A bus enthusiast and the custodian of a 13th century church on Salisbury Plain – what do they have in common? Sir Peter Hendry drives a 1962 routemaster one day a year to the abandoned village of Imber. A mad idea that arose from a conversation in a pub, it’s now a charitable service licensed by the Bath Bus Company. On the first trip in 2009, the bus passengers got off at what they thought was an abandoned church. But St Giles turned out to be cared for by one Neil Skelton who just happened to be around when the bus turned up. Retired from the Church Conservation Society, he used his expertise to have the building Grade 1 listed and raised funds to restore it. Now the annual bus service delivers up to 1,000 people on the open day; tea is provided courtesy of a generator. Half of the bus takings go to St Giles to help continue the maintenance and half to the British Legion. Ed Condry, Bishop of Ramsbury in the Salisbury Diocese realised just two years ago that he had gone to school with Peter the bus driver. So now the Bishop takes the bus each year to the open day.
Creativity, passion and synchronicity coming together to bring fun, beauty and for some perhaps, a glimpse of God.
Sourced from an article by Simon Usborne in the ‘i‘.
