The editor’s sideways view of the bus scene
Please send any stories, photos, (digital, prints or slides), cuttings and other information of off beat bus matters direct to: Buses, PO Box 14644, Leven, KY9 1WX Or e-mail: alan.millar@keypublishing.com
Millar’s TALES
According to the PSV Circle, WNO 481 is one of seven surviving examples of the 10 ECWbodied Bristol KSW5Gs, dating from 1953, which Eastern National converted into open-top seafront double-deckers in 1965/66 for use at Southend and Clacton. A remarkable rate of survival.
More significantly, this one achieved fame in 1972 when Sir Paul McCartney acquired it for his Wings Over Europe tour, using it to transport his band Wings and his family to 26 concerts in 26 cities in nine European countries in July and August that year, with bunk beds and aircraft seats installed downstairs. After that it returned to England and joined the Tricentrol coach fleet in Luton. It later went abroad again and by 2007 had reached Tenerife, painted in a representation of its Wings life but abandoned in the open and looking well past its best.
Tom Creaven-Jennings has been in touch to tell me he completed his purchase of it on 20 October and has begun raising the funds…
