There is London by day, and there is London by night! – and let me tell you, London by night can be quite spooky! Yesterday Frenchie and I took a ride on the London Ghost Bus Tour for a theatrical sightseeing tour, showing you the darker side of London. “Be afraid… be very afraid!”

This spooky bus is actually the only surviving Necropolis Bus.

The Necropolis Bus Company began in the 19th century as a private funeral bus service carrying the deceased, pallbearers and mourners to the final resting place. However, in 1967, the entire fleet was destroyed in a mysterious fire… only one bus (this bus) survived. I wasn’t scared at all… not at all! (look,  I’m still smiling!)

If you take a closer look at the signs on the bus, you might want to reconsider jumping on board! Somehow  “666”, “Trafalgar Scare”,  “Notting Hell” and “Earls Corpse” don’t sound very appealing (but yet I was very intrigued)

But after having met the very nice conductor Oliver, who invited us in, I decided to give it a try! (The bus picks you up and drops you off at Northumberland Avenue)

Peeka”boo”! All ready to go and take a ride to dark side on this elegantly refurbished vintage double-decker

There were some weird noises going on, and I got a bit scared! (But it was just the other guests coming up the stairs to join me – and some uninvited guests too!)

The interior seating in the bus is arranged in ‘railway style’ so the passengers back in the days could grieve openly and offer condolences to one another. Decorative features include lamps and window curtains which were always drawn if a coffin was stored in the vehicle overnight. (This is based on the superstition that a departed spirit might be trapped by its own reflection in the glass and would be unable to pass into the other world). It also helped to keep the bodies cool in the summer months… (always good to know!)

Shhhh… I´d better not wake up the dead!

OK, I’m ready! I’m brave – and I can do this!

Here we are – let’s go!

The Ghost Bus Tours takes you around the city, to West End, and even south of the river. Here are a few snap-shots, that I took from the window, while the bus was moving 

We saw some of the oldest and most historic places in London and learned about spooky facts about the most famous sights including Westminster Abbey, Fleet Street, The Tower of London, and London Bridge.

Oliver, our highly amusing conductor told us stories from London’s murky past as a city of execution, murder and haunting. (It wasn’t always easy for him as there was a LOT of on-board technical trickery going on! )

I really wanted to post a picture here of something scary, that suddenly happened on the bus… I found myself screaming so loud in Danish, that Frenchie almost fell on the floor laughing! (but it has to be a surprise – so you have to discover it yourself!)

 Moving on safe and sound, pheeww! Here are a few more snap-shots from the window as we crossed London Bridge by night

St. Paul’s Cathedral

The London Eye in the background

– And then we were told to close the curtains! Something was definitely going on – and the conductor didn’t really seem to be himself anymore…

Unfortunately the story ends here as I can not reveal what happened! I’m just happy to be alive! (Joke aside, I really had so much fun and it is a great way to learn about London while being highly entertained – in a morbid way!)

A final goodbye to our team on the bus…

The London Ghost Bus Tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes (depending on traffic) You can book your tickets here

Timetable Sunday to Thursday: 7:30pm and 9pm Friday: 6pm, 7:30pm and 9pm Saturdays: 6pm, 7:30pm, 7:45pm, 9pm and 9:15pm (Last minute tickets may be available on board)

Have fun!

X Louise