1998-2020

To raise the profile of the computer bus during its third year in service, Manx Telecom financed a series of around 12 press adverts to run in the Manx Independent. The adverts were created in Photoshop by Alex Townsend and though serious in intent, were sometimes mild ‘spoof’ versions of such things as the ‘Eagle’ comic (LEFT), and the photo stories featured in teenage magazines at the time.

This advert is supposed to be based on the famous cutaways from the Eagle comic of the 1950s and 60s.

It featured photographs of the bus and scans from the Leyland National workshop manual and the tongue-in-cheek headline (Britain’s most advanced bus’) which in fairness it probably was at the time...

This advert highlighted datalogging work which had been carried out at Albert Road School.

The children were using the ‘Ecolog’ dataloggers from Data Harvest.

The comic book style speech bubbles were painstakingly created in Photoshop. Today the superb ‘Comic Life’ program enables this sort of work to be done automatically in seconds...

The Indy ads featuring specific schools were later printed in colour and presented to the headteachers concerned as a memento. The photoshopped picture BELOW features head teachers (left to right) Rob Sellors (Arbory), Paul Reynolds (Ballasalla), Tom Thomson (Rushen), Mike Faragher (Albert Road) and Shiela Loaring (Braddan), apparently receiving their framed adverts in front of the bus.

A ‘wordsearch’ featuring children from Rushen School, apparently holding up their computer bus badges. The work of the ‘photoshopper’ is in evidence here again...

An advert marking the appearance of the bus ‘live’ on the BBCs ‘Working Lunch”. The reason was the use of the then revolutionary ‘3G’ mobile telephony being trialled on the Island at the time (2002).

The final advert marked the 3rd anniversary of the bus.

The ‘cake’ in the picture was a photographic prop purchased from the Douglas branch of Marks and Spencer. The ‘bus icing’ was again courtesy of Photoshop

During the course of the adverts, Manx Telecom changed its logo to the more international ‘globe’ version shown here.

The picture shows ‘The Computerbus man’ peering out at his own camera to see if the auto timer has indeed taken his picture (it had).

Another puzzle, this time featuring genuine Isle of Man primary student Elizabeth Townsend (right) and her cousin Eleanor Woolf on holiday from Lee in London.

Both are now 18 and about to begin degree courses at university...

Elizabeth Townsend (again), with another ‘puzzle’ showing pictures of the bus at various locations:

1. A.Earls Court London
   

2. B.Andreas School
   

3. C.Arbory School
   

4. D.Albert Road Ramsey
   

5. E.Ramsey Grammar School (west building)
   

6. F.Ballacloan Infants
   

7. G.Fairfield School Douglas
   

8. H.Kewaigue School
   

9. I.Manor Park School Douglas
   

10. J.Marown School
    

11. K.St.Johns School
    

12. L.St,Mary’s School Douglas
    

Another photoshopped view showing trainee teachers from St.Martin’s College visiting the bus outside Murray’s Road School in Douglas.

St.Ninian’s students may recognise present Head of History Miss Jo Norton in the picture...

RIGHT: A low-resolution survivor showing the Murray’s Road Advert - with Year 6 students posing for the picture.

Most of these students are now in Year 13, and about to take A Levels...

On the right of the top group, are Elizabeth Townsend and Voirrey Holmes.