David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos

Ambassador Travel (Anglia) Limited has been a National Express contractor for many years operating services from Norfolk to Central London and to Heathow Airport. With the benefit of information taken from the 'Bus Times' website I recorded which coaches worked the different services over the period 13 to 27 March 2026. At the time of the study the last two older coaches (214/215 new in June 2019) were coming up to seven years of age - the maximum age which National Express stipulates for vehicles operating on the network.

Ambassador Travel (Anglia) Limited has been a National Express contractor for many years operating services from Norfolk to Central London and to Heathow Airport. With the benefit of information taken from the 'Bus Times' website I recorded which coaches worked the different services over the period 5 to 21 June 2026.

Monday 18 May 2026 (1216) – Transport Made Simple/Konectbuses 823 (YN56 FFC) seen in High Street, Colchester working the 1201 service 88 to Halstead. It is an East Lancs bodied Scania N230UD new to Brighton & Hove Bus & Coach Company (903) in September 2006. It was transferred within the Go-Ahead Group days from B&H to Konectbus and still wears B&H livery along with the Hedingham fleetname. 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.

Monday 18 May 2026 (1216) – Transport Made Simple/Konectbuses 823 (YN56 FFC) seen in High Street, Colchester working the 1201 service 88 to Halstead. It is an East Lancs bodied Scania N230UD new to Brighton & Hove Bus & Coach Company (903) in September 2006. It was transferred within the Go-Ahead Group days from B&H to Konectbus and still wears B&H livery along with the Hedingham fleetname. 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.

Monday 18 May 2026 (approx. 1354) – Arriva Southern Counties 6458 (SN58 ENX) seen in Colchester High Street. It is an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 bodied Trident new in December 2008 which carries Remembrance graphics.

Monday 18 May 2026 (1210) – Transport Made Simple/Konnectbuses 274 (YX60 FCE) seen on Station Way, Colchester when working the 1159 service 80 from Colchester to Dedham. It is an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D that was new to London Central (SE75) in December 2010. (Taken when on board Arriva Southern Counties 4122 (SN67 WUL) working to the City Centre from the Park and Ride site to the north of the city). 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 (0820/0821 despite what the Church clock shows) Transport Made Simple/Konnectbuses 266 (OU57 FKB) seen at Walton-on-the-Naze Church when working the 0812 service 7 from The Naze to Clacton-on-Sea. It is an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200 bodied Dart that was new Thames Travel (957) in November 2007.

Wednesday 20 May 2026 (0820/0821 despite what the Church clock shows) Transport Made Simple/Konnectbuses 266 (OU57 FKB) seen at Walton-on-the-Naze Church when working the 0812 service 7 from The Naze to Clacton-on-Sea. It is an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200 bodied Dart that was new Thames Travel (957) in November 2007.

Monday 18 May 2026 (1344) – First Bus 33725 (SN12 AKX) seen in Colchester High Street. It is an Alexander Dennis Enviro400D new in June 2012 to First Games Transport - the division of the First Group that provided transport at the 2012 London Olympics. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain which served as a provincial Roman capital of Britain. The city was was attacked and destroyed during Boudica's rebellion in AD 61. Sometime after the destruction, London became the capital of the province of Britannia. Colchester claims to be Britain's first city and has been an important military base since the Roman era through to the present day. Colchester Castle was constructed in the eleventh century on earlier Roman foundations. The Balkerne Water Tower built in 1883 and affectionally known as Jumbo, can be seen in the background.

Monday 18 May 2026 (1344) – First Bus 33684 (SN12 AFO) seen in Colchester High Street. It is an Alexander Dennis Enviro400D new in June 2012 to First Games Transport - the division of the First Group that provided transport at the 2012 London Olympics. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain which served as a provincial Roman capital of Britain. The city was was attacked and destroyed during Boudica's rebellion in AD 61. Sometime after the destruction, London became the capital of the province of Britannia. Colchester claims to be Britain's first city and has been an important military base since the Roman era through to the present day. Colchester Castle was constructed in the eleventh century on earlier Roman foundations. The Balkerne Water Tower built in 1883 and affectionally known as Jumbo, can be seen in the background.

Monday 18 May 2026 (1344) – First Bus 33684 (SN12 AFO) seen in Colchester High Street. It is an Alexander Dennis Enviro400D new in June 2012 to First Games Transport - the division of the First Group that provided transport at the 2012 London Olympics. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain which served as a provincial Roman capital of Britain. The city was was attacked and destroyed during Boudica's rebellion in AD 61. Sometime after the destruction, London became the capital of the province of Britannia. Colchester claims to be Britain's first city and has been an important military base since the Roman era through to the present day. Colchester Castle was constructed in the eleventh century on earlier Roman foundations.

Monday 22 June 2026 (1010) – ‘Connecting Communities’ is a demand responsive/dial-a-ride service in the West Suffolk area providing affordable, accessible transport for communities without a normal bus service. Vehicles are operated by The Voluntary Network, a registered charity based in Newmarket which provides community transport in West Suffolk. The charity has worked on the Suffolk County Council supported ‘Connecting Communities’ service for some years. KP69 DDK is a Treka bodied Mercedes-Benz 514CDI which was seen outside the Sainsbury’s store in Mildenhall. (First registered in January 2020 acquired secondhand).

Monday 22 June 2026 (1010) – ‘Connecting Communities’ is a demand responsive/dial-a-ride service in the West Suffolk area providing affordable, accessible transport for communities without a normal bus service. Vehicles are operated by The Voluntary Network, a registered charity based in Newmarket which provides community transport in West Suffolk. The charity has worked on the Suffolk County Council supported ‘Connecting Communities’ service for some years. KP69 DDK is a Treka bodied Mercedes-Benz 514CDI which was seen outside the Sainsbury’s store in Mildenhall. (First registered in January 2020 acquired secondhand).

Monday 22 June 2026 (1010) – ‘Connecting Communities’ is a demand responsive/dial-a-ride service in the West Suffolk area providing affordable, accessible transport for communities without a normal bus service. Vehicles are operated by The Voluntary Network, a registered charity based in Newmarket which provides community transport in West Suffolk. The charity has worked on the Suffolk County Council supported ‘Connecting Communities’ service for some years. KP69 DDK is a Treka bodied Mercedes-Benz 514CDI which was seen outside the Sainsbury’s store in Mildenhall. (First registered in January 2020 acquired secondhand).

Wednesday 20 May 2026 (1427) – Transport Made Simple/Konnectbuses 809 (YN55 PZM) seen in Lavenham when working the 1351 Bury St. Edmunds to Colchester service 43. It is an East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania N94UD new to Metrobus in February 2006. 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. This bus wears the Central Connect blue livery with the Konectbus name and legal address.

Friday 19 June 2026 (0918) – Première Travel of Orpington BF55 HVS, a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo new in October 2015, seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills. It arrived via the A11 from the Newmarket direction and went towards Bury St. Edmunds via the A1101 possibly bound for West Stow Anglo Saxon village.

Friday 19 June 2026 (0918) – Première Travel of Orpington BF55 HVS, a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo new in October 2015, seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills. It arrived via the A11 from the Newmarket direction and went towards Bury St. Edmunds via the A1101 possibly bound for West Stow Anglo Saxon village.

Thursday 18 June 2026 (2047) – Transport Made Simple/Central Connect/Simonds of Botesdale operates the six times daily Flixbus service 950 between Norwich and Heathrow Airport which began on 25 May 2026. To operate this new contract some additional vehicles were added to the Diss based allocation, on loan I believe, which has included Neoplan Tourliner OY23 CYM seen in the evening sunshine as it passed through Fiveways, Barton Mills when working the 1740 service from Heathrow to Norwich. It had been new to Whippet Coaches in July 2023 and when Whippet ended a four year Flixbus contract a number of their Flixbus liveried (leased) coaches were deployed to other operators. The Whippet fleet number FX44 is still carried on this vehicle. The full service has six daily trips each way although not all serve Cambridge (Trumpington Park and Ride) and Norwich (University of East Anglia). Departures from Norwich are: 0025 arriving Heathrow 0430 0200 arriving Heathrow 0610 0335 arriving Heathrow 0800 1100 arriving Heathrow 1530 (omits UEA and TP&R) 1250 arriving Heathrow 1720 (omits UEA and TP&R) 1500 arriving Heathrow 1920 (omits UEA) Departures from Heathrow are: 0600 arriving Norwich 1015 (omits TP&R and UEA) 0740 arriving Norwich 1215 0940 arriving Norwich 1405 (omits UEA) 1740 arriving Norwich 2210 (omits TP&R and UEA) 1910 arriving Norwich 2330 2120 arriving Norwich 0140