Archive Item of the Month
Our Archive Collection
Until the 1960s or so, most families did not own a car, so travel to and from school or work, for days out or holidays was by bus or coach.
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The Trust has examples of these, from across the south and west, and across the last century, in its care – but there is much more to help understand the way our parents, grandparents or great-grandparents used them.
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Just delve into our Archive and discover how families and communities were connected over the years...
Archives connect people, places and the past
Timetables, for example, show that in the days before online streaming services delivered films to your palm, special bus services would take people home after a visit to the cinema.
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Other services took pupils to school, or adults to work.
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Leaflets show the range of excursions and tours people enjoyed in their leisure time.
Archives show our changing lives
Other items reveal the social history of those who worked 'on the buses', sometimes within paperwork, or from audio recordings of those involved.
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Photographs and cine film of the buses and coaches also show so much more ... the passengers, their fashions, street scenes etc
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Many locations have changed beyond recognition in the intervening years; others present a puzzle to match views 'then' and 'now'.
Archives give a fresh perspective
Our archives include:
1000s of photographs,
100s of books on the subject,
contemporary magazines &
official literature,
models of the vehicles of a
bygone age,
engineering drawings,
examples of uniform,
tickets and machines,
destinations blinds,
company signs,
badges,
and more......​
Archives are for sharing
The Trust is always pleased to add relevant material to its collections held in special archive rooms in Devon and Berkshire.
Visitors who would like to consult our archives are welcome, by arrangement, to either location.
In the first instance, please email archives@tvagwot.org.uk to find out what material we may have of interest to you.