ROYAL BLUE RUN – 17-19 June 2022

This was the 21st Royal Blue & Associated Motorways coach run to see preserved coaches retracing original routes they plied when in service. The 2021 Royal Blue Run was a five-day epic but 2022 returned to the traditional three-day format within compass points from Birmingham in the North, Portsmouth in the South, Gloucester in the West, and London in the East.

We were privileged, and grateful to TfL, to set out from Victoria Coach Station on Friday 17th June. This mass departure of vintage coaches formed one of the spectacles in the year-long VCS90 celebrations marking 90 years since this important coaching hub was opened.

The run was an intricate combination of joint Royal Blue/ Greyhound, Associated Motorways, Elliott Bros era, and Tourist (later Royal Blue) routes. Remarkably only short stretches had been covered in previous runs (further details of which can be found here) underlining just how extensive the coaching network once was. On Friday the run ended in the Birmingham area, travelling west and south towards Salisbury on Saturday, continuing to Henley-on-Thames (via Portsmouth!) on Sunday.

Victoria Coach Station - Royal Blue coaches preparing to depart on the 2016 run.
© Peter Delaney
 

The route was planned in considerable detail to check the suitability of traditional roads (with modern-day traffic management features) for the vintage coaches.  The outline of the route covered each day is illustrated below. 

The purpose of the Royal Blue & Associated Motorways runs is to showcase these fine coaches in authentic settings offering an opportunity for the public and photographers across the country to enjoy the bygone scene.

The vehicles are privately owned and, regrettably, it is not practicable to offer public rides along the way. Real-time coverage via our Facebook page gives a convenient way for virtual travellers to sample the experience. Highlights from the 2021 Royal Blue Run give a flavour:

COACH ENTRIES

Coach entries for the Royal Blue Run have been warmly invited to participate in all or parts of the run but entries are now closed.  Entrants are provided with a full set of route instructions and timings for the proposed run but are at liberty to vary these.

COACHES PARTICIPATING

Some of the coaches entered to participate in some or all of the 2022 run:

PREVIOUS ROYAL BLUE RUNS

Information about previous events can be found here. 

You can take a virtual trip on our 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 runs on our Blog and our Facebook page has video coverage from the 2018 and subsequent runs.

Background

Our Royal Blue Runs were established in 2002 so that owners and their passengers can relive the pleasures of long distance luxury coach travel for which their carefully preserved vehicles were originally intended. The aim is to follow original Royal Blue routes as closely as possible and to travel at a leisurely pace redolent of the times. The runs also create a wonderful spectacle for innocent bystanders and dedicated photographers alike, thanks to the hard work and resources the owners have devoted to restoring and maintaining their fine coaches.

A lot of work goes into planning the runs from selecting routes from the extensive Royal Blue network and researching the original drivers’ instructions and passenger timetables, preparing maps and outline routing, driving the routes to develop detailed instructions allowing for modern day features and constraints, organising refreshment stops, obtaining parking permissions, to identifying potential accommodation for a dozen or more coaches and their passengers. Despite all the preparations, final timings are hard to judge whether due to roadworks or things that might pique the interest of crews along the way. The coaches do not travel in close convoy so as not to inconvenience other road users. Some drivers have also been known on occasion to deviate from the intended route (unintentionally!).

Overall the focus is on education and enjoyment and we hope that however you take part you share in the pleasure.

From the earliest days of Elliott Brothers’ Royal Blue luxury services, coaches frequented Cheddar Gorge as this c. 1928 photograph recording a visit to Gough’s Caves shows.	Part of the authentic re-creation of TV&GWOT’s Royal Blue Runs saw 1951-vintage Bristol LL6B (Fleet No. 1250) descending Cheddar Gorge in 2012. © Colin Billington	Spectacular scenery on the 2018 Royal Blue Run with MW6G 253KTA (2270) on of the 12 participating coaches © Chris Drew

(C) Copyright The Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust

Company Registered in England No. 5035702.  Registered Charity No. 1125980