Imber Bus Day - merged topics, ongoing events and discussion here

[whole diary]

[bobm]

That is a famous viewpoint of the annual event, but the first time I have seen an open top bus.

[JohnM]

Today's Telegraph.

I've 'gifted' the article - only valid for 30 days I think:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/6f3aedcfccbf548c

[grahame]

Today's Telegraph.

[Image from here is not available to guests]

Today's Telegraph.

I've 'gifted' the article - only valid for 30 days I think:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/6f3aedcfccbf548c

Thank you - may be today's Telegraph but the article is dated 20th August 2025?  Having read it, much of the story (and the other stuff around that's churning out) is the same as it was last year.  The article reports 28 old Routemaster buses out of 40 buses in total on the service and I'll be interested to learn the 2026 equivalent stats.

[JohnM]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/6f3aedcfccbf548c

Thank you - may be today's Telegraph but the article is dated 20th August 2025?  Having read it, much of the story (and the other stuff around that's churning out) is the same as it was last year.  The article reports 28 old Routemaster buses out of 40 buses in total on the service and I'll be interested to learn the 2026 equivalent stats.

Oops - apologies. It's strange - I searched for 'imber' using the DT's search, and that's the closest/latest that comes up. Can't see one on the (digital) front page, which is where I'd expect to see it mentioned.

[JohnM]

That buses picture is also in the Daily Mail's write-up of the event - they've got a nice set of 8. But that's one of their subscribers-only stories, and they don't do gifting (I only read it for entertainment, not news, honest ).

[JayMac]

That is a famous viewpoint of the annual event, but the first time I have seen an open top bus.

Open toppers in 2024.

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[Chris from Nailsea]

Those are the ones which haven't been 'converted' by being driven under a railway bridge. 

[Clan Line]

"Warminster Journal"

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[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

British army told to stop non-essential training exercises to save money

The Army has been told to stop "non-essential" training exercises to save money, according to a defence source.

It will continue to train soldiers preparing to be deployed or on deployments - such as units sent to Estonia, the Falklands or Cyprus.  But units back in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and who are not preparing for a specific deployment have been told to cut back on collective training exercises due to financial pressures.

It comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces pressure to increase spending on defence.  The government is increasing defence spending to 2.5% of national income by next year, but is under growing pressure to reach a target of 3% by the end of the decade.

A defence source said the plans mean not doing what he called "nice to have training" - like large live fire exercises and rehearsing platoon attacks in UK training areas like Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire and Sennybridge in Wales.

Imber could be re-opened, then? 

[grahame]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

British army told to stop non-essential training exercises to save money

The Army has been told to stop "non-essential" training exercises to save money, according to a defence source.

[snip]

A defence source said the plans mean not doing what he called "nice to have training" - like large live fire exercises and rehearsing platoon attacks in UK^▸ (United Kingdom) training areas like Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire and Sennybridge in Wales.

Imber could be re-opened, then? 

This worries me. Not the re-opening of Imber which (if any senior politicians or cool servants have been up there on the 23A) has well connected public transport and housing and a church that could be brought up to modern standards to form the hub of a new town. But also with political decisions taking the opportunism of short(er) term money saving even in a sphere they are apparently committed too.   Could money be saved by mothballing the Badminton and Langport cutoffs, with London to the West and South Wales routed via Gloucester, via Bath Spa, and via Honiton?

[Marlburian]

I can't see Imber being returned to civilian habitation as it remains a useful training facility, although, ironically, the army had to construct the nearby "village" on Copehill Down (complete with railway siding and vehicles) to better replicate the sort of buildings, including cellars, that the British Army might have to fight in in Europe).

(And something would need to be done about the poor mobile-phone reception!)

In recent years I've become conscious of the increased use of the central ranges north of Larkhill.  (Imber is in the western ranges.)  Time was when one could go there on a Sunday and be reasonably sure that they were not being used and one could access the rights-of-way.  But on several occasions in the past few years the Salisbury Plain Training Area website has shown no artillery firing taking place, only for me to drive down and find the red flags were up and there were army vehicles whizzing around.  A year or two ago the flags were down, so I trudged up the old Salisbury-Devizes road for two miles from Bustard, only to find a barrier was down across it.

Recently the SPTA website has tweaked its guidance, but still does not indicate military use other than firing.

No doubt one might be fairly safe in assuming that the army takes Christmas Day and adjacent dates off, but on most winter days the Plain is not particularly inviting.

[CyclingSid]

British army told to stop non-essential training exercises to save money

Unfortunate timing with Trump reviewing the situation with the Falklands, followed by the Argentinians rising to the bait.

[grahame]

Imberbus launched on 5th September 2009 [OTD^▸ (On This Day)] with 4 red Routemaster buses from Warminster to Imber. The roads were also open in those early days to cars, but as the event grew, Imberbus day has become buses only.  What started as a one-off transport idea has since grown into a massive annual event. This year (2026) over 4,000 visited, and 40 vintage and modern buses, predomiantly Routemasters, raised over £30,000 for local charities.