The annual Thanet Road Run featuring vintage buses driving a route along the coastline was due to have taken place this weekend (July 12).
Due to covid restrictions the full event has been postponed until December but a mini version will take place on Sunday.
A static display/photos and free rides around the block will be on offer between 10am-2pm at the Ramsgate Boating Pool. Social distancing will be in place.
The road run event was originally created by Mick Martin and was conceived to welcome the return of open top East Kent bus Pride Of Thanet into the world of preservation.
The run followed Pride Of Thanet’s original bus route, service number 69 which ran from Ramsgate, through Broadstairs, Margate and Westgate to Minnis Bay. Since then, the run has taken place most years with a wide variety of vehicles from many different operators. The run is a leisurely drive around the Thanet coastline with a lunch stop in Westgate. It’s free to travel but organisers make collections for local good causes.
Last year collections were made for Cats in Crisis.
In December it is hoped, covid allowing, that there will be a combination of the Christmas lights tour and a mash up of the old East Kent 49/52 routes. This is expected to take place on December 6.
The East Kent Road Car Company double decker buses 49/50 used to run from Ramsgate to Birchington. I used to catch them to go to school and back. PFN 863 crashed outside the Brown Jug pub and fell over causing a death in 1966. It was later rebuilt and put back on the road.
The 69 was the open topped buses which ran all summer, I always wanted to do the Thanet scenic tour but never got round to it. In recent years it has only been going from Ramsgate to Broadstairs and back.