United Counties KRP 216L and XTF 808L at The Suffolk Punch, Red Lodge - Aug 1983

A Saturday in August 1983 - For a number of years National Express holiday Saturday services 102 (Luton to Sheringham) and 103 (Hatfield to Great Yarmouth) passed through Red Lodge and Barton Mills. They shared a common route and timings between Baldock and Norwich serving Royston, Cambridge, Newmarket and Thetford with an unnamed 30 minute refreshment break between the two latter towns which was the Suffolk Punch (later renamed Sanara Services) in Red Lodge for a while. United Counties provided the coaches initially although service 103 was later covered by London Country North East usually with a Green Line coach and I think Luton and District later became the operator of service 102. In this view at Red Lodge we see two United Counties vehicles. The green and white Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol RELH (facing west) was 216 (KRP 216L) operating service 102 and the National white liveried Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard (facing east) was 254 (XTF 808L) was operating service 103. This coach was new to Ribble (#1034) in July 1973. The Suffolk Punch building is on the right.