HISTORY was on the move on Sunday (April 3) as a fleet of vintage commercial vehicles took to the roads for the Commercial Transport in Preservation Ltd spring run.

The run, organised by the society which celebrates classic commercial vehicles, started in Warminster and passed through a number of Wiltshire’s towns and villages before finishing in Crockerton, where the drivers had tea and cake in the Lakeside Garden Centre.

Market Lavington, Devizes, East Kennett and Beckhampton all featured on the route, which passed a number of landmarks including Silbury Hill, the largest man-made prehistoric mound in Europe, and The Cherhill White Horse, which is the second oldest of Wiltshire’s horses.

Chairman of the society Geoff Ridler said: “This was a great opportunity to bring members of the group together and we were lucky with the weather.

“We had 27 vehicles turn up on the day and everyone was really happy with how it went, commenting on the success of the route.

“Myself and the event organiser Mary Bailey planned the route, which was quite tricky as we had to consider things like bridges and low branches along the way. The last thing we wanted was for people’s vehicles to get damaged.

“We are always looking for new members to join the group and we welcome everyone, no matter if they own a vintage vehicle or not.

“We welcome everyone to join up to keep the society going for as long as possible.”

Among the vehicles on the run was a Leyland van dating back to 1950, which now serves as an alternative mode of transport for funeral services, and a Wincanton van from 1951 which used to carry aviation fuel.

Formed in 1998, Commercial Transport in Preservation Ltd has around 170 members from across England and overseas.

For more information on the society or to join, visit http://www.thectp.org.uk/index.php?p=Contact