Some of the oldest buses still running were back on the streets of Ipswich on Sunday to mark a big birthday for the town's public transport network.

Ipswich Corporation Transport was wet up in 1903 to run electric trams between the town centre and some of the growing suburbs.

Now 120 years later Ipswich Buses is one of the last council-owned transport networks in the country and joined up with the town's transport museum to mark the anniversary.

Ipswich Star: Old buses from Ipswich prepare to take part in the cavalcade.Old buses from Ipswich prepare to take part in the cavalcade. (Image: Paul Geater)

The Ipswich Transport Museum has several old Ipswich buses in its collection - and keeps them in working order.

Sunday's special day also featured the former Ipswich Buses open top double-decker which is now privately owned.

The day started with a cavalcade of old buses from the museum on Lindbergh Road to The Tower Ramparts bus station and Constantine Road bus depot before returning to the museum.

Trams operated in Ipswich from 1903 to 1926 when they were replaced by trolley buses as new estates were built in the east of the town and in the Castle Hill area - trams would not have coped with the hills in the area.

Trolleybuses operated all the Ipswich bus services until after the war when the Chantry estate was built - it was decided not to install the expensive overhead wires there and the first motorbus arrived in Ipswich in 1950. 

Ipswich Star: The original Ipswich motorbus was unable to take part in the cavalcade but was soon fixed.The original Ipswich motorbus was unable to take part in the cavalcade but was soon fixed. (Image: Paul Geater)

That is now preserved at the museum and was supposed to lead Sunday's cavalcade until a dodgy valve laid it up.

It was fixed later in the morning - and was giving rides from the museum for the rest of the day.

The event was launched by Ipswich mayor Lynne Mortimer, who said she realised she had used the town's buses for more than half their existance: "I remember when there were still trolleybuses when I was a small child.

"As a girl I'd jump on and off the platform at the back after the motorbuses took over - I remember once jumping off and hitting a lamppost, I was always a bit more careful after that!"

Ipswich Star: Lynne Mortimer on the platform of an old bus with with volunteers, visitors and museum chairman Mark Smith, far right.Lynne Mortimer on the platform of an old bus with with volunteers, visitors and museum chairman Mark Smith, far right. (Image: Paul Geater)

The last trolleybus ran in the town in 1961 - and there are examples of both an Ipswich tram and trolleybuses in the museum at Lindbergh Road.

Museum chairman Mark Smith said the event had been organised by Ipswich Buses supervisor and museum volunteer Owen Phillips - and the day ended with an evening event for Ipswich Buses staff.