Old buses descend on Bedwas (From Campaign Series)

Old buses descend on Bedwas, Machen, Rhiwderin and Bassaleg

10:10am Thursday 7th March 2013 in News

OLDER residents in Machen, Rhiwderin and Bassaleg could have been forgiven for thinking they’d stepped back in time on Saturday as buses not seen in the area for over 30 years travelled through the villages.

Three heritage buses travelled from the bus depot in Barry and, following a ceremony opposite Caerphilly Castle, made their way to the Tredegar Arms roundabout, Bassaleg, before returning to the old council building in Bedwas.

The procession was to mark over 100 years since the formation of an urban council in the area - Bedwas and Machen Urban Council was founded in 1912 but lost its status in 1974 under the old Monmouthshire Council.

But it has now been reformed within Caerphilly County Borough and an old half-cab bus was painted in the council’s original blue colours.

The bus itself was the last one built in the UK to that design, with a sunken gangway upstairs.

Saturday was the first time a bus painted in the council’s colours had travelled through the area since it was disbanded.

Joining it in the procession was a 1965 Caerphilly Urban District Council green half-cab bus that was fully restored last year and a former Rhymney Valley District Council bus, which operated between 1974 and 1986.