Following nearly five decades of ferrying commuters – first in Portsmouth, then in Gozo – a vintage bus has finally retired in a little Xlendi garden, where it has been transformed into a camper. 

The bus was saved from scrappage last year, when Simon Parrott and Matthew Pantling found it in a Fgura commercial garage. It was the last surviving bus of a fleet of six Bristol LH buses in Malta – the other five having been scrapped along the years.

Parrott, who settled in Malta five years ago, first fell in love with Maltese buses as a 14-year-old boy on a family trip here in the early 1990s.

“I recall the excitement over Maltese buses – they were vintage buses that at the time, in the UK, you’d only find in a museum.

"That excitement stayed with me and over the years, the love for the history that goes with them, including their family operation and unique design, grew. Vintage buses form part of Maltese life that doesn’t exist anymore.”

Bella is now retired in a little Xlendi garden. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Fascinated as he was about the history of Maltese buses, when he found ‘Bella’ he knew they had to rescue her.

“When we met Bella for the first time in Fgura in May 2021, we hooked her up to a battery as she was, covered in dust. The engine started on the first try, so we drove her all the way up to Xlendi.

“Along the way we were greeted by lots of surprised passers-by, who enthusiastically waved at Bella. Once we put her in our little yard, we started thinking of how best to re-purpose her.”

Simon Parrott, who together with Matthew Pantling found Bella in a Fgura commercial garage, first fell in love with Maltese buses when he was 14.

Quirky characteristics preserved

A local craftsman whose relatives were in the bus-building industry was hired to renovate Bella, while another tradesperson painted it in its traditional Gozitan red and grey livery.

The 1974 bus was eventually turned into an airconditioned camper for overnight stays, complete with its own kitchenette, a lounge area, and shower room.

Most of its quirky characteristics have been preserved, fitting in nicely with its vintage design.

Framed pads of ticket stubs hang over the driver’s corner, while a couple of benches at the front have been turned into a dining area. Graffiti on the back of one of the seats is a stark reminder of Bella’s heyday… as were the several balls of gum that Parrott and Pantling found stuck to the benches while cleaning the bus.

At the back, more benches serve as the headboard of a double bed. The bell used to indicate commuters’ next stop, is still installed in the ceiling, while an overhead shelf was retained to hold board games and other amenities for guests.

A sign prohibiting smoking was peeled away during renovation, revealing an older one allowing smoking at the back of the bus – except for the benches at the very back. This was also retained and incorporated in its renovation.

No more driving for Bella. Slide for more photos. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Graffiti on the back of one of the preserved benches. Slide for more. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Ticket stubs have been framed above the driver's seat. Slide for more. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Bella has now retired as an overnight camper. Slide for more. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

A little kitchenette. Slide for more. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Detail of steering wheel. Slide for more. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Detail in the former driver cabin. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli Slide for more.

Bella is now an overnight stay camper. Slide for more. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The guest book. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Migrated to Gozo in 1980s

Once Bella’s refurbishment was completed, she got her own Facebook account, and social media users started sending Parrott and Pantling bits and pieces of information about her, with one person even providing a photo of the vehicle in Southampton in the 1970s.

More information trickled in when guests started sleeping aboard Bella in March.

“Our very first guests – a couple and their young daughter from Gozo – remembered Bella from when they used to go swimming after school. We’ve even met the son of one of its former drivers,” Parrott explained.

It transpired that Bella emigrated to Gozo in 1985, after over a decade working routes in the UK’s Portsmouth area.

She serviced Gozo until 2011, and then had a brief life as a charter bus. After a busy life, Bella will now remain a stationary camper.

Bella in Southampton. Slide for more. Photo provided by Simon Parrott

The overhead compartment before renovation. Slide for more. Photo provided by Simon Parrott

Bella on her way to Xlendi from Fgura. Photo provided by Simon Parrott