"How did we get involved? Whatever are we doing here?
The bishop had sent a double decker bus around all the church schools, to help children find the answer to '2000 years since what?' Some of us saw the actual bus at the resources exhibition staged by the Deanery Training Committee in conjunction with our diocesan team. Then we heard that the original team was no longer going to be presenting the bus and it was up to the local churches to do that to the schools in their area.

With much trepidation and an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy, six of us and Mitch the puppet (the only professional and definitely the star of the show) went to meetings, watched the video, went to a couple of rehearsals (Well, some of us managed most of those things!) and learnt the song.

Eventually the day arrived, when we had to face the 250 (ferocious, no doubt) small children who go to Carlisle School. "So we make idiots of ourselves. It doesn't matter, the message is more important than we are" - Keep saying that! We put on our red "bus" T-shirts and got through assembly - Well, Brian was in charge, so that was easy, but Margaret Ansell as Jo, did the mime of being on a tube train and having to "Mind the gap", as if she knew exactly what she was doing! The song about the gap between us and God and about Jesus being the bridge was sung, with actions and played again as all but one class left the hail. The first class were, taken to the three "bus stops" in the hall, with the help of a wooden model bus front and they heard the stories of Christmas (Jesus was no ordinary baby), getting lost in the Temple (Jesus was no ordinary boy) and the "Through The Roof" healing miracle (Jesus was no ordinary man). A visit to the bus followed and there they discovered why Jesus was crucified and about his resurrection and why this is significant to us.

We made it! There was no time to think; we were already late for the next class. By the end of the day we had performed to 9 classes. The next week, over a day and a half, a similar process happened with the twelve classes at Hampton Hill Junior School. We survived! I believe the chidren enjoyed our efforts, too. They certainly have a good idea of the Christian message by now!"

Source: Ruth Mills, The Spire Magazine - 2000 May