Nottingham bus journeys are always capable of throwing up a few surprises. In a city with a solid public transport system that means you don't have to drive, local folk always head to the buses after work, the pub, going shopping or whatever.

Peoplewatching on these journeys is a must. From the youths at the back going through their entire ringtone catalogue at full volume, to the dodgy looking geezer who looks like he's fallen straight out of the pub, our big green double deckers are rife with subject material about life in the city.

LeftLion Creative writing forum moderator Rosie Garner has recently released a book of poetry inspired by the various routes of Nottingham City Transport and the people and places that she took in over several months of travelling through the city. Also an active member of DIY Poets and always an interesting person to chat with, I put a few questions to her about the book...

Where did you find the inspiration for the idea of a book of bus poetry?
I get ideas usually by listening to people and watching things, and to make ideas work I try to spend as much time as possible sitting around doing nothing. So a bus is perfect. Plus I like my city and wanted to write about it and I really really wanted a free bus pass. (I got one as well, for a while.) 

What's your favourite Nottingham bus journey?
One specific one? When the trams were being built the bus routes kept changing, often drivers didn't know the way and had to ask passengers or look it up in the Evening Post. One time on the 62 a woman had the initiative to take the bus round by her own house. I thought that was genius. And I loved it that none of the other passengers said anything as we drove down streets blatantly too narrow for public transport.
But as a rule - the 72 from town to my house. The driver's let you off wherever you want and stops to post letters for people. Once the bus got snowballed by kids and the driver jumped off to throw a couple back. I like that kind of thing. (I mean he threw a couple of snowballs - not kids - although that might have been fun too.) 

What's your least favourite bus journey?
The 51 if you go all the way from Arnold to Beeston. It just goes on and on and on. By the time you get to Beeston you've lost the will to live. 

What did the drivers think to the poems? 
Well, drivers are a lot like people so their reactions have been varied. I do know they read them which is great. I was talking to some the other day - where they congregate down the bottom of the alleyway by Angel Row Library like feral dogs round litter bins. I asked them what they thought and here's a quote: "Well some of them were crap but one made me cry." Which seems fair enough. One driver insisted on holding one up to read it whilst taking his bus at speed round onto Maid Marion Way. He thought it was pretty funny. 

Buses are full of nutters. You must have seen a few random characters on your journeys. Tell us about some...
This is hard for me to answer - see, these are my people, I am probably one of them. I did meet a man once who said he was a king in his own country. Thing is, I think he probably was. You'll have to read the poems - especially 'Road Works' - that kind of expresses how I feel about us nutters.

Any plans for a follow up of Tram Poetry?
If they ask me nicely. I'd like to do one about tram time as displayed on the how long you've got to wait for the next one boards - it's interesting, doesn't stick to the 60 second rule at all.

Anything else you want to say to LeftLion readers? 
Keep reading. Keep reading. Keep reading. Oh, and the one thing that annoyed me about this whole thing was the number of people who thought I should get a medal just for riding on so many buses. What's with these people? And let me explain about germs. You build up immunity only by being on contact with other people. Get out more. Throw away your throat spray. Smile.

Poetry on the Buses Portrait of a City by Rosie Garner is available from local publishers Five Leaves