THE daily journey to school will never be the same for Bolton pupils when bus driver Thomas Keohane retires following more than 40 years behind the wheel.

The kind Irishman is saying goodbye to his young friends when he ends his school run.

And the Bolton Evening News fixed it for some of them to surprise Thomas and wish him a fond farewell.

Thomas, 64, of Old Lane, Little Hulton, became a driver in Manchester in 1959, but in the last few years he has concentrated on taking pupils to and from school. Most recently he has served Canon Slade, Thornleigh Salesian and St Brendan's RC schools.

While many drivers find it difficult to handle the sometimes chaotic school run, Thomas has used his friendly nature to gain the respect of the youngsters.

On a recent journey, a representative from the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive travelled with him all day to check revenue figures, and said it was the most pleasant journey he had ever been on.

Thomas said: "He was absolutely delighted and shook my hand. Nobody has ever said that to me. I was nearly in tears.

"I have some very good schools at the moment. Some of the children try it on at first, but once they get to know you they are great. I just try to talk to them and be friendly."

The children who travel with Thomas all agree he is their number one driver. Gemma Edwards, aged 12, a pupil at Thornleigh Salesian, said: "He is the best bus driver. He is really friendly and talks to you. We'll miss him when he retires."

Thomas's bosses will also be sorry to see him go. Mike McEvoy, operations manager for Stagecoach in Bolton, said that Thomas was one of their best drivers. He added: "He is an excellent worker. He's one of those guys who you have to go out of your way to see, because he is quiet and always does a good job."

Thomas came over to the North West from County Cork in the mid-1950s and always wanted to be on the buses. He originally lived in Manchester and did not know his way around, so had to work as a builder at first. He soon became a conductor with Salford City Transport and then got behind the wheel. He moved to Little Hulton 35 years ago and in 1987 joined Stagecoach in Bolton after deregulation of public transport.

Thomas, who has never had an accident, said he has loved the independence of driving the buses. He added: "You are on your own and nobody bothers you. Everyday is different as well.

"But things have changed a lot since I started and I've made my mind up I want to retire. I have no regrets."

The driver, who has two sons, three daughters, seven grandchildren and one great-grand daughter, is now looking forward to spending his spare time with his family and wife, Joyce.

He has an allotment he is hoping to spend a lot of time on and will continue to enjoy watching his beloved Manchester City. He helps the club sell half-time draw tickets at every home game.