First Bus transformed into mobile museum which tours Scotland

Local bus operator, First Aberdeen, has played host to an innovative new venture, The Travelling Museum of British Invention.

First in Scotland has donated one of its buses to arts organisation, Sing London, which has entirely refurbished the bus transforming it into a mobile museum fitted with 100 of Britain’s most important inventions, discoveries and social innovations. 

From the jet engine to the NHS, gravity to radar, penicillin to hawk eye, the museum features a roll call of British achievement. 

The bus is visiting Aberdeen this week and its first stop was First’s HQ in King Street. First Aberdeen and FirstGroup staff took the opportunity of looking around the bus this afternoon and were joined by pupils from Hanover Street Primary School. The bus will also visit Kittybrewster Retail Park, Northfield Academy and local attraction Satrosphere this week. Admission is free and the bus is designed for people of all ages. 

First Aberdeen’s Operations Manager, David Adam welcomed the museum to the city and said: “The bus looks fantastic.  It’s full of lots of wonderful surprises and it’s incredible that so much has been packed on board.”

“First staff across Scotland and thousands of our customers will have the opportunity of seeing the Museum – as part of its national tour it will visit city squares, shopping centres, schools, libraries and two or three of our bus depots across the country.”

Aberdeen City Council’s Convener of Education, Culture and Sport Jenny Laing said: “Sing London’s innovative and winning approach to mass participation events is well-known.  I would encourage everyone to get on board and take a tour on this very special travelling museum. To think that all these inventions, discoveries and innovations were created by the British and how they have helped change the world is amazing.”

Dr Heather Doran of the University of Aberdeen’s Public Engagement with Research Unit, added “We’re delighted to support the Museum Bus visit to Aberdeen. It is a great opportunity to celebrate the rich history of discovery from Aberdeen and the North East in areas from health to quantum physics.”

Producer of the Travelling Museum, Colette Hiller from Sing London, thanked First for its support and said: “Danny Boyle has made it ok for us to blow our own trumpets and to celebrate British achievement.  Whether you’re from the UK or have adopted it, The Travelling Museum aims to give us all a blast of collective pride.”

The Travelling Museum is produced by Sing London, the participatory arts organisation whose interventions aims to lift the public’s spirit. The project is funded by The Scottish Government &, The Royal Academy of Engineering.  Additional support comes from First who donated the bus, and from CNM, a Welsh computer company who supplied technology.