Kent & Medway Walking Bus Record Attempts!
A riot of colour greeted shoppers in Canterbury on Kent's annual Big Bus day. Buses in Kent gather to try and set a new record for the largest 'bus' ever to march down a street in the county.
The annual event happens on the Saturday before Summer National Walk to School Week and for the last three years has taken place in Canterbury city centre.
The first Big Bus event was staged in 2001 with 56 children and 32 adults involved, smashing the previous Kent record of 35 children on a 'bus'.
In 2002 112 children took part and in 2003 120 were involved, each time setting a new record. The last event in May 2003 the column of children gathered in the city's Longmarket area and marched down the High Street singing a special Walking Bus song. Each of the 10 Walking Bus schemes involved had a colourful banner identifying the bus and stilt walkers from the Kent Circus School followed the column through the town centre handing out information leaflets to shoppers.
Also accompanying the column were volunteers from the Jade Appeal which raises funds to support a range of road safety schemes, including Walking Buses. Appeal founder Caroline Hobbs headed the column on the route which ended its walk on the forecourt of the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury.
There the column was greeted by the Lord Mayor of Canterbury Cllr Nick Eden-Green, senior Kent Messenger Editor Bob Bounds and theatre director Mark Everett.
Once Caroline Hobbs and the other VIPs had praised those involved in making the growing network of Walking Buses in Kent such a success all attending the record attempt were treated to a range of goodies by sponsors. These included: fruit from Asda, pizza from Pizza Hut, chocolate from Thorntons and goodie bags of tickets to local attractions and road safety colouring books.
Two instant free prize draws were held on the morning to thank everyone for taking part in the event. The prize for the adult helpers' draw was free use of a Suzuki car for a weekend, supplied by Canterbury Suzuki. The Game Shop provided a GameBoy Advance for the children's draw.
Pictures from top to bottom: 2003 Big Bus on forecourt of Marlowe Theatre - having just been told they had set a new record; Big Bus prepares to walk down High Street; kids with the Suzuki rhino mascot.
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