Why is nostalgia such big business, and what will we look back on in future years with such enjoyment?

Having spent most of Sunday riding round bits of west Wiltshire on old buses – which might sound like some people’s worst nightmare, but was a wonderful pleasure – I found myself pondering what is it that makes such a simple thing such fun?

Hundreds of people turned up to enjoy the Vintage Bus Running Day, many of them too young to have ever seen these buses in action: I’ve only got dim memories myself, and yet as a child all my journeys were by bus, the family car, like most, disappearing to take my Dad to work every day.

Yes, there was a generous helping of older people, enjoying reminiscing, and a surprising number of people hung with cameras, who seemed keen on getting a picture of every bus there, but everyone had one thing in common: they had come out to have fun.

The owners of the buses clearly found having their giant toys actually carrying passengers a delight, and took as much pleasure from driving them as possible, even when that involved negotiating narrow country lanes across Salisbury Plain and persuading their ancient gearboxes to cope with some steep inclines.

It was like being part of a living history display,as if we were all part of some giant re-enactment but without the forced educational element.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why events like this are so popular, as well as that they’re a chance to escape the pressures of everyday life and to live ‘in the moment’? Or is it that they let us appreciate what we once had, when at the time it seemed unremarkable. And what will we turn to for nostalgia in the future? Having fun 21st century style seems to be a more passive experience, and more self-centred, with the gaming console and PC featuring so heavily. Evenings where the whole family are watching a screen of some sort seem to be becoming the norm.

Part of the enjoyment of Sunday was admiring the design of the vehicles, the care that had gone into creating them and their later restoration. Their more curved outlines spoke of craftsmanship, of having the time and skill to create something beautiful.

By contrast, modern buses look as if they have been bolted together, although I’m sure someone will be quick to tell me that they are in fact just as carefully designed. Is part of our fondness for all things old because we haven’t, as yet, been converted to the appeal of modern design.

We came away feeling Sunday was just as much about the people, all different but all having fun, sharing an experience. Maybe that’s the appeal of nostalgia, that it is about sharing memories and experiences, rather than staring at a small screen.