Oxfordshire village bus shelter near Witney transformed into art

Villagers of South Leigh and High Cogges have decorated the bus shelter in Station Lane on the theme Club Tropicana, Queen’s 70th Jubilee, Santa's Grotto and it is currently decorated to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit.

Since the first edition three and a half years ago when it was set up as a swap shop and  lending library at the start of Covid, the shelter has been through 15 editions.

Decorator Martin Spurrier said: “The bus shelter has been there as long as anybody can remember. South Leigh has also never had a bus service that anyone can remember. We surmised it was probably a school bus.

“We’re a very small village of only 130 houses and its right in the middle of Station Lane and it was looking really really scruffy and drab.

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“So in June 2020 a lady in the village said her elderly mother could not get to the library. And that’s how it started.

"Three ladies got together and thought it would be a good idea to make it a library. And they contacted me for help building shelves and things and we painted it.

“It was such a success we then turned it into a swap shop.

Mr Spurrier said: “Christmas came along and we started to decorate it for Christmas. We had a letter box for children where they could post a letter to Santa and they got a response within 48 hours."

After that the team reached new heights of creativity, completely transforming the bus stop with a new theme every few months.

Themes have included Valentine's then Easter Bunny then Limb Brook water quality exhibit, Beach Huts, Halloween and Elves' Workshop.

“We’ve had 15 different editions all with educational and fun things for children to do," said Mr Spurrier.

And the bus stop's fame has reached beyond the village, becoming a local visitor attraction.

He said: “We don’t know if people come from outside the village to see it because we’re not always there. But during the Club Tropicana one I put in a signing sheet.

"We had 300 ticks and there’s probably only half of people sign.

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“Whenever I’m working on it without fail cyclists stop to chat and tell me they always come round this way to see it.”

The latest edition of the formerly disused village bus shelter, The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit, has Chinese script for children to copy and training chopsticks inside.

“It’s my favourite because I lived in Hong Kong for 30 years," said Mr Spurrier.

"I prefabricate it at home over about three weeks and putting it up is a couple of days plus tweaking.

"It's really just me and a friend who do it when she's got time and I get village teenagers to help now and then for their Duke of Edinburgh Award.

"Everyone is invited to help if they wish, of course. And this will eventually morph into the Easter Bunny.”

Watch this space…

The Bus Shelter Past Editions

1. June 2020: Lockdown Swap Shop & ‘The Andrew Carnegie Memorial Library’.
2. Dec 2020: Santa’s Grotto.
3.  Feb 2021: Valentine’s.
4. Mar 2021: Easter Bunny.
5. April 2021: Limb Brook water quality exhibit. 
6. Aug 2021: Beach Huts.
7. Oct 2021: Halloween.
8. Dec 2022: Elves’ Workshop.         
9. Apr 2022: Easter Bunny’s Burrow.
10. June 2022: Queen’s 70th Jubilee.
11. July 2022: Club Tropicana.
12. September (8) Queen’s death.
13. October 2022: Halloween.
14. December 2022: Santa’s Post Office.
15. January 2023: Chinese New Year of the Rabbit.

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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris

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