A LOVING husband's romantic gift to his wife is just the ticket - the double-decker bus where they first met.

Ken Morgan was a young RAF airman when he caught the eye of 18-year-old Shirley Morgan, who was working on the country bus route.

Mr Morgan, then 22, began chatting to the conductress - and are now about to celebrate 60 years together.

He has splashed out £12,000 to buy the same Red and White bus after discovering it had been restored by a transport enthusiast.

Ken said: "That bus journey on Route One in 1956 changed my life forever.

"Shirley was a trainee conductress on the bus I got on. I thought she was beautiful and I wondered if she had a boyfriend but I didn't dare ask.

"We chatted almost all the way of my 60 mile trip."

The ex aircraft engineer was later amazed to see one of the red and white buses in a transport museum - and found a collector who had saved another one from the scrapyard.

The 82-year-old said: "I offered to help restore the bus. It was the same fleet 1749 which we met all those years before. It was a real labour of love."

After a year of restoration the owner offered to sell it to Mr and Mrs Morgan for £12,000.

"It was just wonderful and took us right back down memory lane to the days when we first met," Mr Morgan said.

The married couple travel from their home in Ashford, Middlesex, to take nostalgic trips around their old bus routes in their 1949 Guy Arab double decker which is kept in a heritage bus collection in Barry, South Wales.

"We are a good team and it's been so nice in our retirement years to play driver and conductor again. It reminds us of our courting days," said Mr Morgan.

"We had such great times. I still adore Shirley as much as I did back then.

"I'm her carer now - she has had a new pair of knees and isn't so steady on her feet but we still have lots of laughs together."

Mrs Morgan said: "We've had a wonderful life together and we still have great days out on our red & white bus.

"We both believe in destiny and meeting Ken on the bus that day in 1956 was just meant to be. I still have my original conductress badge and wear it with as much pride as my wedding ring."