CELEBRATIONS for a special anniversary at the Oxford Bus Museum reached their climax when the Duke of Gloucester visited the centre.

Prince Richard, the cousin of Queen Elizabeth, was given a tour of the Long Hanborough museum – before getting on board the vintage bus that started it all 50 years ago.

This year the museum has been marking half-a-century since a team of keen bus enthusiasts pooled their money together to purchase the AEC Regal 1949 – a purchase that led to the formation of the popular attraction.

The Duke, who said he had visited a number of transport museums over the years, described his time at the museum as a ‘great pleasure’.

He said: “They attract a particular kind of volunteer who feel they are playing a part in the history of their industry.

"It must be acknowledged that actually responding to the challenge of making things work that would otherwise be worn out is well worth doing.”

Prince Richard pondered on old vehicles at the end of their lives and wondered about them looking forward to going to the scrapyard before finding themselves taken to a museum and restored to their best.

He added: “This must be a sort of bus heaven.”

After his tour, in which he saw the museum's collection of buses, Morris Motors cars and bicycles, the Duke was given the opportunity to become a passenger on the AEC Regal, driven by long-serving volunteer John Bayliss.

Mr Bayliss said, in anticipation of his drive to Blenheim Palace with the Duke: “It isn’t half daunting but I’ve had a practice run so I think I know where I’m going.

“I just treat everybody the same really. You’ve got passengers on and you need to give them as comfortable a ride as you can.

“I have had to tell the bus to behave itself.”

Earlier this year the museum marked its special anniversary with a transport festival. It invited owners of vintage vehicles to bring them to Oxford Parkway station near Water Eaton and held vintage bus rides throughout the day.