PAULINE, KITTY & JEAN
Pauline, Kitty and Jean are our three afternoon tea buses. They are named after Karen’s grandmothers and great aunt as, like us at Vintage Tea Trips, they welcomed everyone into their home for tea and cakes whether you were the postman or the Pope.
It is this sense of nostalgia and the door always being open that we wish to always recreate on board.
Pauline, Kitty & Jean are three fully restored Routemaster buses. These front engine double decker buses were designed by and for London Transport. Each with their own history and personality they bring that special something to our experience.
GET TO KNOW US!
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I’m Karen, owner of Vintage Tea Trips. It’s my job to make sure the wheels keep rolling, the kettle is always on and there is always time for a cuppa & a catch up.
Three Facts:
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I was on the Late Late Toy Show twice
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I make a mean carrot cake
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I renewed my wedding vows with Elvis in Las Vegas – funniest, most expensive seven minutes of my life
Guilty Pleasure
Escaping to the West with my husband David, children Matthew & Julia.. and Gin!
Best Moment On Vintage Tea Trips
Having Nationwide join my extended family on a trip in honour of my Granny Pauline. We had such a lovely day for the trip and the film crew were trying to get some nice footage of the bus going through the Phoenix Park – but my family just wouldn’t behave! Flaying arms out windows and singing… it was hilarious, but I could have killed them! You know the saying “you can choose your friends…. but you can’t choose your family!”
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Three Facts:
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I’m 5ft 2 and half which is very important!
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I’m 1 of 6 children
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I’ve worked with Karen for over 10 years.
Guilty Pleasure
Coffee, coffee and more coffee which is very handy in this business
Best Moment On Vintage Tea Trips
Hearing all the different stories from people booking on the tour. Some have a love for vintage buses – some have driven them including having the first lady driver for Dublin Bus on board.
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My name is Ciara and I’m the Sales & Marketing Executive at Vintage Tea Trips. I manage the social media accounts, create the content we share and work on events and advertising opportunities for the company.
Three Facts:
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I’ve travelled to 31 different countries in the last 7 years.
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I aim to drink 6-8 litres of water a day.
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I’ve two obsessions in life – Real Housewives and Formula One.
Guilty Pleasure:
False tan. I love it and wear it every single day!
Best Moment On Vintage Tea Trips
Hearing and listening to people’s stories. We had the ladies on from Kenilworth Bowling Club and I loved hearing them relive and tell their own memories and funny stories of Dublin while we travelled through the streets.
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I’m the bus driver of Vintage Tea Tours. I have a keen interest in old, vintage buses. I love keeping the bus in clean condition and make sure she’s always looking her best. I keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary and always happy when things go perfectly to plan.
Three Facts:
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I have an interest in numismatics. This is collecting old coins and coin stamps.
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I love collecting old bus memorabilia such as timetables, schedules, number plates and everything and anything like that.
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I was in Dublin Bus for 35 years as a conductor, driver and supervisor. I retired in 2013.
Guilty Pleasure:
I’m a bit of a lotto buff and always buy a few lines of the lotto but have yet to win anything.
Best Moment On Vintage Tea Trips
I love when I get to customise routes. We had a group from EY on and they wanted greenery rather than the concrete of Dublin so I planned the route we did for them and they loved it.
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I’m one of the bus drivers at Vintage Tea Trips. I used to work at Dublin Bus as a driver there.
Three Facts:
- I may be a bus driver but I’ve absolutely no sense of direction.
- I have two sons and two daughters – My daughters are the apples of my eye.
- On average I’d have at least 10 cups of tea a day!
Guilty Pleasure:
DIYBest Moment On Vintage Tea Trips
When we did the Cork Summer Series. I got to drive to Cork with my two favourite ladies – Kitty and my wife Norrie. The rain was absolutely belting down and I couldn’t see 10 feet in front of me but I knew Norrie was happy out in the back though with the kettle on and all the tea she could dream of!
Vintage Tea Trips Hosts & Guides
Elizabeth, Sadie, Mr. Thompson & Eveleen