David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos

Sunday 28 June 2015 (1144) - Bi-lingual sign near Criccieth Castle, North Wales

Mildenhall bus station - 15 Jun 2011

Mildenhall bus station - Mulleys Motorways AY55 DGE - 15 Jun 2011

Saturday 2 July 2011 (approx 0855) - Shearings Holidays 509 (MX03 ABF), one of the 2003 intake of Van Hool Alizee bodied Volvo B12M for this tour company fleet seen at Mildenhall, Suffolk. Because the bus station is rather busy at this time the driver had to park on the outside edge of the platform by the disabled car parking spaces.

Mildenhall bus station - Mulleys Motorways AY55 NYL - 26 Jun 2011

Mildenhall bus station - National Express FJ56 PFF - 7 Jun 2011

Saturday 4 June 2011 - Whippet Coaches (Go-Whippet), a Van Hool Alizée bodied Volvo that had been new to Park’s of Hamilton in March 1992. (Previous registrations carried were J459 HDS and LSK 499). It was seen in Mildenhall bus station setting down on a westbound Coastal Service journey.

Friday 1 June 1990 – A bus stop sign located outside the Schering-Plough Labo offices and factory in Schoorstraat, Heist-op-den-Berg, Belgium. 'Buurtbus' loosly translates to something akin to a neighbourhood bus. In this case the bus service calling at this point was sponsored by the local council and comprised some peak hour trips for workers as well as two different two circular trips during the main part of the day serving outlying villages/suburbs. A timetable for the services may be seen via this link: www.zone01.be/collecties/document/1989-buurtbus-heist-op-den-berg On regular mainstream bus routes a zone number would normally appear in the hexagon for the calculation of fares.

July 1973 - Mostonian Coaches was the owner/driver business of Derek Painter and, as far as I can recall, only operated one full sized coach at a time during the late 1960s/early 1970s. The business still exists today run by the Painter family. This Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance was seen in Rhyl having worked as a duplicate to the North Manchester Motor Coaches North Wales service. The red and white hire label, in the same design style as those used by Yelloway, was carried. RRV 604J had been new to Byng’s of Portsmouth and the lettering used by Byng’s on the sides had been modified for Derek. On the hidden side the words were in English, ‘Mostonian Coaches, Manchester, England’ but on the side visible here the words were in French and read ‘Mostonian Autocars, Manchester, Angleterre' Lettering not wasted really because Derek did do some continental work. In the side lockers he had a full tool kit and important spare parts all nicely laid out on panels and mounted with spring clips.

Wednesday 4 September 1985 - The badge carried by the Leyland built Royal Tiger Doyen model was quite impressive. This one was carried on Percivals Motors (Oxford) Limited 107 (648 RJO) new in June 1985 (I believe the registration 648 RJO was applied to this coach from new).

Wednesday 4 September 1985 - Percivals Motors (Oxford) Limited 107 (648 RJO), a Leyland Royal Tiger Doyen new in June 1985, seen at King Street, Mildenhall when working an Oxford bound service 747. Service 747 was operated jointly by Percivals, Premier Travel and National Express. (I believe the registration 648 RJO was applied to this coach from new). Presumably one of the later vehicles that was built at Workington - are the fleet number transfers of the grey style used by the National Bus Company? The red pick-up truck is parked in the car park on the space later used as the taxi rank.

Wednesday 4 September 1985 - Percivals Motors (Oxford) Limited 107 (648 RJO), a Leyland Royal Tiger Doyen new in June 1985, seen at King Street, Mildenhall when working an Oxford bound service 747. Service 747 was operated jointly by Percivals, Premier Travel and National Express. (I believe the registration 648 RJO was applied to this coach from new). Presumably one of the later vehicles that was built at Workington - are the fleet number transfers of the grey style used by the National Bus Company?

Wednesday 4 September 1985 - Percivals Motors (Oxford) Limited 107 (648 RJO), a Leyland Royal Tiger Doyen new in June 1985, seen at King Street, Mildenhall when working an Oxford bound service 747. Service 747 was operated jointly by Percivals, Premier Travel and National Express. (I believe the registration 648 RJO was applied to this coach from new). The entrance to the car park, where the bus station was built in 2005, can be seen to the rear of the coach.

Thursday 1 December 2011 (1359) – Cavendish Coaches & Limousines Limited from Llwynypia in South Wales GFZ 2964 seen leaving Bury St Edmunds bus station on a Constable Country tour. It was a tri-axle Bova Futura FHD 14-430 which was new to Edwards of Llantwit Fardre in June 2004 registered CN04 XCC.

Late June 2000 (0755) – Arriva the Shires 3113 (L313 HPP) seen outside the Rose and Crown in Aston when working the service 390 from Hertford to Stevenage. It was a Northern Counties Paladin bodied Volvo B6-9.9M new in February 1994 to Luton & District Transport – a company which, through various takeovers, came into Arriva ownership.

Late June 2000 (0755) – Arriva the Shires 3113 (L313 HPP) seen outside the Rose and Crown in Aston when working the service 390 from Hertford to Stevenage. It was a Northern Counties Paladin bodied Volvo B6-9.9M new in February 1994 to Luton & District Transport – a company which, through various takeovers, came into Arriva ownership.

Tuesday 27 February 2001 (0833) – Shamrock (Buses S58 BTX, a Marshall bodied Dennis Dart SLF new in January 1999, seen in Pontypridd bus station working the 0755 Cardiff-Aberdare service X5. The company was based in Pontypridd. This was the first vehicle of the day on which I travelled to return home. Rather than travel back via London as I had done on my outward journey, I booked on the 0855 National Express service 321 from Pontypridd to Birmingham which travelled via the Heads of the Valleys route so first had to travel to Pontypridd. My ride on Shamrock was a little unexpected because my plan was to travel on a slightly earlier Stagecoach Red & White service but that driver departed ahead of time!