Bus-mad teen Mark given dream tour of depot (From Bournemouth Echo)

Bus-mad teen Mark given dream tour of depot

3:00pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News By Steven Smith

A BUS-mad teenager enjoyed a tour of Yellow Buses’ Bournemouth depot after he thanked drivers with boxes of chocolates.

Mark Nash, 14, has cerebral palsy and severe learning difficulties and, to thank staff from the firm for looking after him over the last 12 years, he handed over two large boxes of chocolates.

In response, Yellow Buses decided he deserved a special day out and he was given a tour of the depot.

Mark’s dad David has taken him on a Yellow Bus every weekend since he was three and it is the highlight of the week for the teenager.

The drivers all know him and he has become popular with them and other passengers.

Yellow Buses’ head of marketing, Jenni Wilkinson, took him on the tour of several buses and he was able to sit on the drivers’ seats and open and shut the doors.

Mark, who goes to Linwood School, grinned with enthusiasm as he examined the buses at YB’s depot in Yeomans Way.

His dad and mum Ann were delighted to see him enjoy himself.

David said: “He loves Yellow Buses and I’ve been taking him on them every weekend for 12 years.

“The drivers are all so kind and patient and he wanted to thank them by buying them some chocolates.

“He loves buses so much that they are the first thing he thinks of when he wakes up in the morning.

“On the buses he often gives out the leaflets to the passengers.”

Jenni added: “It was very touching for Mark to buy some chocolates for the drivers and the least we could do was show him around the buses.

“Our drivers will love the sweets and we’ll put one box at Yeomans Way and another at our base in Bournemouth Square.”