Ebbw Vale local bus show 2012, was a great success for Bleanau Gwent Council who put on the event in the middle of the town so that buses parked in Market Street and Bethcar Street. Just before 1030 ten buses and coaches filled the heart of Ebbw Vale creating quite a splash of colour.
CTPG members took along four buses: Western Welsh 1370 (1966 Park Royal Leyland Tiger Cub); Pontypridd 8 (1969 Willowbrook AEC Regent V); Caerphilly 32 (1965 Massey Leyland PD3); and their Cardiff 143 (1996 Optare Metrorider).
Other buses attended included: Tony Norman’s Merthyr Tydfil 100 (1958 Weymann Leyland demonstrator Tiger Cub); Viv Jenkins’ Western Welsh 713 (1964 Northern Counties AEC Renown; Gwyn Gardiner’s National Welsh NS492 (1992 Leyland National II); whilst John Wiltshire brought along Western Welsh 1284 (1961 Willowbrook AEC Reliance) and Red & White RS 167 (1967 ECW Bristol RE).
Nearly all the visitors were local families out in the town doing shopping. Mums and dads brought their children over to look at the buses, for the younger ones it was their first opportunity to get on and go upstairs on a double decker.
Edwards also provided a modern luxury coach and took the opportunity to promote their extensive holiday programme. A number of people mentioned that the green Caerphilly bus reminded them of a former local bus operator Edmunds of Rassau whilst some recalled the days of Jones of Aberbeeg another operator that also served Ebbw Vale.
