WNO 481 entered service in Chelmsford for Eastern National on 3rd November 1953 as a closed topper. The earliest known photo is dated 7th May 1963 and shows the bus with Pitsea Station (Essex) as the destination.
Eastern Counties
1968 – WNO 481 is acquired by The Eastern Counties Omnibus Co. which operated an extensive network of bus services throughout the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and into parts of Essex, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, an area of some 9,000 square miles!
Paul McCartney & Wings
Paul McCartney chose WNO 481 to be the 1972 Wings Tour Bus and in July and August 1972 it carried Paul McCartney, Linda, Heather, Mary & Stella McCartney, Wings members Denny Laine, Henry McCullough, Denny Seiwell, wives and girlfriends over 12,000 km’s / 7,500 miles to play 25 concerts in 25 cities in 9 countries across Europe. When Paul McCartney gave WNO 481 its Wings he created The Legend Of Rock & Road.
WNO 481 – The Tricentrol Years
In July/August 1973 Halls Coaches then owners of the bus was acquired by Tricentrol. WNO 481 was then moved to Tricentrol’s depot in Dunstable and painted in their gold livery.
BAFTA Cavalcade to Cannes and WNO 481.
Cavalcade To Cannes. The Great British Film Rally took place between the 7 and 17 of May 1989. It was instigated by BAFTA and Shell UK in association with the Classic and Historic Motor Club and Shell France.
BAFTA Julie Andrews and WNO 481
On October 7th 1989 WNO 481 provided celebrity transportation for the all star guests gathered at The Empire Leicester Square to pay tribute to Britain’s own Hollywood star Julie Andrews.
Cilla Black’s Surprise Surprise Trevor Brooking West Ham WNO 481
At 7:45 pm on Sunday 11th November 1984 WNO 481 appeared for the first time on Surprise, Surprise with Cilla Black and would go on to star with West Ham legend Trevor Brooking and the FA Cup.
The McCartney Stage
My ideal is to play off the back of a bus” – Paul McCartney
The open top deck of Paul McCartney’s 1972 Wings Tour Bus WNO 481 has been re-imagined and engineered so that WNO 481 now has an amazing new super power; the ability to transform into a performance stage fit to grace any festival or event from Glastonbury to Woodstock. Paul McCartney’s ‘Ideal…’ is now possible.
LIPA proposal – McCartney Stage and text
A proposal outlining a potential tie-up between our Paul McCartney’s 1972 Wings Tour Bus WNO 481 with its new McCartney Stage and LIPA, founded by Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty.
Clacton Property Developers’ Proposal
A Proposal For Clacton Property Developers for the development of Clacton creating an exhibition, learning, event, festival space with Paul McCartney’s 1972 Wings Tour Bus WNO 481 with its McCartney Stage as the centre-piece.