Morley's Grey Coaches, West Row

Friday 19 July 1985 – Morley’s Grey Coaches PMA 483P, a Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT that had been new to Niddrie’s Coaches of Middlewich, Cheshire in April 1976, seen parked in the Library Car Park, Chestnut Close, Mildenhall.

January 1983 - Morley’s Grey Coaches of West Row, near Mildenhall Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT JGV 335V seen at the corner of The Street and Church Meadow in Barton Mills on a morning school contract. Morley’s obtained two such coaches in December 1979 (the other being JGV 336V)

Friday 26 April 1985 - Morley’s Grey Coaches of West Row, near Mildenhall Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT JGV 335V seen passing the Schering-Plough site on Field Road, Mildenhall. The coach had been hired to Schering-Plough and was driven by Paul Butler, the company Training Manager who had held a PSV Licence for many years. The coach was one of a pair new to Morley’s in December 1979, the other being JGV 336V.

January 1983 - Morley’s Grey Coaches of West Row, near Mildenhall added a pair of Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT coaches to their fleet in December 1979 registered JGV 335V and JGV 336V. JGV 336V was seen here parked in College Heath Road, Mildenhall.

Sunday 2 June 1985 at 0300 – A nocturnal photograph of a Morley’s Grey Coaches Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT, either JGV 335V or JGV 336V I must have the number somewhere, as it loaded pupils at College Heath Middle School bound for France. The pair were new in December 1979.

Sunday 2 June 1985 at 0300 – A nocturnal photograph of a Morley’s Grey Coaches Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT, either JGV 335V or JGV 336V I must have the number somewhere, as it loaded pupils at College Heath Middle School bound for France. The pair were new in December 1979.

Saturday 3 December 1983 - Morley’s Grey Coaches of West Row, near Mildenhall TRR 423X, a Plaxton Viewmaster bodied Volvo B10M new to Nielson Travel of Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire in May 1982. It was seen parked in the Library/Clinic car park in Chestnut Close (College Heath Road) in Mildenhall. Lettering was carried for a contract with John Hilary Travel, an East Anglian based travel agent. The Viewmaster model was a ‘highliner’ version of Plaxton’s Supreme introduced to compete with the higher models sold by European builders.

October 1983 - Morley’s Grey Coaches of West Row, near Mildenhall Plaxton Viewmaster bodied Volvo B10M TRR 423X was new to Nielson Travel of Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire in May 1982. It was seen Parked in College Heath Road, Mildenhall. Note the rear window wipers. The Viewmaster model was a ‘highliner’ version of Plaxton’s Supreme introduced to compete with the higher models sold by European builders. Lettering was carried for a contract with John Hilary Travel, an East Anglian based travel agent.

January 1983 - Morley's Grey Coches of West Row VGV 50X carried lettering for John Hilary Travel. It was a Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Tiger that was new in January 1982. It was seen parked in the Library/Clinic car park in Chestnut Close (College Heath Road) in Mildenhall.

March 1984 – The Mildenhall Industrialists Association comprised some of the larger employers on the town’s industrial estate. In order to ensure there was an adequate workforce from the outlying rural areas MIA organised coach links to bring staff into the estate. These were provided by Morley’s Grey Coaches, at the time the largest coach operator in the district based in West Row. Plaxton Viewmaster bodied Volvo B10M TRR 424X was new to Nielson Travel of Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire in May 1982. It was seen awaiting homeward bound workers in Chiswick Avenue a little before 1700.

Sunday 20 May 1984 – Morley’s Grey Coaches, which closed in the summer of 1985, was based in West Row near Mildenhall and was the largest independent coach operator in the district. CDX 895Y, a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Volvo B10M new in February 1983, carried the name of John Hilary Travel, an East Anglian based travel agent. A rather poor photograph taken at King Street, Mildenhall.

Tuesday 6 August 1985 - One of the last front line coaches added to the fleet of Morley’s Grey Coaches of West Row near Mildenhall before the company closed was HAV 1Y. It was a LAG Galaxy bodied Volvo B10M that had been new to Miller Bros of Foxton, Cambridgeshire in July 1983. Morley’s operated the coach in this white, blue and yellow livery. In May 1997 I encountered the coach in Paignton when it was operated by Rothwell’s Coaches of Heywood, a company near my native area of Rochdale. www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/49933740 The coach was parked alongside North Terrace in Mildenhall at the junction with Churchill Drive.

Tuesday 6 August 1985 - One of the last front line coaches added to the fleet of Morley’s Grey Coaches of West Row near Mildenhall before the company closed was HAV 1Y. It was a LAG Galaxy bodied Volvo B10M that had been new to Miller Bros of Foxton, Cambridgeshire in July 1983. Morley’s operated the coach in this white, blue and yellow livery. In May 1997 I encountered the coach in Paignton when it was operated by Rothwell’s Coaches of Heywood, a company near my native area of Rochdale. www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/49933740 The coach was parked alongside North Terrace in Mildenhall at the junction with Churchill Drive.

Sept/Oct 1984 – One of the last front line coaches added to the fleet of Morley’s Grey Coaches of West Row near Mildenhall before the company closed was HAV 1Y. It was a LAG Galaxy bodied Volvo B10M that had been new to Miller Bros of Foxton, Cambridgeshire in July 1983. Morley’s operated the coach in this white, blue and yellow livery. I encountered the coach in Paignton in May 1997 when it was operated by Rothwell’s Coaches of Heywood, a company near my native area of Rochdale.

Thursday 12 September 1985 - Morley’s Grey Coaches, based in West Row near Mildenhall, ceased trading in the Summer of 1985. At the end of operations most of the coaches were lined up in readiness for the auction held on Friday 20 September 1985. A handful of more modern coaches, presumably leased, had been returned to their owners. The line up features 17 Plaxton bodied Bedford coaches. The coaches are from left to right: RRT 99W (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Morley’s in May 1981) RGV 700W (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Morley’s in March 1981) JGV 336V (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Morley’s in December 1979) JGV 335V (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Morley’s in December 1979) XGS 733S (Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Leopard new to Frames Tours of London in March 1978) SCX 227P (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Dewhirst Coaches, Bradford in June 1976) PMA 483P (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Niddrie’s Coaches, Middlewich in April 1976) LHW 508P (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to National Travel South West in July 1976) KPV 821P (Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied Bedford YRT new to Claireux (Partridge) of Hadleigh in September 1975) RGV 466N (Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied Bedford YRT new to Morley’s in July 1974) UNK 497M (Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied Bedford YRT new to Destination London in May 1974) UNK 495M (Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied Bedford YRT new to Destination London in April 1974) SRA 490M (Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied Bedford YRT new to Woodward, Glossop in April 1974) OOD 381M (Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied Bedford YRT new to Trathens, Yelverton in February 1974) UUD 373L (Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied Bedford YRT new to Heyfordian (Smith), Upper Heyford in June 1973) JRM 76L (Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied Bedford YRT new to Hamilton, Workington in January 1973) NCF 794G (Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied Bedford VAL new to Morley’s in January 1969)

Thursday 12 September 1985 - Morley’s Grey Coaches, based in West Row near Mildenhall, ceased trading in the Summer of 1985. At the end of operations most of the coaches were lined up in readiness for the auction held on Friday 20 September 1985. A handful of more modern coaches, presumably leased, had been returned to their owners. RRT 99W (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Morley’s in May 1981) RGV 700W (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Morley’s in March 1981)

Thursday 12 September 1985 - Morley’s Grey Coaches, based in West Row near Mildenhall, ceased trading in the Summer of 1985. At the end of operations most of the coaches were lined up in readiness for the auction held on Friday 20 September 1985. A handful of more modern coaches, presumably leased, had been returned to their owners. JGV 336V (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Morley’s in December 1979) JGV 335V (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Morley’s in December 1979) XGS 733S (Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Leopard new to Frames Tours of London in March 1978)

Thursday 12 September 1985 - Morley’s Grey Coaches, based in West Row near Mildenhall, ceased trading in the Summer of 1985. At the end of operations most of the coaches were lined up in readiness for the auction held on Friday 20 September 1985. A handful of more modern coaches, presumably leased, had been returned to their owners. SCX 227P (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Dewhirst Coaches, Bradford in June 1976) PMA 483P (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to Niddrie’s Coaches, Middlewich in April 1976) LHW 508P (Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT new to National Travel South West in July 1976)