David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos

First Pioneer 404 (G62 RND) in Rochdale – 26 April…

26 Apr 1999 4 1 18
Monday 26 April 1999 – In late 1998 First Group acquired the business of Pioneer, Smithy Bridge near Rochdale and re-established a base in Rochdale using the former Bee-Line premises in Miall Street. G62 RND, an Alexander (Belfast) N type bodied Leyland Tiger, had been new to Shearings in November 1989. In 1992 Shearings sold their bus operations to Timeline Travel and in turn in late 1998/early 1999 Timeline sold their business to First Greater Manchester. G62 RND ended up with First. It was seen here close to Miall Street in Rochdale with Pioneer fleetnames and fleet number 404 although it still carried Timeline livery and branding for services from Horwich and Westhoughton to Leigh (516) and Bolton (539). I believe the blue ‘M’ logo relates to the Middlebrook Retail Park.

First Manchester 119 (T919 SSF) and 404 (G62 RND)…

26 Sep 1999 1 15
Sunday 26 September 1999 – Part of the First Group display at Showbus, Duxford bringing vehicles from various parts of Britain. These two vehicles had travelled from Greater Manchester. Left: 119 (T919 SSF), a Wright bodied Scania L94UB new in April 1999. The destination screen showed ‘Oldham 409’ the town were the vehicle was garaged. The 409 service is now branded as a ‘Gold Service’ (indicated by the gold star alongside the destination display ) which pledged amongst other things clean buses. To this end mobile cleaning teams were employed to carry out the cleaning of buses at termini between lay-overs. Right: 404 (G62 RND), now a driver training bus, was an Alexander (Belfast) N type bodied Leyland Tiger that had been new to Shearings in November 1989. In 1992 Shearings sold their bus operations to Timeline Travel and in turn in late 1998/early 1999 Timeline sold their business to First Greater Manchester. That’s how G62 RND ended up with First.

Ferrers G856 VAY and Storey’s YYL 775T in Ely – 29…

29 Dec 1989 1 13
Friday 29 December 1989 – The coach parking spaces in Barton Road, in Ely, Cambridgeshire were criminally sacrificed to housing in later years resulting in visiting coaches and their drivers being sent to out of city locations. In this view having been parked overnight at Barton Road are Ferrers Coaches of South Woodham Ferrers, Essex G856 VAY, a Duple 320 bodied Dennis Javelin new in November 1989. On the left is Storey’s Coaches of Littleport YYL 775T, a Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard new to Grey Green Coaches, London in July 1979.

Former Eastbourne Corporation 77 (BKK 677D) at Sho…

21 Sep 1997 5 2 20
Sunday 21 September 1997 – Now preserved former Eastbourne Corporation 77 (BKK 677D), an East Lancs bodied Leyland Titan PD2A/30 new in April 1966, on display at Showbus, Duxford.

Eastbourne Buses 2 (H388 CFT) in Mill Street, Mild…

28 May 1995 1 15
Sunday 28 May 1995 – Eastbourne Buses 2 (H388 CFT) seen in Mill Street, Mildenhall when heading to the Air Fete at RAF Mildenhall. It is a Caetano Optimo bodied Totota Coaster new in January 1991 to Metcalfe, Ferryhill. Mill Street leads from Mildenhall town centre to the River Lark alongside which Parker’s Mill was located. Part of one of the mill buildings can be seen through the gap of the houses beyond the trees. Mr and Mrs Parker lived in the house on the left.

Eastbourne Buses 2 (H388 CFT) in Mill Street, Mild…

28 May 1995 1 14
Sunday 28 May 1995 – Eastbourne Buses 2 (H388 CFT) seen in Mill Street, Mildenhall when heading to the Air Fete at RAF Mildenhall. It is a Caetano Optimo bodied Totota Coaster new in January 1991 to Metcalfe, Ferryhill. On the left the former Watts Television shop was under conversion to a residential property. After the Marlows builders merchants shop and yard closed (which had previously been Ridley & Hooper) that too became residences. The coach was passing Woodstock, the former Spar grocery store, which sold furniture and wood crafts. Just beyond identified by the Clarks shoes sign was Stebbings shoe shop.

East Yorkshire 286 (P286 WAT) in Hull – 6 Mar 2000…

06 Mar 2000 1 16
Monday 6 March 2000 (approx. 1325) – East Yorkshire Motor Services 286 (P286 WAT), an Optare Prisma bodied Mercedes-Benz O 405 new in May 1997, seen in Prospect Street, Hull.

East Yorkshire 633 (S633 MKH) in Hull – 6 Mar 2000…

06 Mar 2000 11
Monday 6 March 2000 (approx. 1400) – It wasn’t the wheels of East Yorkshire Motor Services Limited 633 (S633 MKH) that bent the bollard outside the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull. Something had done the deed earlier. 633 is a Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympian new in October 1988.

East Yorkshire buses parked up in Hull – 6 Mar 200…

06 Mar 2000 1 11
Monday 6 March 2000 (approx. 1340) – East Yorkshire Motor Services buses parked in the layover bays adjacent to Ferensway Bus and Coach Station, Hull. Left to right: 216 (M416 RRN), an Alexander PS bodied Volvo B10M-55 new to Stagecoach Ribble in September 1994 273 (P273 NRH), an Optare Excel new in December 1996 610 (P610 SAT), a Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympian new in December 1996 547 (H547 VAT), a Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympian new in September 1990

HFF: First Manchester 1148 (N648 CDB) in Rochdale…

26 Apr 1999 14 18 45
Monday 26 April 1999 - First Manchester 1148 (N648 CDB), a Northern Counties bodied Dennis Dart new to Greater Manchester North in May 1996, seen in Rochdale town centre. Rochdale has some quite substantial buildings around the Town Hall Square area (perhaps not the modern one beyond Barclays Bank). That dominating the background in this photograph is the former Head Post Office building constructed in the 1920s which also housed the telephone exchange and mail sorting office. The local people always referred to it as ‘The General’. A number of bus services set down passengers outside and along the Esplanade (plus Newgate alongside Barclays) so it was a popular meeting point for boyfriends and girlfriends. Talking of boyfriends and girlfriends, my late mother-in-law worked as a telephonist at The General in the mid 1940s. Her then boyfriend and future husband of 65 years, once broke the rules and climbed in through an open window for an assignation during working hours!

First Manchester 1136 (N636 CDB) in Rochdale – 4 M…

04 Mar 2000 1 10
Saturday 4 March 2000 (approx. 1615) – First Manchester 1136 (N636 CDB), a Northern Counties bodied Dennis Dart new in May 1996, seen just after leaving Rochdale bus station on local service 438 to Daniel Fold. The Daniel Fold service was numbered 12A in the days of Rochdale Corporation Transport whose buses were garaged in Mellor Street. In later years under First Manchester the Mellor Street garage was closed and Rochdale based services were worked by buses from neighbouring towns like, in this case, Bury. Note the Greater Manchester ghost lettering on the front panel replaced by just ‘First’ both of which featured the company logo.

First Manchester 2004 (S994 UJA) at Showbus, Duxfo…

26 Sep 1999 2 10
Sunday 26 September 1999 – Showbus, Duxford First Manchester 2004 (S994 UJA), a Wright Fusion bodied Volvo B10LA articulated new in February 1999. Beneath the fleet number is the ‘BY’ garage code for Bury which covered service 135 operating between Bury and Manchester.

Docherty 2178 ND (F989 HGE) in Edinburgh – 2 Aug 1…

02 Aug 1997 3 1 19
Saturday 2 August 1997 – J & E Docherty and Sons of Auchterarder, Perthshire 2178 ND, a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Volvo B10M that had been new to Park’s of Hamilton in May 1989 registered F989 HGE. It was seen leaving St. Andrew’s Square bus station in Edinburgh when working (a duplicate to?) the 0955 Scottish Citylink service 969 to Aberdeen. Scottish Citylink lettering is carried in the upper front windscreen.

Dewhirst Coaches H749 VUA at the Bull Inn, Barton…

17 Oct 1993 1 19
Sunday 17 October 1993 – Dewhirst Coaches of Bradford H749 VUA seen on the car park of the Bull Inn at Barton Mills in Suffolk. Houses of Chestnut Close now occupy this former car park. Visible on the right is the pub sign for the Dog & Partridge Inn which closed and is now a private residence. The coach is a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Volvo B10M new in February 1991 and was carrying a party of Leeds United supporters en route to a match in Ipswich. (The result of which was a 0-0 draw).

Docklands Coaches P4 EXL (X844 HEE) in Bury St. Ed…

03 Sep 2008 1 18
Wednesday 3 September 2008 (1657) - Visiting Bury St Edmunds and parked in the bus station lay-over bays, was P4 EXL of Docklands Coaches Limited, East London. It is a Ferqui bodied Mercedes-Benz 1223L which I believe was first registered by Optare, Leeds in October 2000 registered X844 HEE. The current registration may have been applied during the ownership of Express Travel of Brompton, Gillingham, Kent. The cranes in the background were part of the construction site of the Arc Shopping Area.

Neal's Travel F73 FUS in Mildenhall - 25 Nov 1989…

25 Nov 1989 3 2 17
Saturday 25 November 1989 – Neal’s Travel then of Chippenham (later of Isleham) F73 FUS seen in King Street, Mildenhall working the 1140 service to Beck Row. Neal’s commenced operating a revised service around Mildenhall and the surrounding villages on the previous Monday (20 November) following the withdrawal by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company of their ‘Mildenhall Mini-Link’ services on 18 November. One vehicle covered the three different services which operated six days per week. Centred on King Street the first departure was at 0740 to Holywell Row and Beck Row (service 1) which arrived back at King Street at 0806. The vehicle then departed on service 2 at 0807 serving College Heath Road, Junction Road, Folly Road, Scott Avenue, Croft Place arriving back at King Street at 0821, It then departed on service 3 at 0800 to West Row and arrived back at King Street at 0838. This pattern continued until arriving back at King Street at 1738 except there was no service between 1240 and 1338 when the driver had a lunch break. F73 FUS was a Scott of Bellshill bodied/conversion Ford Transit new to Neal’s a year earlier in November 1988.

Neal's Travel F73 FUS in Mildenhall - 25 Nov 1989…

25 Nov 1989 12
Saturday 25 November 1989 – Neal’s Travel then of Chippenham (later of Isleham) F73 FUS seen in King Street, Mildenhall working the 1140 service to Beck Row. Neal’s commenced operating a revised service around Mildenhall and the surrounding villages on the previous Monday (20 November) following the withdrawal by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company of their ‘Mildenhall Mini-Link’ services on 18 November. One vehicle covered the three different services which operated six days per week. Centred on King Street the first departure was at 0740 to Holywell Row and Beck Row (service 1) which arrived back at King Street at 0806. The vehicle then departed on service 2 at 0807 serving College Heath Road, Junction Road, Folly Road, Scott Avenue, Croft Place arriving back at King Street at 0821, It then departed on service 3 at 0800 to West Row and arrived back at King Street at 0838. This pattern continued until arriving back at King Street at 1738 except there was no service between 1240 and 1338 when the driver had a lunch break. F73 FUS was a Scott of Bellshill bodied/conversion Ford Transit new to Neal’s a year earlier in November 1988.

Neal's Travel F73 FUS in Mildenhall – 29 Dec 1989…

29 Dec 1989 11
Friday 29 December 1989 – Neal’s Travel then of Chippenham (later of Isleham) F73 FUS seen in High Street, Mildenhall working the 1422 service to West Row. Neal’s commenced operating a revised service around Mildenhall and the surrounding villages on Monday 20 November following the withdrawal by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company of their ‘Mildenhall Mini-Link’ services on 18 November. One vehicle covered the three different services which operated six days per week. Centred on King Street the first departure was at 0740 to Holywell Row and Beck Row (service 1) which arrived back at King Street at 0806. The vehicle then departed on service 2 at 0807 serving College Heath Road, Junction Road, Folly Road, Scott Avenue, Croft Place arriving back at King Street at 0821, It then departed on service 3 at 0800 to West Row and arrived back at King Street at 0838. This pattern continued until arriving back at King Street at 1738 except there was no service between 1240 and 1338 when the driver had a lunch break. F73 FUS was a Scott of Bellshill bodied/conversion Ford Transit new to Neal’s in November 1988.

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