'Ipernity HBM

Tuesday 18 April 2023 (1329) – Bridgnorth is a medium sized market town alongside the River Severn in Shropshire. The town has two levels. The part by the river is Low Town where in the past the buildings alongside the river supported the commercial river traffic. Rising quite dramatically behind the Low Town buildings fronting the river and set on an escarpment, is High Town where the High Street, Town Hall, Parish Church and Market became established. A castle was built in the 12th century. During the English Civil War Bridgnorth was a Royalist stronghold but in 1646 the Castle was captured and damaged by Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarians. The funicular railway which links Low Town and High Town can just be seen below the yellow fencing (top right) where re-building of a retaining wall is taking place. This problem has resulted in the funicular being out of use since December 2022. The two tramcars are parked halfway up (or perhaps halfway down!) the incline. Arriva Midlands North 3695 (FJ13 BJU), an Optare Versa V1170 new in March 2013 allocated to Shrewsbury garage travels along Underhill Street when working the 1245 service 9 from Wolverhampton. Upon arrival at High Town it will become the 1335 service 436 to Shrewsbury. The normal working pattern for the buses working this service is Shrewsbury-Bridgnorth service 436/Bridgnorth-Wolverhampton and return on service 9/Bridgnorth-Shrewsbury service 436. Each segment is around one hour therefore a four hour round trip.

Tuesday 2 May 2023 (1121) – In August 2017 Mulleys Motorways acquired four East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania N94UD double deckers from Nottingham City Transport two of which are seen here in Mildenhall bus station. On the left is YN04 UJP departing for West Row on service 358, this was new in June 2004 as Nottingham 742. On the right is YN04 UJS working service 355 to Bury St. Edmunds which was new in May 2004 as Nottingham 736. In the days before the Coronation of King Charles III the bus station building is adorned with bunting.

Thursday 20 April 2023 (1157) – At Low Town, Bridgnorth the Bridgnorth Bridge spans the River Severn. The river scene is quite pleasant on this bright sunny day but from time to time during periods of heavy rainfall the river floods the adjacent land and streets. The clock tower at the end of the bridge carries a plaque to mark the location of the foundry of John Hazeldine who, in the early 1800s, built some of the locomotives and engines to the design of and ordered by Richard Trevethick. Two Arriva Midlands North buses that had both started out from the High Street in the High Town have descended to Low Town via West Castle Street and New Road and are seen crossing the bridge. After calling at Mill Street they would go their separate ways. Leading is 3695 (FJ13 BJU), an Optare Versa V1170 new in March 2013 allocated to Shrewsbury garage, working the 1148 service 9 to Wolverhampton. The normal working pattern for the buses working this service is Shrewsbury-Bridgnorth service 436/Bridgnorth-Wolverhampton and return on service 9/Bridgnorth-Shrewsbury service 436. Each segment is around one hour therefore a four hour round trip. On the centre of the bridge is 2143 (MX12 JXE), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new in June 2012 allocated to Telford garage, working the 1150 service 113 to Telford. The one way journey time on this service is 40 minutes. Services 113-116 run between Bridgnorth and Telford via varying routes on varying days. Generally, there six trips Monday to Friday and 4 on Saturday.

Monday 15 May 2023 (1143) – Stagecoach East 19580 (AE10 BWN), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400 bodied Trident new in April 2010, seen in Emmanuel Street, Cambridge.

Friday 26 May 2023 (1404) - St. Edmunds Travel (Cooper of Thurston) Y12 YEL in the grounds of West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St. Edmunds. It is an Irizar i6 that had been new to Ellisons of St. Helens in November 2014 registered YN64 LYR. It had been operated by Yellow Coaches (Bournemouth Transport) where it received its current registration.

Sunday 21 May 2023 (1130) – Dews Coaches of Somersham BU52 ELY seen at Whittlesey bus station during a run as part of the annual Fenland Busfest. The public may travel free of charge on the scheduled runs starting from the Market Place which are worked by old and new vehicles over the day. Returning runs set down at the bus station and then return to either Broad Street or Market Street where vehicles were displayed. New the previous month (in April 2023) this MCV eVoRa bodied Volvo B8RLE now carries a cherished registration previously used on other vehicles for operation around the city of Ely. The characters have been displayed as BU5 2 ELY – bus to Ely. The destination display marks the 70th anniversary of the company formed in 1953.

Monday 17 April 2023 (1311) – Norton Canes Service Area, M6 Toll Motorway, West Midlands. Southbound and northbound National Express service 540 coaches seen taking a break on their journeys between Manchester and London/London and Manchester. Both operated by Selwyns Travel of Runcorn. Nearest the camera is 301 (BM68 AHO), a Caetano Levante 3 bodied Scania K410 new in February 2019, working the 1130 departure from Manchester. Scheduled here between 1305-1330 and due to arrive London (Victoria) at 1650. Beyond that is 236 (BD65 JEO) a Caetano Levante 2 bodied Volvo B11RT new in February 2016, working the is 1000 departure from London (Victoria). Scheduled here between 1310-1335 and due to arrive in Manchester at 1520. The distance from Manchester to Norton Canes is approximately 73 miles and from Norton Canes to Victoria is approximately 133 miles. Using the tracker on the Bus Times website the Selwyns coaches worked the following National Express runs Sunday 16 April to Tuesday 18 April: Coach 236 Sun 16 April: 2350 Manchester-London 422 0620 Mon 17 April: 1000 London-Manchester 540 1520 2350 Manchester-London 422 0620 Tue 18 April: 0900 London-Manchester 540 1420 Coach 301 Sun 16 April: 1630 Manchester-London 540 2150 2330 London-Manchester 422 0555 Mon 17 April: 1130 Manchester-London 540 1650 1800 London-Manchester 540 2305 Tue 18 April: 0835 Manchester-London 540 1345 1630 London-Rochdale 540 2250 Visible in the background is Tanat Valley YX17 OGS, a Plaxton Panther 3 bodied Volvo B11R new in May 2017 to Logan’s of Dunloy, Northern Ireland.

Tuesday 30 June 2015 (1302) – Lloyd’s Coaches of Machynlleth YJ14 BCY, an Optare Versa new in April 2014, seen at Aberdyfi when working the 1250 service X29 from Tywyn to Machynlleth.

Friday 6 July 2018 (0813) – Nu-Venture Coaches of Aylesford 723 (SN53 LWP) seen in Tunbridge Wells working service 285 to Hawkenbury. It is a Transbus built Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart new in January 2004. The rather grand Classical style building behind the bus is a former Congregational Church and Lecture Hall built in the mid 1800s. In 1980 it was bought by Cotswold Outdoor for use as their local branch - a rather grand shop indeed!

Friday 11 January 2019 (1104) – First Eastern Counties Buses 47511 (SN64 CRX), a Wright Streetlite DF new in December 2014, seen in Tombland, Norwich. The restaurant on the corner of the street carries the name of Edith Cavell, the nurse who was a native of Swardeston near Norwich. She had lived in Belgium prior to World War I and is celebrated for nursing and tending soldiers from any side indiscriminately when war started. She helped numerous Allied soldiers escape German occupied Belgium for which she was sentenced and shot by a German firing squad in 1915. Edith is buried in the grounds of the nearby Norwich Cathedral.

Monday 3 September 1990 (approx. 2030) – A warm evening in Paris with RATP 8363 picking up passengers in Avenue de Wagram near the Arc de Triomphe on service 30 bound for Gare de l’Est. A Saviem/Renault SC10 part of the 1979/1980 intake of 967 such buses. It was around that time that Saviem lost its identity in a reorganisation of the Renault Group when Saviem and Berliet were merged to form RVI (Renault Véhicules Industriels). The carrying capacity was 47 standing and 31 seated and between here and Rue de Martyrs became full to capacity. Note the bus stop sign, service 31 is a daily operation whereas service 30 does not run on Sundays and Holidays. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Tuesday 24 July 2007 (approx. 0745) - First Cymru 41197 (S197 KLM) was a Marshall bodied Dennis Dart that had been new to First Centrewest (London) in September 1998. It was seen in South Parade, Tenby about to work the 0750 service 349 to Haverfordwest. The old part of the town is surrounded by the Grade 1 listed Town Walls, a medieval defensive structure which dates back to the 13th century. Part of the wall runs alongside the bus whilst in the background is the Five Arches Tower. aroundtenby.co.uk/listing/tenby-defensive-walls

Saturday 8 May 1993 (0900) - Ambassador Travel 112 (G512 MNG), a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Volvo B10M new in April 1990, seen in the lay-by at King Street, Mildenhall when working the National Express service 095 from Cromer to London (Victoria). From Sunday 23 May 1993 when National Express introduced the summer schedules the service was re-numbered as 495 and the short stop of 10 minutes here for passengers to use the local toilet facilities was eliminated. The bus station had not been built yet so the public toilets in the nearby car park had to suffice. This coach was one of a number of such vehicles that did not feature destination blinds. The service number and destination were displayed in a frame above the windscreen cross bar. Note there is a sign behind the driver’s seat showing 064 which is the London-Brighton service. The working diagram for this coach includes a London-Brighton round trip before the coach works back to East Anglia around 1800.

Wednesday 29 September 2010 (0824) – Buses of Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company (Go-Ahead Group owned) in Palmeira Square, Hove. Both Brighton and neighbouring Hove comprise some substantial residential properties built in the 1800/1900s. Palmeira Square takes its name from the title bestowed on Isaac Lyon Goldsmid by Queen Victoria. He was created a Baron in the Portugese peerage taking the title Baron da Goldsmid e da Palmeira. He bought the Wick estate in Hove, a large and valuable tract of land, in 1830 which was developed into the Grade I listed buildings of Adelaide Crescent and Palmeira Square. (The garden clock was slightly fast).

Wednesday 11 October 1995 – Charterplan, the coaching subsidiary of Greater Manchester Buses, operated this Kässbohrer-Setra S215HD which was seen in Hunters Lane, Rochdale. Fleet number 30 was new in January 1983 and given registration number 515 VTB, a number first carried by a Northern Counties bodied Guy Arab new to Lancashire United Transport new in 1961. It had brought a party to visit the Co-operative Museum which stands to the left of the camera on a short section of Toad Lane. In December 1844 the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society established a store in the building and began to trade – it is claimed that this was the foundation of the Co-operative movement (the ‘Co-op’) we know today. Next to it is a period public house to add to the re-creation of the 19th century street. Street furniture in the photograph includes a GPO postbox of the type that incorporated what would have been a gas lamp and a park bench featuring the Rochdale County Borough coat of arms in the castings of the shields either end.

Friday 10 June 2016 (0818) – This view, taken from across the street which runs parallel to Harrogate bus station, shows one of the Transdev Harrogate and District Wright bodied Volvo B5TL double deckers loading for Leeds on the flagship service 36. This service saw a revamp in January 2016 with new buses carrying a revised livery and branding. The glass panel features a large ‘36’ which is part of the branding. Note the destination screen on the bus which not only shows where it is bound but includes the words ‘Departing in 60 secs’ having earlier displayed ‘Departing in 2 mins’.

Friday 11 January 2019 (1056) – With the spire of Norwich Cathedral just visible through the trees, First Eastern Counties Buses 33160 (LR02 LXV) sets down in Tombland on an ‘Orange Line’ branded service. It is a Plaxton President bodied Dennis Trident that was new in June 2002 to First Centrewest in London as their TN1160.

Mon 9 June 2008 – 1539hrs (Local time) - The buses of LBA (Liechtenstein Bus Anstalt) venture into the neighbouring countries of Austria and Switzerland. Service 13 starts at Buchs (SG) in Switzerland travels through Liechtenstein and terminates at Feldkirch in Austria. Natural gas powered MAN two-axle bus 11 (FL 9580) was about to leave Buchs as the 1543 service.