PUPILS at a Bradford school are now able to enjoy reading a book in one of the city’s most unusual libraries.

Based in a converted double decker bus, the new library at Farfield Primary School was officially opened last week.

Staff at the school, on Reevy Crescent in Buttershaw, had struggled to find space for alternate library facilities after the school’s library was converted into a classroom in October 2014.

Looking for some out the box thinking, staff asked children what type of library they would like, and after some brainstorming they decided a bus would make the ideal literary hub of the school.

The children sent handwritten notes to several transport companies across the district, pleading with them to provide a bus that could be used.

First Bus replied to the pupils letters to say they could use one of their decommissioned busses, and arranged for it to be delivered free of charge.

The 30791 number bus was used by First on routes around Leeds, and earlier this year it was parked up outside the school’s main office for the next stage of its life.

Since then work has been done to convert the vehicle into a library, with seats removed, upcycled and re-installed on the bus to make it more cosy.

The bus also underwent a full re-paint to a deep blue colour.

It has been open for students to use before this school term, but the final product was officially opened on Thursday, full of hundreds of books.

And staff say the pupils are delighted with the finished product.

Most of the original features of the bus were kept, including the electronic destination sign and the driver’s cabin and steering wheel.

Sarah Haigh, the school’s early years leader who has helped develop the project, said: “We got all the children involved in turning the bus into a library, and they have been brilliant about it.

“They were so excited about it opening, they absolutely love it.

“When we came up with the idea we went to visit another library bus in Leeds to see how that worked.

“We’ve moved the seats around on the bus to where we want them, to give it more of a library feel. We’ve re-used a lot of the bus.

“We had all the books that used to be in our old library and got them out of storage to move them to this new library.

“Every class will have an allocated weekly slot for the library, as well as using it for literacy lessons and when they are learning about certain topics.”

One of the letters from the pupils said: “Please could we have a bus because we like reading books because we don’t have a library.”

When the bus was first delivered to the school Colin Brushwood, operations manager for First Bradford, said: “We’re delighted to work in partnership with Farfield Primary School and provide one of our vehicles as a library facility.

“Our bus network connects communities across Bradford and this library initiative is an important project that is a great way to use bus vehicles that have come to the end of their normal service and provide such a useful local information hub.”

It is hoped that the library will also be used by the wider community.

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