Columnist RICK JACKSON is unpeturbed that flaming June is failing to live up to its name
May I recommend that everyone gets their own double-decker bus? They are so much fun and there are so many great things you can do with them as opposed to a car. It was my brother-in-law’s 40th birthday last Saturday.
The family had been beavering away with a plan for a big day out. James had no idea. In the morning we all met up and decorated the bus with bunting, banners and photos of the birthday boy.
With ‘40 – Special Service’ displayed on the destination screen, off we went, with 25 excited family members on board.
With seating for 74 and plenty of luggage space it was like going on a cruise with so much extra stuff you’d never be able to take in a car.
Soon we were approaching the road close to where James lives and there he was, reluctantly standing at a bus stop with his girlfriend Abi wondering why on earth they were waiting for a bus.
This wasn’t any old bus, though, this was my 1982 double-decker Leyland
Olympian with coach seats and cloth interior trim. Oh yes.
We had an absolutely brilliant day out and, even better, as my bus is now registered as a light van, it costs the same to park as a car.
So these big days out on my bus have become quite famous among my family and friends and I highly recommend the vehicles.
So, what are the pitfalls of bus ownership?
Well, storage. They are 10 metres long and four metres high.
They also aren’t the easiest thing to drive. You can’t go down just any old road as it might not be wide enough or there could be low-hanging branches or, worse still, a low bridge.
Spare parts are pretty hard to come by. For instance, they stopped making my specific type of bus in 1986. Then there’s the fuel. My lovely 11-litre Gardner engine does nine miles to the gallon and you can’t fit under many filling stations’ canopies.
Apart from all that, they are the perfect wagon for family days out with a difference.
With plenty of luggage space it was like going on a cruise