A RECORD-BREAKING number of motoring enthusiasts drove into Barry on Sunday (June 8) to an annual event rapidly becoming a must-do on the calendar.

The Barry Island Festival of Transport, organised by the Cardiff Transport Preservation Group (CTPG), saw crowds flock to the resort to catch a glimpse of vintage buses and cars at what has become one of the biggest events of its kind in South Wales.

The organising group’s chairman, Mike Taylor said: “The Festival of Transport attracted our highest number of entrants three weeks beforehand, as we closed to print the Show Guide, but every day more people wanted to come with their vehicles right up to the event.

“The numbers of classic cars were too many to count – around 250 or more were spread out

along Barry Island seafront whilst around 60 more vehicles were up in the main parking

area, with more cars, heritage buses and examples of modern buses and coaches.

“The event did bring a lot of people to Barry, some from as far as Portsmouth, Bristol, and

Swindon.

An open day at the bus depot, on Broad Street, gave visitors an opportunity to see the restoration centre and hop on board a free heritage bus.

The day also saw the first day back into public service a 32 year old former National Welsh bus - examples of which used to run from The Rhondda via Pontypridd to Cardiff and Barry to Cardiff.

Vale MP Alun Cairns, Vale AM Jane Hutt, and Vale mayor, Cllr Howard Hamilton and his wife Carol also visited the exhibits.