshead due to come into effect on Sunday 10th May 2026.

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/share-your...r-services

Services up for tender in July are

9/25/25A/10/11/12/24/26/29/90/92/R3/R4/R6/50/51/52AM/51/52PM/96/99/319/515/558/568/643/939/R5/67/69

Some of the odd ones here as to the website the following are

51/52 seem to be two different tenders for an AM & PM

The 939 is mentioned twice

Im not entirely sure which 12 they are on about. I thought it was the 12 in South Shields but thats in may as its grouped with the 13

The 67/69 dont share a contract but im not sure its always been the case or not

No 644 so im assuming thats commercially ran by GNE

Also im not sure which part of the 9 is nexus as it interworks with the 8

Services up for tender in May are

8/12/13/32/35/36/79/82/82A/168/520/594/935