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Iattended the open day of the South Yorkshire Transport Museum in Aldwarke, Rotherhamyesterday, partly on business but I am a genuine enthusiast (member of the PSV Circle, Omnibus Society, AEC Society, Leyland Society etc.) so really I had the enviable task of mixing the two! I was brought up amongst Routemasters in London, moved to Manchester, Liverpool and now Leeds where I have lived and worked for 23 years. I have extensive knowledge of local transport andmuseumsthroughout the UK. in fact I was at the Leyland and Manchester Museums last week.
In Leeds I own Rigton Insurance Services Ltd, a firm of Chartered Insurance Brokers (there are less than 50 chartered brokers in the UK). We have just been awarded exclusive New Business and Renewal rights to the Preserved Bus and Coach and Bygone Bus and Coach Insurance Scheme with Chaucer Insurance.
Many of your members, visitors or colleagues will already be insured with them and unless they transfer to ourselves they will be forced to transfer away to another insurance company. This may sound OK in essence. However, Chaucer are completely happy with double deckers and with stage use and private hire work. Some of the new insurers suggested are uncomfortable with some of this work (low bridges!)and it may only be a matter of time before they have cold feet about insuring such vehicles, which might leave you or your colleaguesin the cold.Chaucer rates have not increased for 11 years. They have no intention of increasing them, and are happy for an enthusiastic team such as ours to deal with them exclusively.
We also have facilities for heritage property and museums
If you wish to discuss further please contact myself or Matthew Whitehurst on 01943 882610 (direct dial) or 879539.
Could I ask you to look at our website www.rigtoninsurance.co.uk under the Preserved Buses tab and "meet the team". 9 of us are involved in the Preserved Bus and Coach and Bygone Bus Schemes.This will assist you in judging the "bona fide" of my company. Our advertisements will appear in the "preserved" press very shortly.
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http://ralfobergfell.com
Last Stop a photographic exhibition of the Routemaster bus London Transport Museum - 16 May to 27 July 2008
Ralf Obergfell presents Last Stop, a Photographiccelebration of one of Londons most famous icons - the Routemaster bus, at London Transport Museum. The exhibition opens on 16 May 2008 and builds upon the Museums new focus on design innovation. It is the first in a programme
of events that will explore different aspects of urban culture, art and social history.
The vibrant images capture moments during the Routemasters final eighteen months of regular service and also social portraits of staff and passengers. They pay tribute to the buss warm, weighty yet elegant design features.
German born, Ralf has been drawn to London ever since he saw a Routemaster on television in his teens. He was struck by the bright red, the curves and the powerful design. He said, Last Stop is not an
exercise in protest, or even nostalgia; it is a tribute to the unique and dynamic role the Routemaster played in London life.
A book to accompany the exhibition will appeal to all urban design junkies and is available in London Transport Museums shop and online
at www.ltmuseum.co.uk. It is also available at selected bookstores.
Fully illustrated throughout with hundreds of photographs, it retails for 14.99.
A number of special events have been organised to coincide with the exhibition; further information about these can be found at www.ltmuseum.co.uk.
Last Stop takes place in the Museums CBS Outdoor gallery and admission is included in the main Museum ticket price. It runs until 27 July 2008.
For more images, review copies of the book and information about London Notes to editors
Last Stop is Ralfs first book and first solo exhibition
Ralf was born in Freiburg, Germany, on the edge of the Black Forest, and now lives in London. He graduated from the London College of
Printing. His photographs have appeared in Art Review, Creative Review, Grafik, Time Out, and Korean Vogue, as well as Der Spiegel and BBC Online. He has received UNESCO support for a project documenting the lives of the Urak Lawoi (People of the Sea) of southern Thailand and Borneo. In 2007 he was nominated for the Paris Photography Award, and in 2008 he was semi finalist in the Hasselblad Masters Award. Further information about Ralfs work is at ralfobergfell.com
The photographs were mostly taken on routes 19 and 38, running from Finsbury Park in the north and Hackney in the east through the heart of the West End and on to Knightsbridge and Chelsea
The book Last Stop, which is sponsored by Arriva, has been published by Breedon Publishing and retails at 14.99. It is available in the Museum
shop and online at www.ltmuseum.co.uk.
The Last Stop website www.routemasters.co.uk has been permanently archived by the British Library in the name of national heritage.
Arriva is one of Londons largest bus operators. They still operate Routemasters for special events. For more information visit
www.theheritagefleet.com
Routemasters continue to run on special Heritage Routes along the central sections of bus routes 9 and 15. They were taken out of regular service at the end of 2005 as they are not accessible to everyone, with
their high, open platforms and steep stairs. The Capital now has a fleet of 8,000 low-floor, wheelchair accessible buses, so the ten per cent of Londoners who have some kind of mobility problem, and others
who found step-access difficult, now have access to the full bus network
The prototype Routemaster (RM-type) bus was built in 1954 and first entered passenger service two years later. Production models were in service from 1959, and they replaced all London's trolleybuses by 1962.
The RM followed a similar style to the earlier RT bus, but with improvements. It was lighter, having an aluminium body and no separate chassis, which reduced costs and improved fuel efficiency
Highlights of the Museums future exhibitions and events programme include:
Event: talk by Wayne Hemingway as part of London Festival of Architecture 7 July 2008 Exhibition: advertising posters - 15 August to 1 October 2008 Events: London Design Festival 15 to 23 September 2008 Exhibition: London transport posters: The art of good design 15 October 2008 to 31 March 2009
Conference: The art of the poster October 2008
The Museum opened on 22 November after a two-year closure and a 22.4 million revamp. New galleries include Design for travel, World cities and Londons transport at war
London Transport Museum Admission:
Gift Aid admission: Adults 10.00; Senior citizens 8.00; Students 6.50
Standard admission: Adults 8.00; Senior Citizens 6.50; Students 5.00 Freedom Pass holders and under 16s free
London Transport Museum Ltd is a subsidiary company of Transport for London with charitable status. The Museums charity number is 1123122
London Transport Museum opening hours:
Saturday to Thursday 10.00 to 18.00 (last admission 17.15)Friday 11.00 to 21.00 (last admission 20.15)
Public information:
Talks & events bookings: +44 (0)20 7565 7298
Switchboard: +44 (0)20 7379 6344- general information
Address: Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 7BB
24 hour information: +44 (0)20 7565 7299
www.ltmuseum.co.uk
Ralfs work can be seen at www.ralfobergfell.com and www.routemasters.co.uk
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