Here's a few more shots from my day out at the Amberley museum. I have fond memories of the "good ol' days" when many of the historical exhibits on show were familiar sights around here. This was in my youth when things weren't so hectic as they are now. I'm not convinced that "progress" is necessarily an improvement.

Not many people had a car when I was a lad. We used public transport which as I remember was far cheaper & more reliable than it is now. I often travelled on Southdown buses similar to this although they might not have been exactly the same type. The open-top buses were used in the summer, mainly on the tourist routes. Some are still in use today for private trips. The adverts are all authentic & I remember them well.



We had 2 Dennis 'fire engines' just like this at the local Lancing fire station. I'm not sure there's been a local fire station since the fire service was "centralised". The bell was much less intrusive than the sirens in use today but it served its purpose well.


I travelled to & from school every schoolday for 6 years on a steam train we called the "Steyning Stinker". The railway line was torn up many years ago & no longer exists. These locos are much smaller & the rolling stock quite different but this was a familiar sight.



This bus was in service in the early 1920s - long before I was born despite any rumours to the contrary. Never been on an open-topped bus before so I had a trip on it to see what it was like. I'll try anything once. It has solid rubber tyres & wooden seats. Not built for comfort. I wouldn't want to travel far on it.



I took this from "upstairs" on the old bus. Just like the Worthing bus depot I remember from my youth.


Happy days.

Beautiful photos Doug, and really clear, looks like you had perfect weather for that day

The wife wants to know if they'll be running a service in December as she wants to have a go Madder than a v.mad thing

Yoinks...that's stone age stuff!

But still v. cool!  8)

That green bus your's Hagar. After all it says ask for Haig. Some nice pictures. They almost look like the old die cast models I had as a young child.   

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Thanks Ben. It might seem better looking back but you only remember the good things. They were good times & I can't imagine what it's like for you growing up now. It was certainly less hectic in those days. I'm not easily embarrassed. Mum used to send me out to follow the milkman's cart with a bucket & shovel. Very good for the garden it was.

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Thanks Iroquois old chap. No it's not mine although I am partial to a drop of the hard stuff occasionally. I prefer Bells.

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Thanks Jaffa - I think. I've been called a lot worse than prehistoric in my time.

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Interesting Andrew. I don't use them now but I think double-decker buses are in regular service in many places in the UK. They still operate all along the south coast & certainly in cities like London & Brighton. (Brighton & Hove was were? recently made a city.)