Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit

As the saying goes, it’s only original once. Fortunately, this retired fruit pickers Bus had been left to ripen in a farmer’s barn

- James Peene

There are various types of car enthusiasts. For example, there are those who love nothing more than a dollop of over the top, look at me flash. You know the sort, someone who would immediately dash out and buy a Lime Green Lambo if their numbers came up on Saturday night and then there are the other sort…

I for one have always counted myself as one of the other sort - someone for whom that sort of vehicle holds absolutely zero appeal. A big money hyper-car could drive past me on the street, but if at the exact same moment a rusty old VW burbled into sight, well, I’d turn to look at that instead…

You can’t help being into what you’re into and it was pretty much the case at last year’s Brighton Breeze.

Meandering up and down Madeira Drive I found myself becoming a little snow blind to all the shiny Splits on Fuchs and bedecked in Deluxe trim. The vehicle that really stood out to me was a battered, bruised and wonderfully characterful orange Late Bay Window. It oozed character from every pore and I immediately wanted to know more. Where had it been, what had it done to end up like this and what sort of chap owned it? Anyone (with the necessary funds) can buy a Lambo, but no one else was driving anything even half as cool as this in Brighton that day.

The chap enjoying a cup of tea in the back of this Bus and slightly amused by my level of interest was Peter Sugden and it’s he who takes up the tale. He says: “This is actually my son, Joe’s Bus but he isn’t old enough to drive/insure it yet.” Although since these photo’s were taken Joe has now turned 18 and driven the Bus around on private land.