Routemasters and other grand dames from the golden era of the 40s, 50s and 60s were given a polish and fired up for the day to make nostalgic circuits of the briefly resurrected 65 bus route from Ealing to Leatherhead, with transport buffs able to hail them down at stops, have a chat to the conductor* as well as taking a free ride back in time.

A dozen enthusiasts with cameras gathered on the Surbiton station forecourt, every one of them excited six-year-old boys, yet oddly dressed for the occasion as balding pensioners smelling faintly of linament. They watched with unbridled joy as the dear old ladies wheeled around the roundabout in front of them, on their journey back in time.

* Note to the under 20s: conductors were men and women who helped you on to the bus with your shopping, shouted ‘Hold tight’ just as you were attempting to make your way to your seat, then went DING, DING on the bell cord to let the driver know that if he set off at that precise moment, there was every likelihood you’d land in somebody’s lap. They issued tickets, which meant that the driver could focus on driving (a ridiculous, old-fashioned concept with the benefit of hindsight). The conductors let you know when you’d arrived at your destination, and they had other phrases they were capable of bellowing, such as “We’re full up inside, you’ll have to wait for the next one”, “You’re not bringing that on my bus” and “No standing on the top deck”.

For further information, ask grandad who Reg Varney was.