Semmence Coaches

Sunday 27 June 1993 - H Semmence and Company Limited of Wymondham A583 MEH seen in the evening sunshine travelling eastbound down Chalk Hill on the A11 towards Fiveways, Barton Mills. It would soon be pulling in at the Dog and Partridge for a refreshment break on what was a homeward journey to Wymondham. The coach is a Bova Futura that was new as A866 XOP to Arnold’s Coaches of Tamworth in May 1984, a company later acquired by the Bowen Group. After service with Bowen it passed to Stoddard’s of Cheadle, Staffordshire where it carried registration A20 MPS.

Sunday 27 June 1993 – The perfect end to a perfect day at the Dog and Partridge Inn, Barton Mills. The passengers return to their coach after taking a refreshment break. Semmence Coaches of Wymondham Bova Futura A583 MEH was new in May 1984 (to L F Bowen?) as A866 XOP. Between times it carried registration A20 MPS (when operated by Stoddards Coaches of Cheadle, Staffordshire?). Wymondham would be reached in less than one hour so the passengers hadn’t long to go before reaching home.

Sunday 27 June 1993 – The perfect end to a perfect day as two Norfolk based coaches take a break at the Dog and Partridge Inn at Barton Mills on their way home. Nearest the camera is Eniway Coaches of Dereham JBZ 4909, a Plaxton Paramount II 3200 bodied Leyland Tiger. I believe this coach was new to Hills of Tredegar in March 1983 registered RNY 309Y. Subsequently operated by Independent Coachways of Horsforth (as VFN 53) from whom Eniway acquired the coach in 1991 when it carried registration JUB 675Y. In the background is Semmence Coaches of Wymondham A583 MEH, a Bova Futura that was new as A866 XOP to Arnold’s Coaches of Tamworth in May 1984, a company later acquired by the Bowen Group. After service with Bowen it passed to Stoddard’s of Cheadle, Staffordshire where it carried registration A20 MPS. Both Dereham and Wymondham would be reached in less than one hour so the passengers hadn’t long to go before reaching home. The Dog and Partridge closed many years ago and became a private residence.

Sunday 21 November 1993 (approx. 1215) - H Semmence and Company Limited of Wymondham A266 BTY, a Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodied Bedford YNT new in April 1984 to Curtis of Dudley although acquired from Rochester and Marshall of Hexham in 1992. It was seen travelling eastbound on the A11 just east of Fiveways, Barton Mills on the A11. My notes state that this was the first snowfall of the winter although little now remained other than in the wooded areas alongside the road.

Saturday 6 August 1994 – Rebuilding of the weak bridge just east of Fiveways Roundabout on the A11 at Barton Mills had now been completed having started on Monday 10 January 1994. The coach in this photograph was crossing the new bridge which had been opened just a few days earlier. During the re-building work a temporary pontoon bridge had been placed alongside out of shot to the right the road path leading to the bridge is just discernible to the right of the pile of earth near the yellow road sign. In December 2014 the new dual carriageway between Barton Mills and Thetford was finally opened and this scene changed yet again. The coach, which was heading westbound towards Fiveways, was H Semmence and Company Limited of Wymondham D616 YCX, a Duple 340 bodied DAF SB230 that had been new to Pan Atlas of London in April 1987. (The coach was re-registered to YAH 434 in later years).

Wednesday 16 August 2000 - H Semmence and Company Limited of Wymondham TAZ 4518, a Duple 320 bodied Dennis Javelin that had been new to Voel Coaches of Dyserth, North Wales in February 1990 registered G425 YAY. During its time with Voel the registration number 1760 VC had been assigned to the coach. It was seen at King Street lay-by in Mildenhall when operating the 0830 Cambridge Coach Services service 74 from Cambridge despite the destination label being one for National Express. In his book ‘Cambridge Coach Services – From the driving seat’ Jim Neale refers to a working relationship between CCS and Semmence. Two CCS employees resident in Wymondham would often loan a Semmence vehicle to work duplicate trips on service 74 usually during busy weekends. However, this photograph was taken on a weekday (albeit during the school summer holidays) so it may very well have been a duplicate or possibly it may have borrowed in the short term.

Saturday .. May 1992 – H Semmence and Company Limited of Wymondham TKV 18W, a Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YNT that had been new to Harry Shaw of Bedworth in May 1981, seen in the forest near Santon Downham having brought a group participating in the Thetford Chase Walk.

Saturday .. May 1992 – Coaches at Santon Downham having brought groups participating in the Thetford Chase Walk. The Semmence coach (H Semmence and Company Limited of Wymondham) is TKV 18W, a Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YNT that had been new to Harry Shaw of Bedworth in May 1981. Beyond that is a Belle Coaches (Shreeve) of Lowestoft Plaxton Supreme.

Saturday 22 April 1989 – H Semmence and Company Limited of Wymondham GWO 111W seen at Santon Downham having brought a party to the 24 mile Forest Walk event. It is a Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT that had been new to Hawthorn of Barry, South Wales in August 1980 although had been acquired from Fords Coaches of Alford, Lincolnshire in March 1986.

Saturday 22 April 1989 – Coaches at Santon Downham having brought groups to the 24 mile Forest Walk event. Left to right: Hedingham Omnibuses L148 (WPH 135Y), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Tiger that was new to London Country as a Green Line coach (TL35) in August 1982 and was acquired from Kentish Bus in 1988. In February 1994 it was re-bodied with a new East Lancs EL2000 bus body. Follow these links to see front and rear photographs of the bus as is passed through the village of Nayland: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/50487598 www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/50487600 Belle Coaches (Shreeve) of Lowestoft VVD 432S, a Duple Dominant bodied Bedford YMT that had been new to Plaskow & Margo, London W3 in March 1978. On the right is H Semmence and Company Limited of Wymondham GWO 111W, a Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT that had been new to Hawthorn of Barry, South Wales in August 1980 although had been acquired from Fords Coaches of Alford, Lincolnshire in March 1986.

Saturday 12 October 2019 – Two coaches operated by H Semmence of Wymondham seen at the Rowley Mile Racecourse in Newmarket. KIG 1890 is a Jonckheere Mistral bodied Volvo B12B that had been new to Ambassador Travel for National Express work in February 2005 registered FD54 DGU. (Ambassador and Semmence are related companies). N283 OYE is a Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M that had been new to Pullmanor (Redwing) in February 1996 although it had latterly been operated by Coach Services of Thetford with whom the swirls originated.

Friday 2 June 2017 (0809) – H Semmence and Company Limited of Wymondham FY52 PMU, an East Lancs Myllenium bodied MAN which had been new to Lincolnshire Road Car in November 2002, seen turning from Prince of Wales Road into Riverside near Norwich railway station. It shows a ‘10A’ service number which would suggest it had worked the 0648 service from East Harling which was scheduled to terminate at Castle Meadow at 0814 and was now running empty perhaps back to East Harling to work the 0915 trip. Semmence is under the same ownership as Ambassador Travel (Anglia) Limited.

Thursday 4 May 1989 – East Lancs bodied Scania K112CRB operating on inter-terminal shuttle services at Heathrow Airport. I think the true operator was British Airways. The registration plate appears to show the letters ALX. British Airways operated nine such buses numbered CC425-CC433 that were registered D85-93 ALX new in July 1987. The buses featured large side luggage lockers but after sale to Yorkshire Traction a number of the batch were rebodied by East Lancs in 1997.