The Bus Pass Diaries.
I’ve been preparing for 2026 in a few gentle ways. Reconnecting with old friends and family members who I haven’t been in touch with for years. Testing the waters really. Nothing to lose. We will see if there are any responses. So now I have this sense of a little gently pulsating beat, an extra pattern in the background, like a new life forming. It’s really quite exciting. The wise old owl - does that represent me?
Yes. I see kindness and wisdom there and patience, independence and the ability to survive and thrive. The gifts of age perhaps. I’m going with the flow. In December I also finally got around to applying for a bus pass and apparently I can travel all round London with it for absolutely nothing, so, my plan is to discover London by bus - by travelling on the top deck at the front if possible and taking photos, making videos and sketching, writing down ideas etc. I’m already writing every day and sorting out the stories and thoughts that accompany me wherever I go, but now I’m giving myself more time to focus. To get into the flow. I’ve decided to create something along the lines of My Bus Pass Adventures or Diaries though diary implies everyday which I doubt they will be as ideas spill over into lives of their own and take over. As usual I’m doing this entirely for myself and for anyone who might find them of interest. I hardly ever travel by bus as I have a very reliable and comfortable car but I do remember the excitement of looking down as I took the No. 6 bus to Warrington Art School and the way the seasons and the weather changed every journey into an adventure. And going to school on the bus way before that too. Yes I do have a love for public transport that needs reviving. And people talk to one another on buses. Or do they? Certainly not on the Tube which I am really fed up with. Almost everyone is on their phone in the underground. I’m hoping being able to look out of the windows changed that somehow for people.
My first destination will be The British Museum on Monday 5th January. It’s going to be a pretty cold day. Tomorrow I return to London with my daughter and will stay with her for a week. Hopefully I will do one journey at least every day. I want to get the feel of the place and meet people. And learn and see what is happening. Step by step.
