Update on the Big Green Bus

With our first event less than a week away we've been working flat out to get the bus refit finished by the end of September. We had hoped to finish earlier, but as the bus is no longer under cover it's been a bit difficult with all this rain! It's been really hard to get funding for this project at the same time as working on the refit, so it has taken a lot longer to get everything done than I had originally anticipated, but the end result is going to be worth the wait. In retrospect I should have spent six months looking for funding before buying the bus and starting the refit, but there you go!

The bus is beginning to look really beautiful now inside and out. We have pretty much finished the top deck and just need to install the TV screen and DVD player. We've got seating upstairs for up to 24 adults or 30 children and the area is extremely light and bright... a great space for talks and workshops as well as showing films!

The crew quarters are also finished (top front of the bus with the little cottage window) and looking extremely cosy and comfortable.

Downstairs, we are covering the back seats in hemp fabric. We have kept this as a seating area, with a table, for up to 8 people to sit and read books or magazines from our little library, or for us to hold small workshops or discussions. The rest of the downstairs is taken up with storage and display areas. All the display units are made from English wood (from managed woodland) including oak, beech, cherry, ash and chestnut. We also have storage drawers made from local willow.

Outside we are about to attach an awning and are currently making decisions about where to mount the solar PV panels. The pole for the wind turbine is ready to attach to the rear of the bus and all the wiring is almost complete. We have taken delivery of a pedal-powered smoothie maker (thank you David!) and by next weekend we should have lights powered by the elements!

So, the bus is almost complete and we shall soon be able to get it out there to do the job it's been designed to do!

More next month.....

Brigit