Our Bus
Our Bus came to Cheshire in the Summer for 2016 to begin the latest chapter of its eventful story.
The Bus was built by Metro Cammell in Birmingham and has a Gardner engine, a British company sadly no longer in existence. Known as a MetroBus Mark 1, it was one of thousands built for use in cities around the UK.
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This Bus was registered in 1981 and spent its early years in London. In the year 2000, it was bought by Harrods to use in a special experiment. The bus was converted to be partially open top, a downstairs kitchen was added and their Afternoon Tea project was born. The plan was to test whether there was a market for an upmarket Afternoon Tea experience as patrons were driven around the capital city; the plan worked and Harrods upgraded to a converted Routemaster that can still be seen today.
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Our Bus then became part of the City Sightseeing fleet; although it was rarely used in this period it did see service for private hire and corporate work, perhaps most notably as a control bus during major events at RAF Duxford. It also had a respray in the period to a pale blue - we think for either the Queen Mother's 100th Birthday or the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
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In August 2014, it moved to Torbay to join a sightseeing company there. Within months it became part of an exchange deal and moved to Warwickshire. It was here that it gained its Summer canopy and a fully refitted kitchen under the ownership of a very experienced Bus enthusiast who also just happened to be a Chef! In Warwickshire, it became the Great British Afternoon Tea Bus and had an active life as an outside catering vehicle.
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You can find all sorts on Ebay these days and that is where we found our bus. On its arrival in Cheshire it has undergone a refurbishment, had a serving counter added and had a winter awning designed and made to ensure we can use it all year round.
With thanks to Ashley Wakelin for background information
