The 86 Book: Nicki McCubbing
“There can be intrigue, beauty and humour in the everyday, even on the bus.” Artist Nicki McCubbing invites us to join her on journeys on the number 86 bus, undertaken as part of a residency with Metal Liverpool…
A view from the window of the bus from Smithdown Road (above). As part of a Listening residency with Metal, I rode the 86 bus for several months recording what I saw and heard in the notes section of my phone and took many photos. These notes aimed to reflect the fleeting exchanges we have with strangers whilst on the bus and have now been collected in a book. The 86 bus route is unique in Liverpool as it includes so many different areas and people – different ages, from different places with different concerns, beliefs and experiences all riding together on the same bus.
I have seen many things in my 25 years of being a passenger on the 86 including a girl’s hair being set on fire, several fights and an old woman flashing the bus by lifting up her skirt. As I started this listening residency, I realised that the smaller observations like people’s clothes and conversations and even what was in their bags formed a more rounded picture of this community. One woman had a bottle of bleach and a bright yellow fluffy chick in her carrier bag which I just loved.
A view from the top deck of the bus. One of my favourite observations for the book was when a woman in her late sixties was snogging a man at the bus stop and everyone on the bus was laughing. When she got on the bus a man said to his wife “Here she is” as she walked past them to a seat. It was somehow really scouse and funny and I can’t really explain why. This isn’t them in the photo. The text and photos in the book don’t match and everyone remains anonymous.
A rainy day in Liverpool through the window of the 86 leaving town. One thing that I hope readers will get from this book is to see that there can be intrigue, beauty and humour in the everyday, even on the bus. This photo was on a horrible day but the view out of the rainy window made the city look really beautiful.
Me reflected in the window of the 86 at night on Leece Street. The 86 has been my bus route between the city centre and my different homes for over 25 years. As I’ve grown older my relationship to the bus has changed. I was a student myself when I first rode the 86 and now I am old enough to be the students’ mums.
Sometimes I wrote notes about how I felt on the bus too. I feel like the observations on their own often reveal quite a lot about me in the fact that I have noticed them, maybe other people would notice something completely different. Riding the bus, especially at night, has this strange mix of being together with strangers and being separate which can often create its own unique type of melancholy and unease which has also been captured in the book.
Words and pictures: Nicki McCubbing
An event marking the launch of The 86 Book is @ Metal Liverpool, 6-8pm, Thursday 3 October
