Warwickshire News Mine

The trip will conclude their month long tour of the county to discover and celebrate the areas transport heritage, and will finish at the Best of British Festival this Sunday at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon.

During their quest Phileas and his sidekick have tried out many modes of transport including sedan chairs, rowing boats, horse-drawn carriages, cars and jet planes. On their travels they have been gathering stories of transport experiences from the people they meet and a website with all the stories is now online.

They will be arriving at the festival at 2pm on the Midland Red D9 bus, saved and restored by Wheels Heritage Bus Project.

Ashley Wakelin from Wheels Heritage Bus Project who restored the bus said: “Most of the volunteers on the project used to work with Midland Red buses. They were a great company to work for so we all share an interest in the vehicles as well memories of good times together.

“We have just opened a hire-office in the Pool Meadow Bus station in Coventry, so by running some of the buses for public hire we can also raise funds to look after others - it’s a great combination.”

The festival is a unique event celebrating British culture and also marks the 50th anniversary of the London Routemaster double-decker – sister to the Midland Bus and icon of Britishness. The venue, the Heritage Motor Centre, is the perfect host for this event, being home and guardian of many world-class vehicles made in the Midlands.

It will be a complete family day out, full of fun, with a range of car displays, arts and craft stalls and demonstrations, local food stalls, foxhound, ferret and terrier shows, Polo, fly-fishing demonstrations and much more. There will also be vintage and classic car rides, a big wheel and children’s activities.

The event will open at 10am until 5pm so come along and join Phileas for the last stop on his journey and tell him your stories of travelling in the county.

For more information about the festival call 01926 645120 or email events@heritage-motor-centre.co.uk. Alternatively visit http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk

More information about Phileas’ trip visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/20ways and send your transport stories to transportsofdelight@warwickshire.gov.uk

For more information on the Wheels Heritage Bus Project please visit http://www.wheels.co.uk

Around Warwickshire in 20 Ways is part of Museums and Galleries Month 2006, which runs from 29 April to 4 June. It is the world’s largest celebration highlighting the wealth entertainment, cultural enrichment and education that the UK’s museums and art galleries have to offer.

This year’s theme of Making Connections: Past, Present and Future, MGM2006 will see hundreds of events in museums and galleries around the country. Visit http://www.mgm.org.uk for further details of events happening in your area.

Link to WCC