From Hero to Zero2

Saturday 9th May 2026

It’s not often a new bus museum opens up; especially one containing a fleet of over 60 buses belonging to one family. I featured the wonderful family established Delaine Bus Museum based in Bourne, Lincolnshire in a blog last year, but now Britain’s heritage bus scene has an even bigger attraction to marvel at thanks to the legend that is Peter Newman and his family.

We all knew Peter, Ross and Steve’s dedication to the industry meant having sold Ensignbus to First Bus in March 2023 they were not the kind of people to slip into a quiet retired life. And sure enough they’ve been ultra busy behind the scenes with not only Ross and Steve’s amazing regular humanitarian aid trips to Ukraine but Dad, Peter, has been spearheading the truly wonderful project that is the Zero2 Bus Museum which recently opened its doors in the Essex village of Great Yeldham for everyone to visit and enjoy.

I had the pleasure of making a visit earlier this week, on Bank Holiday Monday, to see what’s been created after an incredible amount of hard work and dedication. Whilst there I met blog reader John Lidstone who has been chronicling the establishment of the Museum in photographs from its early days in December 2023 when the former Equestrian Centre at Poole Farm was first acquired right through to the present time.

John has kindly given me permission to use his photographs to illustrate the developments and there are hundreds more to enjoy on his Flikr website.

The museum is initially open at weekends and Bank Holidays but Peter explained he hopes to add Wednesdays during the upcoming summer school holidays. Because of its somewhat remote location the Newmans have registered a bus route (numbered 721) to shuttle visitors from Braintree station (10 miles away) to the Museum with buses conveniently connecting with trains, ‘Mini Switzerland’ style. There’s also a car park on site for those arriving by car.

There are two huge buildings on site with an area set aside for refreshments served appropriately enough from two former buses including an Arriva Optare Versa, a First London Alexander bodied Dennis Trident along with a former First York Mercedes articulated bus providing covered seating.

The first of the two giant warehouse style buildings houses the Museum’s reception area…

… and a number of buses in varying degrees of restoration including former London RT44 stripped right back to its shell…

… and a vehicle which Peter says creates the most interest of all in the collection, one of the former Dartford Tunnel cycle buses, belonging to Leon Daniels…

… which is also to be restored to its former glory.

As you can see, other vehicles located here…

… are in different stages of restoration…

… and the superb condition of former London MCW Metrobus M1…

… also housed here, indicates the perfection to which the restoration goes. As the Zero2 website explains “what you see is not staged – it’s a working maintenance base for our buses with all of the latest equipment supplied by Totalkare.”

It’s what one might call the ‘Work In Progress’ part of the Museum and is a great example of the passion and dedication to the bus industry of the Newman family and the loyal band of volunteers. It’s very much a labour of love.

The team has been successful in obtaining sponsorship and support from a number of suppliers inclduing Totalkare whose vehicle hoists and equipment can be seen on display and also Ticketer which appropriately enough has it’s name alongside a fantastic collection of ticket machines in a number of glass cases…

… and seeing them always provokes wonderful memories of childhood bus rides in the days when the purchase of a bus ticket was an integral part of every journey.

There’s also a display courtesy of Hanover Displays…

… a company synonymous with the development of destination displays.

The second shed houses the main collection of heritage buses along with what must be the world’s largest collection of model buses.

The collection’s oldest bus is a 1932 Jersey Motor Transport J 6332 Leyland double decker…

… but two of my personal favourites are the 1937 EYE Bedford coach originally owned by Underwoods of Orsett in Essex and a 1938 Green Line Regal T499 coach.

Both have sumptuous seats, particularly the Bedford..

… and even the Green Line T would put many a modern bus seat to shame for comfort, and definitely any seat on a Hitachi IET or Thameslink Class 700.

The buses on display are lined up either side of the building…

… with others at the front…

.. and end. They all have an explanatory note of their background and history.

Many of the buses are former London Transport vehicles but there are also some gems from other companies including this 1965 Bristol MW6G from Southern Vectis…

… and from the same company, this Bristol FS6G with classic ECW body…

… a Maidstone & District Leyland Leopard…

… a Southdown Leyland Tiger TS7…

… and a number of vehicles from the former Southend Transport including this iconic 1944 Daimler CWA6/Massey body.

Peter is particularly pleased with his collection of surviving Craven bodied RTs with two fine examples of the 120 originally built with their non standard five bay (instead of four) windows, RT 1431 and RT1499 can be seen making an RM25 sandwich in the line up below.

The collection of model buses is truly amazing.

It comprises over 10,000 models from bus fleets across all of the UK as well as examples from all over the world and is displayed in glass cabinets which stretch the full length of both sides of this massive shed.

It features a very large number from the collection of the late Alan Moore who was an avid collector of models from all around the world but Peter said more donations are coming all the time and he reckons there’s probably up to about 12,000 model buses now in the collection.

It truly is a spactacular sight with glass display case after glass display case bringing back many memories of liveries from the past…

… and with models coming in many different sizes. Viewing this collection is worth the £12 admission fee to the museum alone, let along the full size vehicles.

Of which there are more gems to be seen as one wanders around the site, including more which may be preserved in due course or are a source of parts for those currently being restored.

Visitors will also spot more contemporary buses around the site including…

… two Enviro400s from the East Yorkshire fleet.

Visitors are also treated to free bus rides in the surrounding Essex countryside.

Last Bank Holiday Monday many visitors were taking advantage of an RM…

… and RT offering a 10 mile excursion to the Rough Acre Artisan Brewery in the village of Clare…

… where the bus waited for 20 minutes or so to have a look around before returning.

The plan is to run regular heritage bus trips with vehicles from the collection through the Essex countryside using the new fleetname Great Yeldham Buses.

What was particularly noticeable last Monday was the number of families with young children all enjoying their visit and able to climb into and out of the buses on display including the driver’s cabs which always goes down well with both adults and children.

Peter explained contact is being made with local schools to encourage educational visits to the Museum during the week and it’s great to see this activity generating interest in this industry.

Something perhaps not widely known is Peter has also written a book for children ‘Micky’s Birthday Treat!’ being modelled here by the ‘real’ Micky, Michael Botton, former Ensignbus Business Development Manager…

… and renowned ‘voice of 68 seafront service’, as was, at the Pier. John design as “an expert at verbally lassoing passengers passing by and adding 35% to takings by so doing”. The book is on sale at the Museum.

Many congratulations to the Newman family for persevering with the establishment of this wonderful new addition to the heritage assets of the bus industry despite many challenges they faced along the way. It’s well worth a visit.

And finally if like me you’re wondering about the reference to Zero2, I asked Peter about it, and he explained in the very early days of London Pride Sightseeing the company used an open channel radio system and Zero2 was Peter’s renowned call sign.

It’s become renowned once again.

Roger French

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