2016/17/18 A11 Barton Mills/Red Lodge

Saturday 5 August 2017 (0948) – Theobold’s Coaches of Dunstable, Bedfordshire L15 TBC, a Neoplan N516 new to Parry’s of Cheslyn Hay in March 2004 as YN04 AUU. It was seen about to re-join the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk when working a combined excursion and holiday express service from the Bedfordshire area to Great Yarmouth. The facility was listed in the company brochure each Saturday from 22 July until 2 September in 2017. I suspect it had just taken a break at either the Red Lodge Café or Red Lodge Inn. In past years there was quite an abundance of companies that operated Saturday holiday services to the Norfolk coast which travelled through this district making a call at one of the catering establishments in Red Lodge or Barton Mills. Nowadays the holiday services are all but gone. Glad to see there is one survivor!

Saturday 5 August 2017 (0948) – Theobold’s Coaches of Dunstable, Bedfordshire L15 TBC, a Neoplan N516 new to Parry’s of Cheslyn Hay in March 2004 as YN04 AUU. It was seen about to re-join the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk when working a combined excursion and holiday express service from the Bedfordshire area to Great Yarmouth. The facility was listed in the company brochure each Saturday from 22 July until 2 September in 2017. I suspect it had just taken a break at either the Red Lodge Café or Red Lodge Inn. In past years there was quite an abundance of companies that operated Saturday holiday services to the Norfolk coast which travelled through this district making a call at one of the catering establishments in Red Lodge or Barton Mills. Nowadays the holiday services are all but gone. Glad to see there is one survivor!

Saturday 5 August 2017 (0942) – A convoy of three Coach Services Limited of Thetford vehicles seen heading westbound on the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk. They are Van Hool Alizee bodied Volvos PJZ 9498 and T766 JYB followed by Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo WBN 106. PJZ 9498 may have been new to W Gordon and Sons of Rotherham as T588 DGD later re-registered B14 WGS before becoming PJZ 9498. T766 JYB was new to Berry’s of Taunton in April 1999. WBN 106 was new to Wallace Arnold in July 2000 as W606 FUM.

Saturday 5 August 2017 (0940) – Terry’s Coach Hire of Coventry MX10 DFN seen heading eastbound on the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk. It is a Neoplan N2216 that was new to Silverdale Coaches, Nottingham in May 2010.

Saturday 5 August 2017 (0937) – Coach Services Limited of Thetford YN08 DGX seen heading eastbound on the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk. It is an Irizar PB bodied Scania K340 that was new in March 2008.

Saturday 5 August 2017 (0934) – A Britannia Coaches of Hitchin Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M-62 seen heading eastbound on the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk. Looks like TUI 1645 and if so was new as P3 HAD to HAD Coaches of Shotts, Lanarkshire.

Saturday 5 August 2017 (0928) – Aziz Coach Service of Sparkbrook, Birmingham MR16 AXX seen heading eastbound on the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk. It is a Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B9R new in March 2016.

Saturday 5 August 2017 (0923) – Eastons Coaches of Stratton Strawless, Norfolk B8 AWE seen heading westbound on the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk. It is a Setra S 416-HD GT new in March 2007 to Meirion Motors of Aberystwyth registered AF07 MMF.

Saturday 5 August 2017 (0951) – Two coaches of J & D Eurotravel of Harrow seen heading eastbound on the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk.

Saturday 10 June 2017 (1119) – Angel Executive Travel of High Wycombe L16 AET, a Jonckheere Mistral bodied Volvo. I believe this is Volvo B12M that was new to Lochs and Glens as FN52 HRP in February 2003. It was seen during a refreshment stop at the ‘Pancake and Waffle Shack’ on the A11 at Barton Mills. This was the former AJ’s Restaurant which later became a Little Chef before closing.

Saturday 10 June 2017 (1138) – Reg’s of Hertford SF04 SPZ, a Van Hool Alizee bodied Volvo B12B, seen heading eastbound at Fiveways, Barton Mills. It was new to Hutchison of Overtown, Lanarkshire in March 2004.

Saturday 10 June 2017 (1139) – Hamilton’s Coaches of Rothwell, Northamptonshire H8 UKA seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Volvo B9R that was new as FJ61 EYH to erstwhile National Express contractor Premiere Travel of Nottingham in January 2012.

Saturday 10 June 2017 (1144) – Hamilton’s Coaches of Rothwell, Northamptonshire H8 UKA, a Caetano Levante bodied Volvo B9R that was new as FJ61 EYH to erstwhile National Express contractor Premiere Travel of Nottingham in January 2012. It was seen at the Barton Mills picnic site which seemed to be quite waterlogged.

Saturday 10 June 2017 (1145) – Hamilton’s Coaches of Rothwell, Northamptonshire H8 UKA, a Caetano Levante bodied Volvo B9R that was new as FJ61 EYH to erstwhile National Express contractor Premiere Travel of Nottingham in January 2012. It was seen at the Barton Mills picnic site.

Saturday 10 June 2017 (1127) – Mulleys Motorways MUI 6449 seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills when working service 355 from Beck Row and Mildenhall to Bury St. Edmunds. It is an Alexander ALX400 bodied Volvo B7TL that was new to Dublin Bus in November 2000 as their AV107 (00D 70107). When imported to Britain it received registration number X56 XAW although Mulleys re-registered it to MUI 6449 in May 2016.

Friday 9 June 2017 (1029) – Olympia Travel of Hindley near Wigan D16 EUN, a Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B9R new in March 2010 as FJ10 DNN. It was seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills when working for Grand UK Holidays. The window label reads ‘Broadlands Hidden Gems’. (The coach behind is Platinum Express of Wolverhampton P10 TNM new to Callinan Coaches in Ireland May 2008 as 08 G 805 which became SJ08 WAC in the U.K.)

Friday 9 June 2017 (1014) – Owen’s Coaches of Oswestry BJ16 KYS, a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo new in May 2016, seen heading westbound at Fiveways, Barton Mills. I had seen this coach on the previous Monday afternoon heading eastbound. It was working a 5 days ‘Great Yarmouth and Norfolk Broads’ tour staying in Great Yarmouth.

Friday 9 June 2017 (1020) – Ambassador Travel 211 (BF63 ZSL) seen at Fiveways, Barton Mills when working the 0820 National Express service 491 from Great Yarmouth to London. It is a Caetano Levante bodied Volvo B9R new in January 2014.