Readers of a certain age may recall a well-known pop star who, quite uniquely, has been enjoying hits since the 1950s right up until, I believe, last year. Yes, the legend I refer to is none other than Sir Cliff Richard. He was born in India circa 1940 to British parents and moved to England as a young teenager, just as “The King” himself, the one and only Elvis Presley, had begun to spark a teenage cult with his full-on rock and roll pop ditties. As it happened, the young Cliff fancied himself as an Elvis pretender. He formed a band with some mates, and Cliff Richard and The Shadows duly jumped on the bandwagon. And that was it: a star was born.
Fascinating, I hear you say, but what on earth has that got to do with converting a London double-decker bus into a luxury home? Well, the reason I mention it is because, in the mid-1960s, Cliff and the boys made a movie. It was called Summer Holiday, and the premise was quite rare. Cliff and a few mates were going to drive a London double-decker bus across to France. This, of course, meant they had to learn to drive a bus properly, obtain the necessary legal licence, and earn what was then called a PSV badge (Passenger Service Vehicle). In case you’re wondering, which I know full well you’re not, my licence number is LL09354. I passed in 1984, when I started my career as a Senior Management Trainee with the National Bus Company.
Why is this of interest to the bus conversion? Well, quite simply, because it proves the basic principle that double-decker buses have a long-standing history of being used as domestic abodes. Cliff and his merry band of brothers and sisters experienced the joy of sleeping, relaxing, and even eating on board a converted mobile home. In fact, to celebrate the freedom of their liberated double-decker bus, Cliff and The Shadows topped the pop charts with the classic We’re All Going on a Summer Holiday – still as catchy a tune today as it was over 60 years ago.
So, let us fast forward to 2025 and a rather charming topical story about a chap who took it upon himself to convert a classic London double-decker into a two-bedroom apartment. The total cost? A mouth-wateringly cheap £50,000, which, quite frankly, wouldn’t even buy you a garage door in large parts of the capital, let alone the garage and the flat that go with it. Modestly described as “the most beautiful bus conversion in the world,” the bus features a master bedroom, a children’s bunk bedroom, a bathroom, a luxury kitchen, and a rather stylish lounge area. To allow for extra storage space, the engine was removed, giving the interior greater flexibility for family living.
So, who was the genius behind this idea? Step forward Dan Atkins, who revealed his bus conversion on social media after putting the 1998 former diesel bus up for sale on eBay. Dan plans to donate the proceeds to his charity, Solutions4Living, which supports people facing homelessness. He explained that the bus’s engine has been removed, making it “ideal for permanent placement in a holiday park, on private land, or even as part of a glamping site.” Dan’s impressive project follows a long and illustrious tradition of innovative bus conversions – from both mobile and static homes, to school classrooms, mobile hospitals for combat zones (including Ukraine), and even, would you believe it, glasshouses for the keen gardener.
Well done, Dan. I truly admire what you’ve achieved, and all in support of a very noble cause.
Written by Austin Birks
