United Counties (Pre Stagecoach)

Sunday 26 September 1993 – ‘Showbus’ bus and coach rally at Duxford, Cambridgeshire, UK. Preserved former United Counties Omnibus Co Ltd 200 (VV 5696). The chassis is a Bristol JOG5 which was new in 1937 with an Eastern Coachworks body delivered as fleet number 450. In April 1949 it was rebodied with the Eastern Coachworks seen here, a style then being fitted to new Bristol L models at the time. The pre-war J model was produced from the mid 1920s until 1938 and had a much higher radiator position than the later L model introduced in 1938. The previous photograph includes a Bristol L and the different radiator positions may be compared. (Bristol used letters to designate their models and the K type was a double deck model introduced in 1937). Note the legal lettering by the front wheel which reads ‘Ex United Counties…….’

Sunday 25 September 1994 – On display at Showbus, Duxford. Left: Preserved former United Counties Omnibus Company 862 (CNH 862), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol L with coach seating for express service operation. New March 1952. Right: Preserved former Royal Blue Express Services (Western National) 2200 (OTT 42), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol LS6G new in April 1954. Both UCOC and Royal Blue were members of the Associated Motorways pool and the destination blinds on both these coaches display the Associated Motorways name.

Sunday 29 July 1984 – Two National Express service coaches passing at Barton Mills both operated by National Bus Company subsidiaries. Heading away from the camera is Eastern Counties LT890 (EAH 890Y), a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Leyland Tiger, working on the ‘Norfolk Flyer’ service 099 to London. It was new in February 1983 and passed to Ambassador Travel in September 1984 when Eastern Counties was split up. Heading towards the camera is United Counties 174 (CNH 174X), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Leopard new in March 1982, on a service 747 working from Bedford to Lowestoft. From 28 April 1985 this trip was extended back to start from Northampton at 0835. End to end service 747 linked Bristol with East Anglia offering, broadly speaking, a frequency of every two hours. Coaches started out from and ended up at principal mid-way points at the start of/end of the day. East of Cambridge United Counties participated on this one trip travelling east during the morning arriving at Great Yarmouth or Lowestoft in the early afternoon then returning in the mid to late afternoon arriving back home in the evening approx 2000/2030.

Sunday 6 January 1985 – United Counties 166 (VNH 166W), a Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard new in May 1981, was making good progress despite the weather as it passed the end of Bell Lane, Barton Mills when working the 0920 Bedford to Lowestoft National Express service 747. From 28 April 1985 this trip was extended back to start from Northampton at 0835. End to end service 747 linked Bristol with East Anglia offering, broadly speaking, a frequency of every two hours. Coaches started out from and ended up at principal mid-way points at the start of/end of the day. East of Cambridge United Counties participated on this one trip travelling east during the morning arriving at Great Yarmouth/Lowestoft in the early afternoon returning in the mid to late afternoon arriving back home in the evening approx 2000/2030.

Sunday 20 January 1985 – A rather murky morning at Fiveways, Barton Mills. United Counties 166 (VNH 166W), a Duple Dominant IV bodied Leyland Leopard new in 1981, was working the 0920 Bedford to Lowestoft National Express service 747. Overall the National Express service 747 was a cross country service linking Bristol with Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft on the east coast of East Anglia. Broadly speaking a frequency of approximately every two hours was offered but with a total end to end journey time of around 9 hours it was only the journeys departing before 1300 that could reach the most distant terminus by late evening. Departures thereafter terminated at one of the main towns in between. Coaches started out from and ended up at principal points along the line of route at the start of or end of the day. United Counties covered one trip on the eastern section of the service after it was enhanced effective 28 October 1984. Initially this was the 0920 departure from Bedford via Great Yarmouth (1335) which terminated at Lowestoft (1405). The return trip departed Lowestoft at 1510 travelling via Great Yarmouth (1540) terminating at Bedford (1955). However, with the introduction of the summer timetable on Sunday 28 April 1985 saw their trip extended back to start from Northampton at 0835 travelling via Bedford (0920) but terminating at Great Yarmouth (1335). The return journey left Great Yarmouth at 1540 reaching Bedford at 1955 and Northampton at 2040. A timetable for the service applicable from October 1984 may be seen by following this link: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/36880144/in/album/729781 The timetable effective Sunday 28 April 1985 may be seen by following this link: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/49709232/in/album/729781 Local historians will note ‘Fiveways Garage’ which occupied the site between the A1101 road to Mildenhall and the A1065 to Brandon in later years developed to become a Shell fuel station with a MacDonalds ‘restaurant’ plus a tyre garage and car wash. There are a couple of residential houses in the photograph which were also demolished for the development. I remember around this time there being a scrap yard behind the garage. To get the owner’s attention there was a button to press by the gate which sounded a car horn by the cabin some distance within. The site was guarded by a very big dog that came bounding down the track making such a barking and growling commotion.when it saw or heard a presence. Once the owner called to the dog it went totally quiet and you were beckoned somewhat nervously.

Sunday 31 March 1985 – United Counties 167 (VNH 167W), a Duple Dominant IV bodied Leyland Leopard new in May 1981, seen on the eastern side of Fiveways, Barton Mills when working the 0920 Bedford to Lowestoft National Express service 747. Overall the National Express service 747 was a cross country service linking Bristol with Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft on the east coast of East Anglia. Broadly speaking a frequency of approximately every two hours was offered but with a total end to end journey time of around 9 hours it was only the journeys departing before 1300 that could reach the most distant terminus by late evening. Departures thereafter terminated at one of the main towns in between. Coaches started out from and ended up at principal points along the line of route at the start of or end of the day. United Counties covered one trip on the eastern section of the service after it was enhanced effective 28 October 1984. Initially this was the 0920 departure from Bedford via Great Yarmouth (1335) which terminated at Lowestoft (1405). The return trip departed Lowestoft at 1510 travelling via Great Yarmouth (1540) terminating at Bedford (1955). However, with the introduction of the summer timetable on Sunday 28 April 1985 saw their trip extended back to start from Northampton at 0835 travelling via Bedford (0920) but terminating at Great Yarmouth (1335). The return journey left Great Yarmouth at 1540 reaching Bedford at 1955 and Northampton at 2040. A timetable for the service applicable from October 1984 may be seen by following this link: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/36880144/in/album/729781 The timetable effective Sunday 28 April 1985 may be seen by following this link: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/49709232/in/album/729781

Sunday 19 August 1984 – United Counties 179 (EBD 179X), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Leopard new in July 1982, seen passing the Bull Inn at Barton Mills working a National Express journey. Some aspects of the old road layout can still be recognised today. The utility building in the left background still stands. The roadway from there where the coach has travelled is now a local road which now bends to the left to pass in front of the Bull Inn turning roughly where the caravan is (note the ‘30’ mph sign). The road markings in the centre of the road show the turnings for Barton Mills (between the coach and the caravan) and for Tuddenham (at the side of the car). The eastbound lane of the dual carriageway was constructed roughly where the photograph was taken. Access to the Bull Inn car park is visible beyond the trees. At this time the car park was much bigger and is now occupied by house of Chestnut Close .

Sunday 28 April 1985 – Overall the National Express service 747 was a cross country service linking Bristol with Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft on the east coast of East Anglia. Broadly speaking a frequency of approximately every two hours was offered but with a total end to end journey time of around 9 hours it was only the journeys departing before 1300 that could reach the most distant terminus by late evening. Departures thereafter terminated at one of the main towns in between. Coaches started out from and ended up at principal points along the line of route at the start of or end of the day. United Counties covered one trip on the eastern section of the service after it was enhanced effective 28 October 1984. Initially this was the 0920 departure from Bedford via Great Yarmouth (1335) which terminated at Lowestoft (1405). The return trip departed Lowestoft at 1510 travelling via Great Yarmouth (1540) terminating at Bedford (1955). However, this was on the first day of a new timetable which saw their trip extended back to start from Northampton at 0835 travelling via Bedford (0920) but terminating at Great Yarmouth (1335). The return journey left Great Yarmouth at 1540 reaching Bedford at 1955 and Northampton at 2040. Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Leopard 180 (EBD 180X) dating from July 1982, was seen from the entrance to Grange Farm, at Barton Mills as it headed to the coast. This was prior to the building of the A11 dual carriageway between Chalk Hill and Fiveways and all traffic travelled along the original single carriageway road. Traffic could always be slow moving here but today even more so as road surfacing was taking place. A timetable for the service applicable from October 1984 may be seen by following this link: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/36880144/in/album/729781 The timetable effective Sunday 28 April 1985 may be seen by following this link: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/49709232/in/album/729781

Sunday 22 July 1984 – A United Counties Alexander T type bodied Leyland Leopard seen passing the Bull Inn at Barton Mills heading eastbound on the A11. It is one of the vehicles numbered in the 224-228 (MRP 224-228P) batch dating from May 1976. The road from Tuddenham is directly in front of the camera.

Saturday 19 January 1985 – So what? This is just a black and white photograph of an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol VR taken in Cambridge. I agree that that is no big deal but rather than being a red one (Eastern Counties) or a blue one (Cambus) this is a green one operated by United Counties on their service 128 from Bedford. 923 (LBD 923V) was seen in Cambridge where St. Andrew’s Street becomes Regent Street (the two street name plates are positioned either side of the door arch on the left of the photograph). It was new in December 1979. Unlike the circa 1970/1 Ford Escort the bus was not being impeded by ‘Captain Mainwaring’ slowly pedalling his bicycle along this busy city street!

Premier Travel of Cambridge and Percivals Coaches of Oxford were two independent coach operators that had worked a joint service between those two university cities for a number of years. National Express (and its predecessor Associated Motorways) had operated services between East Anglia and Cheltenham/Bristol which also travelled via Cambridge and Oxford. The three operators subsequently entered into a joint working arrangement from Sunday 28 October 1984 which gave a more improved frequency of service on what became a cross country link between Bristol to Lowestoft numbered 747. This arrangement resulted in the vehicles of Premier Travel and Percivals operating west of Oxford and east of Cambridge and in the latter case also involved Ambassador Travel, United Counties Omnibus Company and Wessex of Bristol operating on behalf of National Express.

Premier Travel of Cambridge and Percivals Coaches of Oxford were two independent coach operators that had worked a joint service between those two university cities for a number of years. National Express (and its predecessor Associated Motorways) had operated services between East Anglia and Cheltenham/Bristol which also travelled via Cambridge and Oxford. The three operators subsequently entered into a joint working arrangement which gave a more improved frequency of service on what became a cross country link between Bristol to Lowestoft numbered 747. This arrangement resulted in the vehicles of Premier Travel and Percivals operating west of Oxford and east of Cambridge and in the latter case also involved Ambassador Travel, United Counties Omnibus Company and Wessex of Bristol operating on behalf of National Express.

Premier Travel of Cambridge and Percivals Coaches of Oxford were two independent coach operators that had worked a joint service between those two university cities for a number of years. National Express (and its predecessor Associated Motorways) had operated services between East Anglia and Cheltenham/Bristol which also travelled via Cambridge and Oxford. The three operators subsequently entered into a joint working arrangement which gave a more improved frequency of service on what became a cross country link between Bristol to Lowestoft numbered 747. This arrangement resulted in the vehicles of Premier Travel and Percivals operating west of Oxford and east of Cambridge and in the latter case also involved Ambassador Travel, United Counties Omnibus Company and Wessex of Bristol operating on behalf of National Express.

Thursday 21 March 2024 (1114) – Stagecoach 15614 (OU10 BGF) seen travelling eastbound on the A47 between Guyhirn and Wisbech where the road runs alongside the River Nene along what is named South Brink. The A47 (East Midlands-Great Yarmouth) road carries lots of commercial traffic and in summer the additional holiday traffic increases the volume and yet, for a major cross-country road, is for the most part just single carriageway. 15614, an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 bodied Scania N230UD which was new to Thames Transit (Stagecoach Oxfordshire) in March 2010, was working the 1030 service 56 from Manea to Wisbech. The tracker on the Bus Times website showed most if not all service 56 trips travelling this road today (and the previous two days) were diverted from the normal route via Friday Bridge to Elm. The tracker showed everything back to normal the next day. The InterConnect branding and purple based livery was initially employed on the Lincolnshire County Council supported InterConnect network. I believe the Wisbech area services are worked by vehicles based at Long Sutton outstation. The photograph was taken from the upper deck of First Eastern Counties Buses 36904 (YN69 XZH), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400 City bodied Scania N250UD new in December 2019. I was travelling from Wisbech (1105) to Peterborough (1147) on what was the 0840 westbound ‘excel’ service C from Norwich to Peterborough.