What a delight it was to ride on the vintage buses brought to Kingsbridge on Saturday by the Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust.

The whole spirit of the ­occasion was summed up by a delighted senior citizen, who told me: “I’ve just seen a red London bus with the same route number that took me on trips to the zoo.”

Nostalgia? It was all around as we crammed into the seats (buses were only 7ft, 6ins wide in those pre-decimal days) and set off down lanes, where enthusiasts with cameras appeared around every other corner.

Despite the occasional grinding of gears, the drivers did a great job. Synchromesh? Never heard of it. Power steering? You must be joking. And was the man at the wheel waving to his friends? No – they were hand signals, as per the Highway Code of yesteryear.

The day, with bright sunshine and a full tide adding to the beauty of those estuary views, was over far too quickly.

Well done to all those enthusiasts and organisers – and here’s to next year’s Vintage Bus Running Day.

Alan Goldsmith,

Windsor Court, Kingsbridge