TEIGN Valley writer Simone van Kan has penned the story of her incredible travels in a big red bus leading teams of clowns across the war-torn Balkans.

She co-founded The Serious Road Trip – a group of friends who took humanitarian aid and entertainment on an iconic double-decker London bus to orphaned children in Romania, Poland and Russia in the 90s – who became dubbed ‘the world’s most rock ‘n’ roll organisation’.

The book she’s written shares the title of the group. They originally planned to drive the bus from London to New Zealand, where many of the group, including Simone, came from, but en route the Bosnian War broke out. In 1992 the bus led the infamous Peace Convoy into Sarajevo.