IT WAS all aboard as Weymouth hosted its first bus rally for almost 30 years.

Vintage vehicles and some of their more current day cousins were on display at the Pavilion and ferry terminal car parks for the Weymouth Vintage Bus Running Day.

Visitors were treated to a static display of around 70 buses and were able to hop on services to Portland, Bowleaze Cove and Abbotsbury.

Posterity Many of the vehicles on show used to be a familiar sight on passenger routes in South and West Dorset and are now preserved for posterity by individuals and groups.

Rallies organised by the Dorset Transport Circle used to be held at Lodmoor up until 1980 and were reckoned to be among the best in the country.

Enthusiasts decided it was time Weymouth welcomed back the buses and organised the event to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Bristol RE fleet being introduced on the Portland route.

Terry Partridge of Saltash, who brought a Bristol RE bus to Weymouth for the event, said it had a been an absolutely brilliant day'.

Mr Partridge, a member of the Inner Circle Group which helped to co-ordinate the rally, added: "We're indebted to our sponsors First Hampshire and Dorset as well as the Dorset Transport Circle which provided marshals and other services and to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

"Weymouth is a superb location for an event like this and we hope it can be repeated in the future."

Enthusiast Michael Bugler, 70, of Radipole, said: "I became interested in buses because my father was a driver for Southern National for 25 years in Weymouth and I used to ride with him occasionally.

"It was great to see so many old buses back in town."