Percivals Motors 74 (XWL 539 ex CJO 322V) on the A11 at Barton Mills – 5 Apr 1985 (15-1)

Good Friday 5 April 1985 (approx. 0925) - Percivals Motors (Oxford) Limited 74 (XWL 539) passing the Dog & Partridge Inn at Barton Mills when working the 0845 Cambridge-Lowestoft service 747, a cross-country service between Bristol and Lowestoft worked jointly with Premier Travel and National Express.

This was day 2 of a diagram that alternated with Premier Travel and covered the 0845 Cambridge-Lowestoft (1230) run returning as the 1310 Lowestoft-Oxford (1955) run.

It is a Plaxton Supreme bodied Bedford YMT that was new to Percivals in April 1980 registered CJO 322V. Nowadays vehicles that have carried a cherished re-registration will revert to the originally assigned number when the cherished registration is transferred. This wasn’t the case back then and this coach subsequently became GBW 96V.

The Dog & Partridge closed and became a private residence which is still recognisable today as is the road alignment albeit with a few slight modifications. The road here became a local road after the A11 was upgraded to dual carriageway (off camera left). The wooden posts and chain spike fence (right) form the edge of what was The Bull Inn car park where the houses of Chestnut Close were later built.