Corporation buses on the way back

The Birmingham and Midlands Omnibus Trust is offering people the chance to ride buses from West Bromwich, Walsall and Wolverhampton, some of which date back to the 1930s, as part of a celebration at the Transport Museum in Wythall, Worcestershire.

Until 1969, many corporations ran their own bus fleets. It was in that year that the services were amalgamated into the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive – WMPTE, affectionately known as "Wumpty."

The Transport Museum, Wythall, will be marking the 40th anniversary of the end of the old corporation buses with Wumpty Forty on Sunday, October 11.

Malcolm Keeley, a trustee of the museum, said: "Not only will preserved buses which ran with West Midlands on their sides be out and running, but also buses from the four corporations. The oldest dates from 1937 and recalls the days when Birmingham City Transport carried one and a half million passengers every weekday.

"The miniature steam railway will also be running, carrying people around the grounds. This is the final operating day in the museum's 2009 calendar and, if the weather is anything like as good as it was for the final event last year, then visitors will be in for a real treat."

The transport museum is entirely run by volunteers who restore and preserve around 100 classic buses, coaches, milk floats and bread vans, including a 1949 Wolverhampton trolley bus, powered by electricity through overhead wires.

The event will be held at the museum on Chapel Lane in Wythall, between 10.30pm and 5pm, and more details are available on www.wythall. org.uk. Admission is £4 for adults with an all day ticket, including all rides available for £8. Children pay half price.

Wythall, which has full status under the museum accreditation scheme, will remain open at weekends from 11am to 4.30pm until the end of November.