The group met as strangers before embarking on their trip (Picture: SWNS)

A group of friends who took a London double decker bus 40,000 miles around the world have reunited fifty years later.

The eleven men and women were just strangers when they answered an advert to travel across the globe in the iconic red vehicle, which they named the Sir George White Special.

In a once in a lifetime trip, the group took the bus from Bristol to Canada, America, Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador, before ending their journey in Peru.

Now five members of the group – Mike Conway, Sally Rich, Bernice Poole, David McLaughlin and John Winter – have reunited in Bristol.

Speaking of their epic adventure, Bernice Poole said: ‘It modelled my life. We’ve all learnt so much from it.’

The trip was the brainchild of Roger Poole and his new wife Joan, who have since died. The pair advertised the idea twice in the local paper – roping in their friend, John Winter, who agreed to come along.

The group set off from Bristol to Montreal, Canada, in March 1970 ,and each had dedicated roles including a chef, four drivers and several mechanics.

Braving ‘blistering’ desert heat and and bone-chilling cold, the group spent 22 months aboard their less-than 50mph bus.

Arriving in Montreal aboard a cargo ship, the group travelled to Toronto and down the US east coast, visiting New York and then Texas before heading to Mexico City.

After Mexico, they headed to California for work and then braved winter in the Canadian prairies.

The bus being unloaded in Colombia (Picture: The Sir George White Special Group/SWNS)

The crew with their bus (Picture: The Sir George White Special Group/SWNS)

From there, the group headed to Toronto and down the US east coast again, visiting the NASA rocket launch site in Florida, where some of the group left and headed home.

The remainder continued on – heading back to Mexico, through Central America and into Peru.

They worked along the way, picking fruit, planting lily bulbs, cleaning restaurants and working as chauffeurs.

They had to negotiate tricky routes and mountains and, the bus often caused – and received – damage to bridges and overhead wires.

But sadly, it was in Peru that the journey would come to an abrupt end, when the group came across a low-lying bridge across the River Chira.

With the bus unable to pass across the bridge, the team attempted to float the bus on the river by using a special raft – but, as it drifted across, it slid into the water.

The group have finally reunited to mark the release of a book, Bus to Bust, written by one of their members, John Winter.

Mike Conway using fishing rod to check height of bridge in San Salvador (Credits: The Sir George White Special Group/SWNS)

John, 79, now retired, and living in Derbyshire, says that the journey was a life-changing experience.

He said: ‘It was an amazing journey, putting so many people together in such a confined space there were inevitably arguments.

‘But it was unlike anything any of us had ever done. I stayed with the group for about a year.

Sadly, the group said farewell to the bus when it became submerged in River Chira, Peru (Picture: The Sir George White Special Group/SWNS)

‘We all rotated as leader of the group, I became leader of the group for three months – by which time I’d had enough.

‘The bus really was the hero of the story, we had totally torn out the upper floor to fit beds and living space.

‘It was actually very comfy – though sometimes very hot.’

The team even had a brush with a celebrity.

John explained: ‘Unfortunately we bought a bus that was too high for the American roads – so as soon as we got there we started hitting bridges.

‘Usually the police were very good and gave us escorts sometimes, but eventually in California, we were stopped by a determined policeman who wouldn’t let us go.

The group have incredible members of their trip (L to R) David McLaughlin, Mike Conway, Bernice Poole, John Winter and Sally Mears (Picture: TomWren SWNS)

‘We had to take the bus off the road, but eventually were given permission to drive on by Ronald Reagan – who was Governor of California at the time. We met him briefly which was fun, though only for a moment.’

Aside from the terrain, there were other challenges to face too.

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‘We headed straight for Mexico to see the 1970 FIFA world cup, it took 48 days and in the end England never made it to the finals.

‘While leaving Mexico City too we almost got the bus knocked over by fans shaking it – it was quite scary and we kept having to drive the bus back and forth.’

The five met up for the first time in 50 years yesterday at Aerospace Bristol – arriving on a near-identical bus.

John’s new book, Bus to Bust, out now.

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It eventually sank in Peru.