Yorkshire Tiger Roars Back
Published: 22 August 2011
An 82 year-old Yorkshire Tiger will wow the crowds at this year's London Lord Mayor's Show after being restored to her former glory by a team of Scarborough apprentices.
The 1929 Leyland Tiger bus was part of the East Yorkshire Motor Services company which carried tourists on the route from Whitby to Hull but it fell into disrepair and ended its life as an allotment shed and mobile home.
It was discovered in the 1970s in an advanced state of disrepair and was saved from the scrapheap in 2009 by Scarborough's Bluebird Vehicles as a project for its young apprentices to work on.
Over the last two years retired coach maker Bernard Moment has been working with the young apprentices Robbie Crowe 21, Jordan Mintoft 20, Mick Casey 19 and Duncan Ibottson 17 [pictured] every Friday to lovingly restore the rare vehicle. The bus is now preparing to make its first working journey in over 60 years as Yorkshire's entry into the London Lord Mayor's Show.
Bluebird Managing Director, Rob Miller said: "We've all worked hard to bring this rare vehicle back to life and we're delighted she will be going from the scrapheap to star billing in the Show."
Half a million people are expected to line the route and more than three million people will watch the show live on television.
Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to promote our county. The Leyland Tiger will be a proud Yorkshire entry into the London Lord Mayor's Show."
Yorkshire will be well represented at the Show; David Wootton, the incoming Lord Mayor of the City of London, was born in Bradford and invited Welcome to Yorkshire to enter the show along with his former school, Bradford Grammar which is entering an Olympic and rowing themed float.
Welcome to Yorkshire will use the unique Leyland Tiger entry in the Lord Mayor's Show on 12th November to raise the profile of Yorkshire as a holiday destination.
- Ends -
For more information about the Leyland Tiger Restoration Project: www.s175030809.websitehome.co.uk/index.html
For more information about the Lord Mayor's Show:
www.lordmayorsshow.org
Editors' Notes:
• Welcome to Yorkshire is the official destination management organisation for Yorkshire, working to grow the county's visitor economy.
• Welcome to Yorkshire is funded by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber economy, and Welcome to Yorkshire members.
Key facts include:
• Tourism in Yorkshire is worth £7 billion annually
• The county's industry employs almost a quarter of a million people
• There are 216 million visits to Yorkshire each year
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For further information contact:
Andy Denton - Press Officer
Email: adenton@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 322 3537
Mobile: 07855 812094
Dee Marshall - Head of Communications
Email: dmarshall@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 3223505
Mobile: 07950 325 901