The forerunner of the Routemaster was the 'RT' which served London from 1939 to 1979.
I was fortunate in returning from Streatham to central London aboard RT624 which was the very last RT to enter the garage on that type's last day in service all those years ago.

Also aboard was the co-owner of EnsignBus, Steve Newman, who not only has a small fleet of vintage buses such as these, but also will be finding new homes for these last Routemasters.

You may have seen him interviewed along with his father Peter on the BBC London news this evening.