David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos

Monday 20 July 2026 (0850) – The Flixbus service 950 from Heathrow Airport to Norwich is worked by Transport Made Simple/Central Connect/Simonds of Botesdale from the Simonds premises at Diss, Norfolk. Six trips are operated daily in each direction. Mercedes-Benz 410 (W10 VEC) was seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills as it worked the 0600 service from Heathrow to Norwich. Departing Heathrow (Central) at 0600 this trip calls at Luton Airport Parkway (0650-0655); Cambridge (0810-0820); and Thetford (0920-0925) arriving Norwich (Bus Station) at 1015. The coach was new to National Holidays in April 2017 registered NH17 VFH and was acquired by Vectare (the original name of Transport Made Simple) where it was re-registered W10 VEC. It carried the Transport Made Simple name on the rear but no names on the sides. The Loughborough base appeared in the legal name and address. TMS/Central Connect/Simonds 410 (W10 VEC) at Fiveways, Barton Mills - 20 Jul 2026 (

Tuesday 19 May 2026 (approx. 0816) – Transport Made Simple/Konectbus/Konectbuses 249 (LX13 CZC) seen on a damp morning in Walton-on-the-Naze when working the 0812 service 7 from The Naze to Clacton-on-Sea. It is an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D that was new to Stagecoach owned East London Bus (36560) in August 2013. Working a Konectbuses service the bus carried the legal name and address of Konectbus, East Dereham. In late September 2025 the Go-Ahead Group sold its Go East Anglia operations to TMS. That purchase included the Konectbus brand (in Norfolk) and the Konectbuses brand (in Essex and Suffolk). The latter had only been created a short time before when Go Ahead had merged its Hedingham and Chambers businesses owned for a number of years and managed by Konectbus. In ‘Buses’ magazine June 2026 it was reported that TMS would be rebranding its various East Anglian operations under the Central Connect name.

Tuesday 19 May 2026 (approx. 1421) – Transport Made Simple/Konnectbus/Konectbuses 262 (EU58 JCJ) seen in Walton-on-the-Naze when working the 1418 service 9 from Walton-on-the-Naze (Colombine Centre) to Clacton-on-Sea. It is an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200 bodied Dart that was new to Hedingham & District (L370) in January 2009. Working a Konectbuses service the bus carries the legal name and address of Konectbus, East Dereham. It has been somewhat taxing to keep up with the acquisitions, re-namings and inter-company vehicle transfers within this bus group of late. Vectare (renamed Transport Made Simple in June 2024) had acquired Central Connect in August 2023 and has now adopted that name for subsequent acquisitions - notably the former Go Ahead East Anglia business in September 2025 which operated as Konectbus in Norfolk and Konectbuses in Suffolk and Essex (the latter being the former Hedingham & District plus H C Chambers and Son). In late September 2025 the Go-Ahead Group sold its Go East Anglia operations to TMS. That purchase included the Konectbus brand (in Norfolk) and the Konectbuses brand (in Essex and Suffolk). The latter had only been created a short time before when Go Ahead had merged its Hedingham and Chambers businesses owned for a number of years and managed by Konectbus. In ‘Buses’ magazine June 2026 it was reported that TMS would be rebranding its various East Anglian operations under the Central Connect name.

Wednesday 20 May 2026 (0809) - Transport Made Simple/Konnectbuses 850 (AO57 EZM), a Scania CN230UD OmniCity new to Anglianbus in (502) in February 2008, seen in Walton-on-the-Naze heading to start a school service. In late September 2025 the Go-Ahead Group sold its Go East Anglia operations to TMS. That purchase included the Konectbus brand (in Norfolk) and the Konectbuses brand (in Essex and Suffolk). The latter had only been created a short time before when Go Ahead had merged its Hedingham and Chambers businesses owned for a number of years and managed by Konectbus. In ‘Buses’ magazine June 2026 it was reported that TMS would be rebranding its various East Anglian operations under the Central Connect name.

Friday 17 July 2026 (1009) - Transport Made Simple/Central Connect/Simonds 403 (YR20 VHT) seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills as it worked the 0905 Flixbus service 007 from Norwich to London (Victoria Coach Station). It is an Irizar i6s bodied Scania K360 that had been new to Vectare in July 2020. In June 2024 Vectare Limited was rebranded as Transport Made Simple (TMS), the rebranding brought together the different businesses owned by Vectare at the time notably Central Connect and also Simonds of Botesdale Limited of Diss which had been acquired in April 2024.

Friday 17 July 2026 (1009) - Transport Made Simple/Central Connect/Simonds 403 (YR20 VHT) seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills as it worked the 0905 Flixbus service 007 from Norwich to London (Victoria Coach Station). It is an Irizar i6s bodied Scania K360 that had been new to Vectare in July 2020. In June 2024 Vectare Limited was rebranded as Transport Made Simple (TMS), the rebranding brought together the different businesses owned by Vectare at the time notably Central Connect and also Simonds of Botesdale Limited of Diss which had been acquired in April 2024.

Friday 17 July 2026 (1009) - Transport Made Simple/Central Connect/Simonds 403 (YR20 VHT) seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills as it worked the 0905 Flixbus service 007 from Norwich to London (Victoria Coach Station). It is an Irizar i6s bodied Scania K360 that had been new to Vectare in July 2020. In June 2024 Vectare Limited was rebranded as Transport Made Simple (TMS), the rebranding brought together the different businesses owned by Vectare at the time notably Central Connect and also Simonds of Botesdale Limited of Diss which had been acquired in April 2024.

Friday 17 July 2026 (0928) – Sunsundegui SC5 bodied Volvo B8R seen on the A11 near Fiveways, Barton Mills. BV17 CVB was new to Bliss Travel Limited, South Bermondsey, London SE16 in March 2017.

Friday 17 July 2026 (1048) – Bland’s Coaches, Essendine near Stamford Van Hool Astromega seen heading eastbound on the A11 at Fiveways, Barton Mills.

Friday 17 July 2026 (0918) – An unusual sighting on the A11 near Fiveways, Barton Mills was of London sightseeing tour company Golden Tours 129 (BD16 YEG), a partial open top MCV eVoSeti bodied Volvo B5TL. Delivered in May 2016, it was one of 20 such diesel powered buses (125-144) that the company is currently having re-powered with battery-electric drivelines by Equipmake based at Snetterton in Norfolk. I suspect therefore that that is where the bus was heading.

Friday 17 July 2026 (0948) – Parrys International Tours, Cheslyn Hay, West Midlands YG26 EHG, a Van Hool T17 Astron new in March 2026, seen on the A11 near Fiveways, Barton Mills. Viewing the company’s website I would suspect it would perhaps be heading home on the last day of a ‘Norwich, the Norfolk Broads and Royal Sandringham’ five day tour (13-17 July) based at the Dunston Hall Hotel, Norwich.

Friday 17 July 2026 (0917) – Cozy Travel, Sandy, Bedfordshire CO59 ZYO seen on the A11 near Fiveways, Barton Mills. It is a Neoplan Tourliner N2216 that had been new to Voel, Dyserth, North Wales in January 2011 registered PJ60 VNF. In its time with Voel it had regularly worked the Leeds-Holyhead part of the Eurolines/Bus Eireann Leeds-Dublin service with full Eurolines lettering before taking on the orange fleet livery.

Friday 17 July 2026 (0928) – Cozy Travel, Sandy, Bedfordshire OU22 ZYA seen on the A11 near Fiveways, Barton Mills. It is a Neoplan Tourliner N2216 that had been new to Ridleys Coaches, Leamington Spa in April 2022.

Friday 17 July 2026 (1008) – A Turkish built AOS Grand Toro midi-coach seen heading westbound on the A11 at Fiveways, Barton Mills. KF73 VKX was new to Whites, St. Albans in September 2023 registered V4 WSA. I believe it is now operated by Super Plus Coach Limited, Aylesbury.

Friday 17 July 2026 (1008) – A Turkish built AOS Grand Toro midi-coach seen heading westbound on the A11 at Fiveways, Barton Mills. KF73 VKX was new to Whites, St. Albans in September 2023 registered V4 WSA. I believe it is now operated by Super Plus Coach Limited, Aylesbury.

Tuesday 19 May 2026 (0813) – A damp morning on the seafront in Walton-on-the-Naze. Transport Made Simple/Konnectbuses 852 (AO57 HCD), a Scania CN230UD OmniCity new to Hedingham and District in February 2008, was working school service ‘Lower 4’ to Tendring Technology College. In late September 2025 the Go-Ahead Group sold its Go East Anglia operations to TMS. That purchase included the Konectbus brand (in Norfolk) and the Konectbuses brand (in Essex and Suffolk). The latter had only been created a short time before when Go Ahead had merged its Hedingham and Chambers businesses owned for a number of years and managed by Konectbus. In ‘Buses’ magazine June 2026 it was reported that TMS would be rebranding its various East Anglian operations under the Central Connect name.

Tuesday 19 May 2026 (0813) – A damp morning on the seafront in Walton-on-the-Naze. Transport Made Simple/Konnectbuses 852 (AO57 HCD), a Scania CN230UD OmniCity new to Hedingham and District in February 2008, was working school service ‘Lower 4’ to Tendring Technology College. In late September 2025 the Go-Ahead Group sold its Go East Anglia operations to TMS. That purchase included the Konectbus brand (in Norfolk) and the Konectbuses brand (in Essex and Suffolk). The latter had only been created a short time before when Go Ahead had merged its Hedingham and Chambers businesses owned for a number of years and managed by Konectbus. In ‘Buses’ magazine June 2026 it was reported that TMS would be rebranding its various East Anglian operations under the Central Connect name.

Tuesday 19 May 2026 (0813) – A damp morning on the seafront in Walton-on-the-Naze. Transport Made Simple/Konnectbuses 852 (AO57 HCD), a Scania CN230UD OmniCity new to Hedingham and District in February 2008, was working school service ‘Lower 4’ to Tendring Technology College. In late September 2025 the Go-Ahead Group sold its Go East Anglia operations to TMS. That purchase included the Konectbus brand (in Norfolk) and the Konectbuses brand (in Essex and Suffolk). The latter had only been created a short time before when Go Ahead had merged its Hedingham and Chambers businesses owned for a number of years and managed by Konectbus. In ‘Buses’ magazine June 2026 it was reported that TMS would be rebranding its various East Anglian operations under the Central Connect name.