Red Is a Cool Color
A visit to London is incomplete without taking pictures of Big Ben. Dropping by the Charles Dickens Museum will make the trip more memorable. If you're tired of walking, then how about hopping on a Routemaster bus? You'll only see a handful plying on route 9 and 15. But they are once a ubiquitous sight in Great Britain.
When Boris Johnson was elected mayor of Londin in 2008, he announced his intention to give the Routemaster a makeover. A competition for a new design was held. Eight daytime buses arrived four years later. The Routemaster were replicated in Blackpool and Manchester.
Mr Johnson said: "Christmas has arrived early in the form of this revolutionary new bus whose gleaming coat of red paint and sinuous curves will brighten the day of all who see it humming along our great city's streets."
"It is the latest, greatest masterpiece of British engineering and design, and I am certain it will become a much loved and iconic vehicle akin to the legendary Routemaster from which it draws so much inspiration."
The Heyday of London Transport
In the 1950s, London Transport (LT) commissioned the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) to build the Routemaster (or RM). Trolleybuses were used back then, and LT was looking for something that was easier to operate and more fuel-efficient.
The first RM appeared on the streets in 1959. It was three tonnes lighter than the 56-seat trolleybus, but the final design managed to seat 64. The bus became a hit with commuters, the main reason for its longevity. Some paints celebrated special occasions (e.g. The Queen's Silver Jubilee). In 1977, 25 RM were painted silver to celebrate its Silver Jubilee and, in 2002, 50 buses were painted gold (to mark its Golden Jubilee).
In 2005, the new accessibility rules made the RM unviable. Until Mr. Johnson's vision became a reality. Thomas Heatherwick redesigned the buses, which was relaunched to celebrate the 60th year of its creation.
The Heritage Tour
In "Summer Holiday" (1963), a AEC Regent III bus shared top billing with Cliff Richard. Boys and girls rode on that vehicle to escape the scorching British summer, traveling - and singing - around the continent. James Bond fans would remember that pulsating scene in "Live and Let Die" (1973), where an old-fashioned Routemaster was used in one of the most memorable chase scenes. The sitcom "On the Buses" was about the beloved RM. (Who can forget the immortal words, "I hate you butler"?)
Nowadays, RM is for city tours only. There can be nothing better than this, as the bus is a British icon. The route takes tourists to Burlington Arcade, Eleanor Cross, Fleet Street, Holland Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens, Nelson's Column, Royal Albert Hall, Savoy Theatre, and Trafalgar Square. There are more places of interest to pass by, which is why this is called the best and least expensive tour of London.
Route 15 includes Aldwych, London Charing Cross, Mansion House, St Paul's Cathedral, and Tower Hill. This is no less memorable than route 9. But if you don't fancy any of the locations, then take a look at the red bus. It's cool, isn't it?
