Home Counties Magical Society

They aren't your normal run of the mill bus drivers, but then again, this isn't your normal type of bus.. Magician, Paul Zenon, fed up of seeing older people in the UK pushed aside or written off, set up 'The Wonderbus' with the intention of providing a bit of fun and companionship to older people in homes and sheltered housing by taking them on trips to see live entertainment and give them a good old-fashioned day out to remember along the way.

Paul ran a comedy show, 'On the Bus' which toured in 2007 to raise money for the project, following it's success, Paul's decided to run a 2008 tour of the show, featuring himself, Harry Hill and Lee Mack in June, but what prompted Paul to start the project??

Well, Paul was around six years old when he had his first taste of show business. In the small town of Earby (formerly in Yorkshire; now Lancashire), factory worker Dorothy ('Dot') Crawshaw arranged a coach trip for local children to see a pantomime in Bradford, some thirty miles away. This was the first of several he would be treated to and he became hooked on the bright lights. Inspired by those outings, he went on to carve a career as one of the country's most successful comedy magicians, both live and on television, with performances in around thirty countries.

In February of 2006, while attending his Gran’s funeral, Paul bumped into her lifelong friend Dot and, on giving her a lift back to the sheltered housing in which she now lives, it occurred to him that it would be nice to return the favour that she had done for him and many other kids some thirty-odd years previously. And if he could sort that for Dot, then why not treat a few other deserving older folk too?

On the back of a fund-raising night called Paul Zenon's Grey Matter held at the London Comedy Store, the maiden voyage of The Wonderbus took place in January 2007, setting off from exactly the same location that the coach with Dot and Paul left from in 1971. It was launched with a sherry send-off, enough boiled sweets to sink a meals-on-wheels van, games and quizzes en route with fabulous (okay; Pound Shop) prizes, a meal at a posh restaurant in Bradford (there is one - really), and the main event Aladdin at the Bradford Alhambra Theatre - the very same panto, in the same venue, that Paul had been taken to see all those years before. The star of the show, comedian Billy Pearce, an old pal of Paul's, came aboard to sign autographs and chat with the passengers after the show before its return journey to Earby.

In June 2006 another successful outing was arranged for Dot and her friends to see Paul’s own show 'Turning Tricks' at The Grassington Festival. Inspired by the success of these two trips, it was decided that there was a need to set up a proper organisation with the aim of raising funds by putting on shows and using the proceeds directly to provide outings for more older folk. Having bounced the idea off a few friends in the pub and settled upon a name, The Wonderbus was born as a Not- for-Profit Organisation and the first major fund-raiser was planned.

In July 2007, On The Bus! played to a sell-out audience at the Theatre Royal in Brighton, starring Harry Hill, Paul Zenon , Lee Mack, and a guest appearance from 88 year-old legendary pickpocket, Mark Raffles, all of whom very kindly donated their time free of charge. The enormous success of this show inspired them to tour On The Bus! in 2008 to raise funds and promote The Wonderbus across the South of England. The tour dates for this show appear below

Recent outings have included a trip to the panto in Brighton on New Year’s Eve 2007 and to Holiday On Ice in January, when volunteers took groups out for a slap-up meal followed by a show and a good old-fashioned sing-along on the way home - not forgetting the sherry again.

The Wonderbus is a Not-for-Profit Organisation which has recently applied for Registered Charity status. It has no hidden administration costs and everyone concerned donates their services for free so that all funds raised can be used directly and tangibly - The Wonderbus does exactly what it says on the bodywork.

The 2008 On The Bus Tour, featuring Harry Hill, Paul Zenon, and Lee Mack is stopping off at the following venues:

2nd June - Milton Keynes Theatre - 0870 0606652
7th June - Weston-Super-Mare, Playhouse - 01934 645544
9th June - Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre - 01892 530613
10th June - Croydon Fairfield Halls - 0208 6889291
13th June - Leamington Spa, Royal Spa Centre - 01926 334418
15th June - Southend, Cliffs Pavilion - 01702 351135
16th June - Worthing, Pavilion Theatre - 01903 206206
17th June - Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion - 01424 229 111 (in aid of Cancer Research UK)
18th June - High Wycombe, Wycombe Swan - 01494 512000

Tickets are available directly from each venue, so please support Paul as the 'bus' tours the south of England.. Many thanks to Paul for getting the photos and information over to me.