Top-Deck Travel

A History of Britain's Open-Top Buses

The classic open-top bus, from omnibus to sightseer!

This illustrated history charts the development of the open-top bus, from the early 1900s when buses were built with no roofs to the bustling sightseeing operations so popular around the world today. Following the trends around the UK, from London and the south coast to the north and Scotland, enthusiast and author Philip Miles has collated many unusual photographs showing these buses at work. Detailing the bus and the operator concerned in each photograph, this affectionately compiled collection of classic buses recalls many operators now relegated to the realms of memory as well as considering the role of the open-top bus today.