History of the National Historic Vehicle Society.
The Society was originally formed in the name of The General Railway and Transport Museum Society in 1985 and became a registered Charity in January 1986, with the aim of providing Basingstoke and the South of England with a General Transport Museum.
It was very quiet for the first two years, but then in 1988 the Bramley Project was conceived. The plan for the long awaited Transport Museum was we thought, soon to happen, and the Parish Council in Bramley agreed that the plan was a good one. The plans were then laid to progress at a steady pace.
In 1991 the then Trustees decided to change and shorten the Society's name to The National Omnibus Museum Society and it was then that the Bramley Project took off. But due to a few councillors including the borough council representative suddenly doing a complete U turn, sadly the project was cancelled.
It was at this time that we were asked by members of the Working Omnibus Museum Project based at Portsmouth for any assistance that we could give. Their project was to establish a working Bus Depot to be based at Medstead Hants, just below the station of the Watercress line. This was when we acquired our first vehicle, an ex- Southdown Queen Mary Leyland PD3. The involvement with WOMP carried on until December 1996 when WOMP and NOMS parted Company.
In January 1997 the Society went through another change of name to the current title The National Historic Vehicle Society. We then started to build up our current collection of vehicles, which include two Thornycroft Nubian Major Airfield Fire, Crash Tenders, one of which has since passed to a collector in Wiltshire, two Green Goddesses, one which has been converted to a Salvage Vehicle, one Wallis & Steevens 6 to 8 ton Motor Roller. Also a Fordson Major Tractor and most recently, one Ex-Royal Hong Kong Police Riot Control Alvis Saracen APC. Some of our collection is restored whilst other items are currently being restored.
We have also put on, over the last 5 years, a Vintage Vehicle and Country Show of which the 2012 show is currently being planned. Further details to be found elsewhere on this site.