It's both a busman's holiday and a vehicle that Cliff Richard might have written home about after his appearance in the 1963 film Summer Holiday.
A vintage bright blue double-decker bus featured on TV homes show George Clarke's Amazing Spaces and named Betty after it was converted into a one-of-a-kind quirky home with a bath is being sold for £35k.
It boasts a unique Scandinavian "hygge" decor - and signals a throwback to Cliff Richard's iconic film in which he and his friends go on a summer holiday in a former London bus.
The 1977 Bristol VR Series Two has been owned by Ellie Banner-Ball for the past six years. It can sleep up to four people and the open plan accommodation has been built within the existing chassis and shell of the bus.
The bus stop buttons are now light switches and the original bus driver’s luggage hold is now a helpful storage space in the kitchen. The front seats on the top deck have been converted into a study and dressing room area. Its conversion cost £35,000.
Downstairs is a fully fitted kitchen with hob oven, fridge-freezer, double stainless steel sink and wardrobe storage. It is also where you will find the living room which has a log-burning stove and seating area with a removable dining table and under-seat storage.
Upstairs there is a study/ dressing area, a bathroom with a roll-top slipper bath tub and sink, and bedroom with kingsize bed and side tables. There is no toilet fitted on the bus so the new owner would have to consider a compost loo outside or possibly converting the driving area.
Betty - the same model that appeared in the 1997 Spice Girls movie - has been kept as a stationary bus home since 2018 and has had two years as a holiday let since April 2020. It is located on private land near Ashburton, Devon.
Ellie, 36, of Exeter, said: "I bought the bus back in 2016. I was inspired by an Instagram post that said, 'buy an old bus, take out the seats and travel around your country with good people'. It sounded like a great idea, so I looked online and found a beautiful bright blue bus. This was a vintage Bristol VR and I picked her up in Runcorn two weeks later."
She added: "I liked the idea of living in a home that could move with me, and living simply and minimally - although it was far from simple! My friend Willow inspired me because I stayed with her in a shepherd's hut when I first came to Devon and I loved it.
"I lived in Betty for two years before moving into a bricks and mortar house in 2020 just after the pandemic hit. I was so sad to leave. It took me a long time to get used to living ‘indoors’ again. I adored living outside. It was such a privilege to live in such a beautiful location."
Explaining why she is now selling the bus, Ellie said: "I’m very sad to let Betty go because she was such a big part of my life and I have so happy memories of living in her. I’m now wanting to start a new chapter in my life and would like the capital for a new project."
Explaining how mod cons can be enjoyed on the bus, Elie said: "It has a hot water system with boiler and wired electrics. Betty plugs into an outdoor plug socket and has an electric box with fuse switches just like a normal house. It also has a solar panel facility to be fully off-grid.
To find out more about the bus, please email Ellie at elliebannerball@gmail.com. Viewings are by appointment only.
