There are some vehicles that are simply machines.

And then there are those that carry people’s lives within them.

GHN 189 is one of those.

Built in 1941, she is today the oldest surviving double-decker from United Automobile Services. She has outlived companies, outlived depots, and even outlived many of the people who once rang her bell and took her fares. Yet she is still here, still running, still doing what she was built to do – bringing people together.

Since 1970, generations of volunteers at Aycliffe & District Bus Preservation Society have cared for her. They have painted her, polished her, repaired her, and coaxed her back to life time and time again. Thanks to that dedication, children who were born decades after she first turned a wheel can still climb her stairs, sit in her seats and feel history breathe around them.

But time, as always, catches up.

During routine winter maintenance we discovered what none of us ever want to find – structural deterioration, rot, and areas of chassis damage. The years have been kind in many ways, but they have also taken their toll. If we want GHN 189 to see the future, we must act now.

So we are beginning one of the biggest projects in our society’s history.

We are going to strip her back and give her the care she deserves. Engine work. Body work. Interior restoration. Skilled hands, long evenings, cold mornings, oily overalls, cups of tea balanced on wheelarches – and a determination that this grand old lady will not fall silent.

Why does it matter so much?

Because in just five years’ time GHN 189 will celebrate her 90th birthday. At the very same moment, our society will mark 50 years of preservation. Imagine that sight: the bus that started so many memories, standing proudly with the people who saved her.

We want her there. Running. Smiling. Alive.

To do that, we need help.

Every pound donated buys materials, parts and specialist repairs. Every contribution, no matter the size, becomes part of her story. One day, someone will sit upstairs, look out of the window, and they will be travelling because of you.

Please, help us carry GHN 189 into her tenth decade.

Help us keep history moving.

Donate today and be part of the journey ❤️🚌