Group News

Here you can keep up to date with all the happenings at The Eastern Counties Bus Preservation Group.

For more depth articles please feel to free to sign up to our membership!

11 July 2026            

The BIG Bus Show! 2026

Less than 1 month to go until The BIG Bus Show 2026 on Sunday 9 August at Stonham Barns Park, preparations are well underway—and we're still welcoming vehicle entries and trade stand bookings.
Already, 84 vehicles are confirmed, a further 6 to be confirmed, representing an incredible mix of preserved classics, modern buses and coaches, and everything in between.
If you have a vehicle you'd like to exhibit, we'd love to have you join us and help make this our biggest show yet.
We're also looking for additional trade stands.
Whether you sell transport memorabilia, books, models, photographs, clothing, gifts, vehicle parts, crafts, or anything with an interest to our visitors, this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your business to thousands of bus enthusiasts and families.
Whether you're bringing a vehicle, trading on the day, or both, we'd be delighted to welcome you.

📅 Sunday 9 August 2026
📍 Stonham Barns Park, Suffolk

Entry forms and further information are available on our website:
🌐 www.thebigbusshow.co.uk

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with fellow enthusiasts, operators, preservation groups, and traders.

01 July 2026

Welcome V586 DVF!

V586 DVF has joined us....

Scania L94UB Wright Axcess Floline B43F
New to Eastern Counties as 586 10/1999
YS4L4X20001835592 B375

New to Eastern Counties in October 1999 as fleet number 586, V586 DVF formed part of the company's V-registration batch of Scania L94s. These vehicles continued the successful development of the earlier S-registration Scania L94 fleet, sharing many of the same specifications and design features that made them well suited to intensive urban and interurban operations across the region.

04 March 2026

'The Middy Bar' returns for 2026

Exclusively operating Fridays on the dates list below:

Friday 22 May 
Friday 26 June 
Friday 31 July
Friday 28 August
Friday 25 September

15 September 2025

85, WEX685M returns from repaint

WEX685M has under gone some freshening up and has been duly named “Barton Photographer (Roy Stretton)”.

For those who don’t know, Roy Stretton is Jamie’s grandfather who could be found at bus, truck & steam rallies around the UK during his retirement this is where Jamie’s interest came from in the 90 & 2000’s visiting Showbus at Duxford together.

I think we should all applaud Roy as without his enthusiasm for photography & buses rubbing off on Jamie, plus with Jamie’s dad (Alan Richard) taking him on holidays to Great Yarmouth maybe the ECBPG formation would never have happened!

11 August 2025

The BIG Bus Show 2025 

✅ 2500 + visitors
✅ 140+ vehicles on site
✅ 25 traders
✅ Model displays
✅ Top Field Light Railway
✅ Mid-Suffolk Light Railway

One Day, One BIG Bus Show!

Sunday 9 August 2026!

Save the date to join us at The East of England’s largest display of Vintage to Modern Buses and Coaches. 🚌

Find out more soon!  www.thebigbusshow.co.uk

30 November 2024

S12, H612RAH arrives home

After months of planning, we are very proud to announce H612RAH has arrived back at HQ!

20 August 2024

959 (N619GAH) returns!

N619GAH made the 200 mile journey home in Early August from DS Coachworks in Sheffield. After a mammoth 3 year body overall we are happy to report it has been fully out shopped nearly like the day it arrived from Frank Guy Chesterfield!

16 August 2024

705 (S664SNG) moves.

S664SNG in early August made a 40 miles journey east to start to preparing it for MOT.
It was anticipated it would make a debut at The BIG Bus Show 2024, but due to technical issues this didn't happen.  

On going work will continue into late 2024/2025 to prepare and full service 705.

15 August 2024

FREE Bus Service
to 'The Middy Bar'

Next Friday (23 August 2024) we will be operating our 'FREE' Bus Service to the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway. 

Buses depart at 1830/1930 from Stowmarket, 1840/1940 from Stowupland and return at 2145.

12 August 2024

The BIG Bus Show - BIG Success

✅ 1500 + visitors
✅ 110+ vehicles on site
✅ 24 traders
✅ Model displays
✅ Top Field Light Railway
✅ Mid-Suffolk Light Railway
✅ Ipswich & District RC Truckers
One Day, One BIG Bus Show!
Provisional 2025 date,
Sunday 10 August 2025!

Save the date to join us at The East of England’s largest display of Vintage to Modern Buses and Coaches. 🚌

Find out more soon!  www.thebigbusshow.co.uk

22 July 2024

The BIG Bus Show

The BIG Bus Show lands in early August, with a total of 85+ entries plus trade stands and model displays!

Find out: www.thebigbusshow.co.uk

02 April 2024

NARTM Membership

During the winter of 2023/24 we signed up to The National Association of Road Transport Museums "NATRM". 

31 March 2024

P330RVG is alive!

Despite the hectic winter we have managed to resurrected P330RVG!

25 February 2024

H159 SKU arrival

We would like to welcome the latest arrival of H159SKU which has arrived from Wythall Bus Museum. 

Don't worry we don't intend to restore this one! But it has supplied several parts ahead of a special project arriving in the second quarter of 2024!

18 February 2024

New Year - New Start

During the last two weekends in February we have under taken the task of moving to a new site near Thetford Forest in Suffolk. 

The sites precise location isn't to be disclosed publicly but as you can see this is a big step up from our old sites in the neighbouring county of Cambridgeshire. 

01 December 2023

Season's Greetings

We would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and Happy New Year. 

We are sure 2024 will be our biggest year to date and we look forward to sharing that journey with you all!

08 December 2023

Help to bring back S12 (H612RAH) !

We are raising money for The Eastern Counties Bus Preservation Group to help recover H612RAH back to England and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate a lot or a little. Anything helps. Thank you for your support.

Find out more - HERE - 

01 December 2023

The BIG Bus Show is open for entries TODAY!

Enter your vehicle, trade stand or model display today - HERE -

01 December 2023

Buy Online Today! 
The BIG Bus Show 2024

You can now purchase advance tickets for the 2024 show at Stonham Barns!

06 November 2023

We have joined instgram!

We have now joined Instagram, another way to keep up to date on the happenings here at The Eastern Counties Bus Preservation Group:

www.instagram.com/eastern_counties_bus

04 November 2023

FREE ENTRY for all Members!
The BIG Bus Show 2024

📣Announcement 📣

Why not join us?
📣 NEW 📣 Free Entry to The Big Bus Show 2024 at Stonham Barns on Sunday 11 August 2024!
YES that is right FREE entry to The BIG Bus Show 2024!

Find out more by looking at our
Sign Up Page

01 November 2023

Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Partnership

New for 2024 is a brand new partnership between us & The Mid-Suffolk Light Railway to offer free services to Brockford Station on selective dates from Stowmarket Railway Station including Friday Nights at The Middy Bar!

We will also be providing a free service this November for Bygones Fair & Exhibition on Sunday 26 November!

To find out more about their events visit:
www.mslr.org.uk

31 October 2023

The BIG Bus Show 2024

We are very proud to announce that we will continuing to run The BIG Bus Show after the sucess of the 2023 show. 

Stonham Barns will still be the location but it will be solely managed us going forwards.

We will look forward to welcoming you in August 2024!

Sunday 11 August, Stonham Barns www.thebigbusshow.co.uk

October 2023

Expansion of Social Media

During October we have now created a new YouTube channel and a TikTok page.

Click here for YouTube or
Click here for Tiktok

Support us today by donating!

Can you help us on our mission to
Preserving our History?

Our Bank details are below:

The Eastern Counties Bus Preservation Group
Sort Code : 30-96-26
Account No: 54608968

or donate via PayPal! 

Get in Touch Today!

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Write to us:
The Eastern Counties Bus Preservation Group
10 Honeysuckle Way, Sowerby, Thirsk 
North Yorkshire YO7 3SH

info@easterncountiesbusgroup.co.uk

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The Eastern Counties Bus Preservation Group  - All Rights Reserved
(Registered Charity No. 1188658)