All aboard... the nostalgic omnibus (From Salisbury Journal)
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All aboard... the nostalgic omnibus
8:55am Tuesday 28th August 2007 in News By Karen Bate
Passengers revisit the glory days of horse-drawn transport. DB2556P2
TOURISTS and residents in Ringwood have been stepping back in time as they have hopped on the New Forest horse-drawn omnibus service.
For the last six weeks, the sound of clip-clopping has echoed through the town's tiny streets and leafy lanes, as the four rare-breed Suffolk Punches pull the Dutch omnibus, two at a time.
And now Mo Hall and Stephen Jones have launched the newly refurbished 1906 ex-Southampton corporation, double-decked, open-top, 22-seater bus.
This addition to the old fashioned fleet will be used primarily as the town piece replicating Bussey Cheeter's omnibus which was driven from the station to the Crown Hotel around the turn of the last century. Mo told the Forest Journal that the service had been "successful" despite the wet weather and road works.
She said: "We have been reinstating tradition in the town and helping shoppers, tourists and residents to reduce car usage."
The Ringwood tour is £7 for adults and £5 for children. Tickets for the Forest Day trip cost £15 for adults and £12 for children, but need to be booked in advance.
Timetables are available from Liberty's Raptor and reptile Centre and the Town and Country Museum and Ringwood tourist office.
The omnibus runs every week from Mondays to Thursdays until the end of September.
