A SPECIAL event is being held at the Isle of Wight Bus and Coach Museum this weekend, to celebrate the centenary of the Vectis Bus Company.

In October 1921, the company began operating a small number of routes that form the basis of today's network.

The museum opens at 10am on both days (October 9 and 10), and celebrations will include a recreation of some early routes using historic vehicles.

Other vehicles will be on display, both inside and outside the museum.

Entry is free, but a souvenir programme is available for £8, including timetables for the free bus service, historical notes, and an exact copy of the original 1920s guide.

The Southern Vectis of today is a direct descendent of the original Vectis Bus Company, with a history that includes the Southern Railway, the British Transport Commission, and the National Bus Company (NBC).

Southern Vectis was one of the first NBC companies to be privatised in 1986 when it was bought by its management before the GoAhead group acquired the company in 2005.

The Bus Museum is on Park Road, Ryde, and accessible by Southern Vectis routes 2,3 and 8.

There is no car parking at the museum, the nearest being St John’s Road Station.