Burnham to Kinshasa added to bus timetable?

Tuesday, September 11, 2012
9:54 AM

NEXT stop for the B52 bus from Burnham-on-Sea will be… Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Many of us grumble about our daily commute, but this 3,986-mile journey to the African nation’s capital would be too much for all but the most determined trippers.

But Kinshasa is now a daily destination for this former Badgerline bus, still transporting passengers long after its Somerset commercial life came to an end.

Former Burnham resident Pete Vowles lives in Kinshasa working for the UK Aid Agency, and is the man who captured this light-hearted image and shared it with the Mercury.

He said: “I took this picture yesterday (Sunday) on the road from Kinshasa to Kikwit, Democratic Republic of Congo and thought you might be interested in seeing where an old bus from Somerset ends up.

“My family come from Burnham, and my grandmother, Naomi Vowles, still lives in Burnham.”

* Have you spotted a Somerset relic in an unusual setting? Send your pictures to newsdesk@westonmercury.co.uk