Click to play the soundtrack plus interviews with Paul McCartney and others who were there.
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.
A proposal was sent to LIPA on 22nd June 2022 which read something like the following:
Would it be possible for an Essex and or Clacton centre of learning www.aclessex.com to apply to become associated with LIPA?
An email was recently sent to ACL Essex and they are apparently considering the idea and have also forwarded it on to Clacton:
My name is Tom and I am the proud owner of Paul McCartney’s 1972 Wings Tour Bus WNO 481, arguably the most famous bus in the world.
From 1953 to 1966 WNO 481 was in service for Eastern National based in Chelmsford covering all of Essex then later converted into an open topper for service from 1965-1968 BP (Before Paul) along the Clacton coast as a seaside special ferrying holidaymakers to and from Butlins in its golden heyday.
In 1972 WNO 481 was chosen by Paul to become the 1972 Wings Tour Bus for his first major tour after the glory days of The Beatles.
I brought WNO 481 home To Clacton for its restoration which is going very well and should be completed by the end of August. Tendring Council are very enthusiastic for the bus to go on display in Clacton town square on 26th August 2022, the weekend of the Clacton Air Show and in November 2022 it is scheduled to ‘star’ at The Classic Motor Show at The NEC for FBHVC – The Federation Of British Historic Vehicle Clubs with its 250,000 members with over a million worldwide through affiliates. The story of WNO 481’s restoration has been featured in the glossy FBHVC magazines since December 2020.
Paul McCartney is quoted as saying, “My ideal is to play off the back of a bus…” and in that spirit the top deck is being engineered to transform into a performance stage. It will be called The McCartney Stage and amongst others Glastonbury are interested in seeing photo’s once the work is completed.
LIPA is the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and Paul McCartney is one of the founders. I would like to offer Paul McCartney’s 1972 Wings Tour Bus WNO 481 and The McCartney Stage as a mobile stage performance space to ACL Essex and I envisage ACL Essex / Clacton possibly even teaming up with LIPA under the banner EIPA – Essex Institute Of Performing Arts and or CIPA – Clacton Institute Of Performing Arts.
Imagine a student of performance art being given the opportunity to graduate to a performance on The McCartney Stage. Would that provide aspiration and inspiration and competition for places? Would EIPA or CIPA Graduation Day with performances on The McCartney Stage attract an audience at a suitable venue, on tv news and in the media?
On the LIPA website it states:
Widening Participation
School or FE College interested in visiting LIPA or in us visiting you
E: wp@lipa.ac.uk
T: +44(0)151 330 3010
If you would like more information on Paul McCartney’s 1972 Wings Tour Bus WNO 481 its history and forward plans please get in touch.