Pope’s Biographer Finds the Art in Bartons

Click to visit the Ghost Bus Digital Scrap Book

First posted on 15th March 2015 (archived blog post)
​By Marysia Zipser

​Roberto Alborghetti is an exceptional Italian; an internationally celebrated author, journalist and visual artist.  While in the process of promoting his second official biography of our present Pope he happened to visit Bartons’ former bus depot in High Rd, Chilwell, having been invited by fellow blogger Marysia Zipser, founder of ACT Group (Art-Culture-Tourism) in Beeston. 

---

While touring the various classic vehicles on show Roberto chanced across the Ghost Bus, a 1956 URR 865 AEC Reliance, which has spent 20 years slumbering in an open field in Suffolk, resistant to both scrapping or restoration.  Nature has washed from it the names of the other operators that owned it after Bartons, so now, bizarrely, it has returned to a complete livery resembling its original, without the touch of a human hand.
 
As an artist Roberto had already started a project called “Lacer/Actions” focusing on images of natural cracks and scratches, urban and industrial tokens and materials – he became haunted by the Ghost Bus and its story and has made it the focus of his new work.
 
On Friday March 27 he returns to Bartons to premier two short films compiling images of the Ghost Bus.  The first film “Epic Voyage”, which lasts 13 minutes, is accompanied by a powerful, almost ecclesiastical soundtrack; the flow of images are grouped into four themes (Land, Horizons, Maps and Heavens), they are illustrated by a number of citations on the ‘journey’, penned by great authors of world literature, from Kerouac to Hemingway.
 
The second film is 6 minutes in length and entitled "Seaside Town”, which is the name of the emotive soundtrack that highlights the human history of the vehicle and the hundreds of thousands of miles this bus travelled bringing pleasure to so many.

​Bartons had already recently been given a documentary made by professional film maker Bill Freeman of a Road Cruise Holiday taken in Italy in 1959 in glorious Kodachrome colour – the featured coach is a sister bus, the same model as Ghost Bus, and the destination is equally spooky in relation to this project.  There will also be an opportunity for people to watch this 45 minute film.

“The road never ends... only our vision does.” (A. Reddy)

---

---

The Ghost Bus Films Premiere 28th March 2015

Dear Friends and Ghost Bus Fans
​(archived post first published 29th March 2015)
​By Marysia Zipser

On behalf of Roberto Alborghetti, Bartons plc and ACT Group, we would like to thank you for attending Friday’s magical evening with us at The Gallery and Garage and viewing the short films premiere and experiencing the presence of the Ghost Bus itself in all its glory!

We were delighted to receive so many compliments and comments but unfortunately my memory was not retentive enough to record many of them so could I ask you please to respond to me by email with any comments you would like to share with us on both films, the three settings, the Ghost Bus, the organisation etc, which will all contribute to improving other arts events in the future at Bartons or wherever the venue may be. 

Ghost Bus @ Bartons March 2015 photos by Paul Boyd

​Also don’t forget to browse Roberto’s website above to see more of his artworks, information and background...and please do give us your suggestions on the continuation of the Ghost Bus project and films!

Many thanks again, and look forward to welcoming you again in the future.

---

---

Roberto's Website

Roberto Alborghetti

---