Jump aboard a vintage bus, ride through the bus wash, and glimpse life behind the scenes at Catford’s historic bus garage.

Catford bus garage, in Bromley Road, celebrates its centenary this year and will open its doors on May 10 to show off the bus as the "backbone" of London’s transport network.

News Shopper: Catford Bus Garage centenary open day with vintage bus rides and more

The garage first opened in 1914 but was briefly commandeered by the government’s War Department to repair buses for six years during the First World War.

A fleet of 152 buses – London’s "forgotten workhorses" - serve 17 routes from the garage, which currently has 450 staff and is run by Stagecoach.

The open day will offer free vintage bus rides as well as an exhibition telling the story of London’s buses, a London Transport Museum pop-up shop and family activities.

Garage open days are being held throughout London to mark TfL’s Year of the Bus which celebrates the role of buses, bus drivers and staff who keep the capital moving.

A TfL spokesman said: "Buses are a vital daily service for millions and one that is very local, with the vast majority of Londoners (95 per cent) never more than 400 metres from a bus stop.

"Buses link homes to jobs, schools and hospitals in every part of the capital. "They are the backbone, and often the forgotten workhorses, of London’s transport network."

The motor bus first began to replace horse-drawn omnibuses in the early 1900s when the speed limit was around 12mph.

This sparked an increase in bus journeys with 400.6million recorded in 1911. This compares to 2.3 billion passenger trips between 2012 and 2013.

To find out about bus timetables for the free event at Catford Bus Garage from 10.30am to 4pm visit stagecoachbus.com/london