Wet seats but high spirits at the annual Isle of Wight Classic Buses, Beer and Walks event

Real ale enthusiasts and transport afficionados gathered at Newport Quay and the Bus Museum in Ryde to start two days of travelling and drinking.

Organised and operated solely by volunteers, the event encompassed a wide range of routes, delivered by more than 110 preserved buses and involving as many as 120 venues.

"It was probably the wettest event we've ever had, but that didn't deter people," said spokesperson, Trevor Whelan.

"The majority of participants really got into the spirit of the event ­— dressing up in 1940s costumes ­— and we even had people sat on the open-top buses with their umbrellas.

"We had one vehicle travel more than 500 miles from Scotland to be here, and a Continental visitor in the form of a Belgian-built bus."

The event was not without its bumps in the road, however, with a number of boisterous, inebriated passengers, and mechanical issues.

"In general, it was very well-behaved, but there's always that small element that goes a bit too far," said Trevor.

There was also a plea from organisers on the Saturday, for people to respect the vehicles and their crews.

They said: "We had a number of incidences on Saturday where this was not the case and we were unhappy to have had this happen at our event."

The weekend is a collaboration between the Island’s branch of the Campaign for Real Ale and the Isle of Wight Bus Museum, with buses involved dating from the 1930s through to the early years of the 21st century.

A spokesperson said: "Thank you to all the passengers that braved the weather, to the 70-plus volunteers who acted as guides, marshals and programme sellers ­— we couldn't have done it without you.

"And also, a massive thank you to all the owners and drivers who once again brought their wonderful buses down to the Isle of Wight for the weekend, and coped magnificently with, among other things, the awful weather and ferry disruptions."