Most people dream of driving an old school bus converted for modern use, or a vintage VW campervan – but there never seems to be opportunities to use both at the same time.
Until now, that is.
This unusual holiday home is tucked away in the Lake District, and it’s made of two iconic vehicles squashed together.
This unique staycation pad sleeps up to two guests at a time, and is made of a bus and campervan, each stacked on top of each other, The Hoot reports.
Sleeping up to two guests at a time, Hinterlandes has all the modcons.
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This old school bus has a checkered history of travelling around America before it made its way over to the Lake District, and these travel influences are injected into every corner of the staycation.
Inside, you’ll find a cosy sofa along with a snug dining table and all the cooking appliances you’ll need for a short stay. Guests can take a seat in the drivers or passengers side and daydream about road trips in faraway destinations before making the most of the al fresco dining options.
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The rest of the space takes advantage of the setting too, with seating and a fire-bowl positioned for sunset drinks in front of an amazing landscape and even views from the private wood-fired hot tub.
This Lake District staycation is made of a VW campervan and a school bus stacked on top of each other. Credit: Canopy & StarsThis Lake District staycation is made of a VW campervan and a school bus stacked on top of each other. Credit: Canopy & Stars
Whether it’s snuggling up by the wood-burner during the autumn and winter months or cooking over fire in the summer, Hinterlandes has everything covered for year-round indoor-outdoor living.
Upstairs, in the campervan, guests will find their sleeping quarters – the roof has been raised to take full advantage of the space, and brings mesmerising views of Hinterlandes’ Lake District with it.
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The owners recommend stocking up at the stops before arrival or during your stay, as there’s nothing but idyllic countryside for miles around- perfect for afternoon walks, but makes trips for some milk rather long and laborious.
Greater Manchester’s heritage railway issues statement as it’s forced to cancel services this week
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway has been forced to cancel its services this weekend due to the heatwave.
In case you hadn’t heard, Amber Extreme Heat warnings and heat-health alerts have been issued by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) through to Thursday this week – with temperatures widely exceeding 35°C nationwide, and in some areas – particularly on the south coast – potentially even reaching 38°C.
Heatwave conditions in the UK are met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with temperature values meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold for that location.
It does seem, however, that northern parts of the country – especially the North West – are missing most of the extremely hot conditions.
Current forecasts indicate that the peak temperatures for Greater Manchester this week will be tomorrow and Thursday, with highs of 33°C in the city centre.
Despite not reaching the heights of the south, East Lancashire Railway (ELR) has still had to act in advance and has taken the decision to cancel its scheduled services for the next two days as the forecast is ‘too severe’.
Taking to social media to share its decision today, ELR wrote: “Due to the current weather warning for the UK, the decision has been taken to cancel all services on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th June 2026, including the afternoon tea and mid-week luncheon dining experiences.
“The welfare of both staff and customers is paramount to the ELR, and we believe that the risk in the extreme heat that has been forecast is too severe to allow for the running of our ordinary services.”
As things stand, ELR says its current plan is to have services resume with the evening dining train on Friday 26 June, but this will still be ‘subject to review’, and further updates on this will be issued later in the week.
Visitors who have already pre-booked services over the two cancelled days will be contacted via email to have their options explained to them.
“We apologise for any inconvenience,” ELR closed out its statement.
Featured Image – ELR
Travel & Tourism
Legendary buffet restaurant could close as plans for ANOTHER Deansgate hotel are revealed
Daisy Jackson
Plans have been revealed for another hotel on Deansgate – and if it goes ahead, it could mean Manchester’s legendary buffet restaurant may close.
Maybrook House stands on a prominent corner in the city centre, where Deansgate crosses with Blackfriars Street.
It’s functioned as offices for years, but now there are proposals to change the building into a ‘vibrant, high-quality new hotel’.
If it goes ahead, the new hotel would provide 240 rooms as well as a new bar and lounge spaces.
Plans for the new Deansgate hotel include a two-storey extension on top of the building, which would bring it to an eight-storey building (still well below the height of neighbouring structures, like the 20-storey Treehouse Hotel).
The team working on the new hotel have said that its design will ‘respect the character of the surrounding area while improving the appearance and experience of the building’.
Other plans include repainting the existing brickwork, refurbishing the concrete panels, and installing more efficient windows.
As for the cafes and restaurants already occupying Maybrook House, most will be able to stay – the plans say that the ground-floor occupiers can remain in place throughout the construction period.
But if it all goes ahead, Cosmo, the world buffet that has been here for almost a decade (and was previously Red Hot World Buffet) would need to vacate the premises.
Maybrook House said: “We recognise that Cosmo is a valued and well-established venue in the city, and are engaging with them directly.”
A hotel operator for the building hasn’t been announced yet, but they said that they are ‘currently in advanced discussions with a prestigious hotel operator’.
Sophie Smith -
20th October 2023 
