Brief History of the LVVS and Museum
The Society was founded in 1959 by a group of local businessmen, with the aim of preserving local vehicles of historic interest. Former Lincoln Corporation bus No 5 (VL 1263) was the Society’s first vehicle and the collection has grown steadily over the years.
Vehicles were initially kept at the Sobaron Barracks on Burton Road and in 1962/3 the land upon which the present premises are situated was acquired. The first building to be erected on the site in 1966 was a wooden former ‘NAAFI’ building. This was quickly followed in 1968/9 by the buildings at the rear of the premises, which are now the workshop and spares store.
In 1993 the Society was extremely fortunate to receive a substantial grant from the North Kesteven District Council, and with the Society’s own funds and further financial help from Beckside Construction, the new museum was erected.
Whilst the old former NAAFI building was demolished the vehicle collection was housed in various temporary homes including the old Robey Boiler Works in the city thanks to the kind assistance of Jackson Shipley Ltd.
The old workshop building also received attention in the late 1990s, with a new roof and a concrete floor being added to modernise the workshop facilities.
The Society is a registered charity and is responsible for the day to day running of the museum. In recent years the Society has been reconstituted as a Company Limited by Guarantee and the museum was granted ‘Registered Museum’ status, followed by ‘Accredited Museum’ status in 2009.
In June 2010, the new Peart Pilkington Building was formally opened, having been built during winter 2009/10.
The Society is grateful to a number of organisations for their support, particularly North Kesteven District Council for ongoing rates relief and Lincolnshire County Council for Heritage Grants, which are assisting with a number of restoration projects.
That said, the lifeblood of the Society is our members, the volunteers of all ages from fourteen upwards who make this an active working museum. We are always pleased to welcome new members, so why not think about joining us? Whether you are mechanically minded or not, we would be delighted to hear from you.
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