David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos

Sunday 3 May 2026 – The 54th Ipswich to Felixstowe Historic Road Run starts from Christchurch Park, Ipswich. A few hundred varied vehicles take part including buses, coaches, lorries, cars and motor cycles. The first vehicle to leave and lead the convoy was preserved former Ipswich 9 (MRT 9P), a Roe bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R new in May 1976 as a normal covered top bus.

Sunday 3 May 2026 – The 54th Ipswich to Felixstowe Historic Road Run starts from Christchurch Park, Ipswich. A few hundred varied vehicles take part including buses, coaches, lorries, cars and motor cycles. Former Eastern Counties Omnibus Company LL407 (KAH 407) , an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol L4G new in August 1949. Former Eastern Counties Omnibus Company RE896 (SVF 896G), an Estern Coachworks bodied Bristol RELH6G new in June 1969. Former Stratford Blue (Stratford-upon-Avon Blue Motors) HAC 628D, a Marshall bodied Leyland Leopard L2 new in June 1966. Former Eastern National Omnibus Company 1407 (VNO 859), an Eastern Coachworks coach bodied Bristol KSW5G new in 1953. Felix Coaches (Golynia and Warnack) of Long Melford DBU 889, a Duple Vista bodied Bedford OB new to Shearings of Oldham in June 1947.

Sunday 3 May 2026 – The 54th Ipswich to Felixstowe Historic Road Run starts from Christchurch Park, Ipswich. A few hundred varied vehicles take part including buses, coaches, lorries, cars and motor cycles. A general view of the where the larger vehicles were gathering seen as I arrived. Just some of the many cars already there form the backcloth.

Sunday 3 May 2026 – The 54th Ipswich to Felixstowe Historic Road Run starts from Christchurch Park, Ipswich. A few hundred varied vehicles take part including buses, coaches, lorries, cars and motor cycles. Preserved AJN 825, an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol K5G new to Westcliff-on-Sea Motor Services in 1939, stands in the background of this shot featuring the Mayor of Ipswich as he arrived to start the proceedings.

Sunday 22 September 1996 – The Stagecoach Group put on a commendable display at ‘Showbus’ held at Duxford. The exhibits came from various locations countrywide.

Saturday 25 May 1991 - Coaches parked at RAF Mildenhall attending the annual Air Fete. This event was one of the largest aircraft shows in the country until it ceased to be for security reasons (circa early 2000s). Left: Cherry’s Coaches (part of the East Yorkshire Motor Services Group) 32 CHY, a Plaxton Paramount bodied Leyland Tiger new to Trimdon Motor Services for their Zebra Holidays work registered BAJ 639Y Right: Eastern National Omnibus Company Limited 4512 (D512 PPU), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Olympian new in July 1986. The company operated a dozen or so of these long wheelbase vehicles on commuter services from Essex and Hertfordshire into London. Fitted with semi-coach seats, they had seating for 45 on the upper deck and 28 on the lower deck

Saturday 9 April 2011 (1215) - Peugeot Boxer WX10 LFR seen at Newmarket rail station. Suffolk County Council sponsors ‘Suffolk Link’ services in various parts of the county to provide demand responsive bus links for villages not served by normal bus services. The ‘Suffolk Link’ service for the villages in a triangle bordered by Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill is branded ‘Three Towns’ and is worked by a Newmarket based charity ‘The Voluntary Network’.

Saturday 9 April 2011 (1215) - Peugeot Boxer WX10 LFR seen at Newmarket rail station. Suffolk County Council sponsors ‘Suffolk Link’ services in various parts of the county to provide demand responsive bus links for villages not served by normal bus services. The ‘Suffolk Link’ service for the villages in a triangle bordered by Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill is branded ‘Three Towns’ and is worked by a Newmarket based charity ‘The Voluntary Network’.

Saturday 2 April 2011 - From the driving seat of a Mulleys Motorways Optare Solo in St Andrew’s Street South, Bury St Edmunds. The bus was about to leave on service M55 to the Mildenhall Road and Howard Estates. The old gent at the kerb always seemed to time it just right to routinely catch this bus. Anyway, if he had missed it the next one was only 20 minutes later. The buildings housing Palmer's on the left and Karooze on the right now have different occupants. The shrounded former Woolworth's on the extreme right became a Tesco Express.

Sunday 24 March 1985 – Fairtax (Penniston) of Melton Mowbray B22 LNR, a Jonckheere bodied DAF SB2300 new in August 1984, passing the end of Bell Lane, Barton Mills as it travelled westbound on the old A11 road.

Thursday 4 May 1989 – Heathrow Airport Central Area Green Line liveried TPL65 (B265 KPF), a Plaxton Paramount 3200 Express 2 bodied Leyland Tiger about to turn in to the Central Bus Station when working service 726 from Dartford to Windsor. London Buses MCW Metrobus M1020 (A720 THV) is lettered for the Airbus services from Central London to the Airport. In the background is a Van Hool coach (left) in the yellow British Airports Authority livery used on Terminal/Car Park shuttle services and a Plaxton Paramount working a contract for the Excelsior Hotel.

Wednesday 27 October 1993 - Eastern Counties Omnibus Company Limited LL797 (UVO 124S) seen in High Street, Mildenhall when working the 1030 service 200 from Newmarket to Thetford. It is a Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard that was new to Trent Motor Traction Company Limited (124) in November 1977 although latterly it had been operated by Barton Buses (1124) in whose livery it carries here. The Wellglade Group, owners of Trent, acquired the Barton business in 1989 later merging the two operations to become trentbarton. The Suffolk County Council sponsored service 200 running approximately every 2 hours from Newmarket to Thetford via Mildenhall, Lakenheath and Brandon commenced operation on Monday 24 May 1993. It came about after National Express cutting back journeys and local stops on their service 747 the previous Saturday 22 May 1993. Initially service 200 was operated by Cambus (and it’s associated Millerbus) and was advertised as a trial service operating for three months. Cambus/Millerbus ceased to be the operator after Saturday 4 September 1993 with the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company taking over on Monday 6 September.

Timetable 52:1 in the Summer 1972 National Bus Company published Express Services Coach Guide covered the East Midlands to East Anglia services operated bt Trent Motor Traction. The core services linked Great Yarmouth to Nottingham, some of which then continued through to Manchester (on the service licenced to Trent and North Western). At Manchester certain journeys then continued to Blackpool (on the service licenced to North Western, Ribble and Lancashire United). This arrangement was formally known as 'linking' and the different Road Service Licences that were involved had to state that linking arrangements were carried out.

Timetable 52:14 in the Summer 1972 National Bus Company published Express Services Coach Guide covered the service operated from Nottingham to Manchester (on the service licenced to Trent and North Western). At Manchester certain journeys then continued to Blackpool (on the service licenced to North Western, Ribble and Lancashire United) or the Lake District (on the service licenced to Ribble). This arrangement was formally known as 'linking' and the different Road Service Licences that were involved had to state that linking arrangements were carried out. Note also code 'Z' in the timetable which shows the through linking to/from the Nottingham to Great Yarmouth service (licenced to Trent).

Timetables 52:8, 52:9 and 52:10 published in the Summer 1972 National Bus Company published Express Services Coach Guide.

Timetables for services 451 and 452 contained in the Winter 1973-1974 National Coach Guide.

Timetables for services 440 and 447 contained in the Winter 1973-1974 National Coach Guide.

Sunday 24 March 1985 – Caroline Seagull Coaches (Cobholm Hire Services) 526 FN passing the end of Bell Lane, Barton Mills as it travelled westbound on the old A11 road. It is an AEC Reliance new in July 1962 to East Kent Road Car Company with Park Royal bodywork. In August 1972 it was re-bodied with the Plaxton Panorama Elite body seen here. I believe it was part of the huge convoy of buses and coaches conveying supporters of Norwich City Football Club to Wembley for the League Cup Final against Sunderland. Norwich City was triumphant with a 1-0 win.