Lighting up Philadelphia
In 2021 the Northern National Restoration Group welcomed reporter Nick Larkin from Coach and Bus Weekly to the depot at Philadelphia and as reported in Coach and Bus the following month Nick said; ‘Oh my G…!’
‘Don’t worry, everyone says that when they come here. Absolutely everyone Their face is the same. They look shocked!’
I’m standing in premises currently leased by registered charity the Northern National Restoration Group (NNRG), chatting with its understanding chairman. Craig Smith.
I have to say that in the 24 years of writing articles for B&CP I have never been so utterly amazed.
Well with this in mind how else could you make the NNRG depot look more authentic? Well on November 4th 2023 we tried a new event, with the success of our open days now into there 3rd year we thought we would launch a photography event!
For a first time event what can we say, what a success, a lot of things worked, and people came and supported there group from the local community! With a fire raring outside, Leyland National, FTN710W, 4710, Volvo B10BLE, PR855 PRG, 4855 and Scania L94, NK54 NVN, 5217 lined up outside the shed, what a night that was outside, from rain to clear skies and cloud, it made for some great photography.
Inside the depot we had other NNRG vehicles as well as depot guests lit up under lights. The former tram shed lit up under the lights made it very atmospheric. It looked wonderful. We could have been back in the 90s, in old the NNRG depot had been a bus shed.
The NNRG Depot 5 years ago was a defunct coal-fired power station in between the villages of Philadelphia and Newbottle, which is North of Houghton LE Spring. When people first lay eyes on the NNRG HQ, most of them are stunned at the sheer sight in front of them; our building is historic, to say the least, from the brickwork to the glass windows, even to the copings on the inside of the building it does take your breath away.
As the evening progressed we started to line the vehicles up to allow members of the group to dress up and reenact some scenes which may have taken place in a bus depot in the days of the group vehicles. As the rain came down it definitely added different aspect to the evening.
The evening was great fun, we opened our doors for an event that put our depot in a different light! We would like to thank all the local people who attended and once again supported the NNRG. We look forward to seeing you at an evening in 2024.