Eastern Counties UVO 121S, VAH 281X and OEX 793W - 2 Jan 1994

Sunday 2 January 1994 – Hurdle Drove Farm was used by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company for its ‘Mildenhall’ outstation parking at this time. Prominent in this photograph is LL789 (UVO 121S), a Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard that had been new as Trent Motor Traction 121 in November 1977 and was later transferred to Barton Buses, a Trent subsidiary, as their 1121. In the background are two vehicles purchased new by ECOC in its National Bus Company days. Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol VR VR281 (VAH 281X) new in September 1981 and Willowbrook bodied Leyland Leopard LL793 (OEX 793W). The latter was new in October 1980 as a National liveried coach which passed to Ambassador Travel in the ECOC split but returned to ECOC in its later years. This location may have been redefined as ‘West Row’ outstation. (Grid reference TL 66873 77740 if my memory of the exact location is correct). Today the farm is better kept than it was back then. To be honest it was a dump! Mud, puddles and was strewn with general clutter.