The epic bus trip

On April 1, the 60-year-old is undertaking a more ambitious way of tackling the 100-mile trip - solely using local buses.

He has decided to test a national concessionary local bus scheme which starts that day.

The April Fool's Day journey to Cheshire will take an estimated ten-and-a-half hours, and involve Mr Jenking travelling on seven local buses through five counties.

Mr Jenking, of Headington, who works part-time at the Museum of Oxford, said he was confident he would make Crewe by the early evening.

He said: "I want to see if I can get across the country in a day, and I want to try out buses in different parts of the county.

"There might be delays but I think there's enough flexibility in my schedule. I'm reasonably confident. I give myself a 70 per cent chance of making it to Crewe - I would be disappointed if I didn't and I might even get there early."

Mr Jenking, who uses his local bus pass three times a week, believes strongly in public transport and backed the national concessionary bus pass scheme, which will enable people over 60, or with disabilities, to travel free anywhere they like within England on local bus services.

It excludes travel on services such as National Express.

Previously, people were only entitled to travel within the boundary of the council that issued the pass. Mr Jenking plans to catch the 9am bus from Oxford to Chipping Norton. From there he will catch the 10.02am service to Stratford, before hopping on the 11.45am to Birmingham.

From Birmingham he catches the 1.30pm to Wolverhampton, then the 3.46pm for Stafford, where he hopes to catch the 5pm to Stoke. The final leg of his journey will see him taking a 6.34pm service to Crewe, which arrives at 7.25pm.

If Mr Jenking were paying for the trip, it would cost £21.

The only direct National Express coach from Oxford to Crewe on that day leaves at 1.55pm and arrives at 6.20pm. A one-way fare costs £24.

Mr Jenking plans to travel back by train.