100 years is an important anniversary to mark.  It was on 10 July 1920 that the Thames Valley Traction Co. Ltd was established with its initial Headquarter Offices in a house in Maidenhead, alongside a depot for the motorbuses.

TV&GWOT planned a celebration in 2020 but a COVID lockdown thwarted that, then in 2021 the Centenary+1 event was a lonely occasion as legal restrictions on passenger numbers and gatherings undermined any public running day.

2022 presents fresh opportunities and TV&GWOT is determined that this important Thames Valley Traction Co. milestone should be recognised, not just by enthusiasts but also by the public, possibly unaware of the significant origins of today’s public transport on their doorstep.

The Thames Valley Traction Co. Centenary Revival will take place over a weekend.  Although yet to be finalised, the outline plan is for:

The Running Day will be centred on the bus stands in Bridge Avenue, Maidenhead, adjacent to the site of former Maidenhead bus and coach station, around the corner from the original Thames Valley Traction Co. Ltd offices, now occupied by Waitrose in Moorbridge Avenue.

TV&GWOT has in its Collection three important Thames Valley vehicles:

Supporters have generously funded a major electrical and mechanical overhaul of 152 in recent years and similarly a thorough restoration of 556 is nearing completion.  The Centenary Revival gives the first opportunity for the fleet to run together around their Thames Valley operational heartland.

A souvenir programme will accompany the event detailing the vehicles in service, duties and timetables and will include an illustrated article describing heritage aspects of Thames Valley Traction Co. in the area.  This is being prepared in collaboration with The Bus Archive and local passenger road transport historian, Paul Lacey.

VEHICLE ENTRIES

Entries to the running day on Saturday 9^th July are warmly invited. The entry form (Word or pdf formats) should be completed as soon as possible, please, and returned to tvtcentenary@tvagwot.org.uk. The deadline for entries is 27th May 2022.  Buses and coaches from former Thames Valley and allied local fleets are particularly encouraged.

TV&GWOT’s Thames Valley 1946 K, 446, alone on the stand in Bridge Avenue, a Centenary+1 years on from Thames Valley Traction Co. first being registered in Maidenhead. Reading Buses’ modern Thames Valley branded service keeps the iconic name alive.  © Helen Billington

446 on its Thames Valley celebratory tour at Windsor Guildhall.  © Helen Billington

TV&GWOT’s Thames Valley Tilling-Stevens,152, leaves Bridge Avenue for Reading as part of our 2015 event.  © Allan MacFarlane

TVTCo. CENTENARY REVIVAL PROGRAMMES

So you can plan, programmes for the TVTCo. Centenary Revival can be purchased in advance for despatch from w/b 27th June (last orders 6th July) as follows:

BY POST for £9.00 including p&p by either

  -   Sending a cheque payable to ‘TV&GWOT’ to Ledger Farm, Forest Green Road, Fifield, Maidenhead SL6 2NR, or

  -   Paying by Paypal (including any postal / delivery instructions in the notes)

BUSES & COACHES ATTENDING

The buses and coaches entered to attend will be listed here in due course

PREVIOUS EVENTS

Information about previous Thames Valley events and programme articles can be found here. 

An account of TV&GWOT’s lonesome Maidenhead-Windsor outing on 11 July 2021 to acknowledge the Centenary+1 can be found here.

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

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