'Ipernity HFF

Saturday 25 May 2019 (0844) – Preston bus station, Lancashire. Preston’s iconic bus station opened in October 1969 and a leaflet published by Ribble Motor Services for the opening said it was the largest bus station in Britain. Originally it had 80 loading stands. Those on the eastern side (which this is) were used by Ribble, its joint operators and by other express service, tour and excursion operators. These stands were numbered 41 to 80 from where this photo was taken but now the numbers run from 1 to 39 in the opposite direction. The bays on the western side were numbered 1 to 40 and were primarily used by the buses of Preston Corporation Transport (plus Ribble on some joint services they worked with PCT). This part of the bus station is no longer used by buses and is being redeveloped. The ground level passenger concourse is topped by a multi-storey car park with each deck featuring upturned fluted curves giving the building a most original look. In 2000 the City Council was planning its demolition to create a new city centre development but objections were raised to that plan and the campaigners successfully managed to obtain Grade II listing thus ensuring the building’s future.

Thursday 26 March 2020 (1220) – In response to the Covid-19 Coronavirus outbreak and the consequential reduction in passengers, National Express cut many services effective Tuesday 24 March 2020. From that date a limited number of routes operated on a temporary timetable with services numbered in the 800 series. Service 813 operates from Great Yarmouth to London (Victoria Coach Station) via Norwich, Thetford, Newmarket, Cambridge, Stansted Airport and Stratford with two departures from Great Yarmouth (at 0620 and 1050) and one from Norwich (at 1530). The northbound journeys depart Victoria at 0930 (to Norwich only) followed by two journeys to Great Yarmouth at 1200 and 1630. The coach in this photograph is National Express owned Travel West Midlands SH281 (BV19 XON), a Caetano Levante III bodied Scania K410 new in March 2019, which was operating the 0930 London-Norwich service (arriving 1320) that would return as the 1530 service from Norwich to Victoria (due there 1925). It was seen on the A11 near Kennett.

Thursday 5 February 1998 (approx. 0845) – A Van Hool Alizée bodied Volvo of Kenzie’s Coaches of Shepreth seen heading eastbound on the A505 Royston by-pass. Kenzie’s Coaches was a well respected business which closed in August 2019. Cyril Kenzie, aged 93 at the time, and his son, who was in his 60s, decided to close down the business.

Tuesday 10 March 1998 (approx. 0801) – The Shires (LDT Limited) 3112 (L312 HPP) seen in Watton-at-Stone when working the 0740 service 390 from Stevenage to Hertford. It was a Northern Counties Paladin bodied Volvo B6-9.9M which still carried the livery introduced by London Country (North West) in 1988. This livery and a yellow and blue scheme that replaced it, would disappear as the Arriva corporate livery was gradually introduced. (* A popular feature on Fridays for many Ipernity members is the challenge to submit a photograph featuring a fence under the title of ‘HFF’ or ‘Happy Fence Friday’. Similarly on Mondays the topic is ‘HBM’ or ‘Happy Bench Monday’ with photographs featuring a bench).

Wednesday 27 October 2021 (0849) – Lucketts Travel X5605 (BK67 LOD) seen turning from Kingsway to King Street in Mildenhall when working the 0750 National Express service 727 from Norwich to Brighton (1445). It was just a moment away from reaching Mildenhall Bus Station where it would then depart at 0855. Coaches from both Lucketts Travel and Worthing Coaches currently work service 727. National Express acquired the Lucketts Travel Group in March 2020, Worthing Coaches having been acquired by Lucketts in 2005. Service 727 requires five vehicles each day four of which work from Brighton to Norwich and return on an almost immediate turnround. However, the coach working the 0750 from Norwich had worked the 1415 service from Brighton the previous day arriving in Norwich at 2105 remaining there overnight. (The last northbound trip of the day actually works the first southbound trip of the day – 2350 in and 0350 out). The coach, a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410EB6 that was new in October 2017, is based at Spencer Road, Lancing near Worthing which is about ten miles west of Brighton.

Monday 1 November 2021 (0859) – Coach Services Limited of Thetford MX15 KLA, a Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B11R new to Logan Coaches of Dunloy in May 2015, seen at the Mildenhall Hub/Mildenhall College Academy (MCA) having worked a school contract (MCA3). The Mildenhall Hub, opened in the late summer of 2021, is located on the western edge of the town centre and houses a number of different community facilities including the Council Offices, Clinic, Library, Leisure Centre, Swimming Pool, Police Offices, etc all of which were previously located in different parts of the town. MCA, expanded with the merging of the Mildenhall Upper and Riverside Middle Schools, serves students from a wide catchment area brought in by various contract vehicles and normal passenger services.

Monday 28 September 2020 (1201) – Go-Ahead owned Konectbus 618 (SK15 HKB) seen passing the War Memorial in East Dereham as it headed for Norwich on service 8. It is an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400D new in August 2015 which carries the ‘Straight 8’ branding used for the service which runs from Toftwood via East Dereham to Norwich. This was the 1137 trip from Toftwood.

Saturday 8 June 2013 (1429) – Bus stop signs and timetables at Sennen Cove, Cornwall. Sennen Cove is not only served by First Devon and Cornwall but also by Western Greyhound. Just visible to the right of the timetable case is the tail end of Western Greyhound 560 (WK02 BUS) which we had just arrived on from Penzance when working the 1310 service 504 to St. Just.

Wednesday 6 June 2012 (1200) - Great Malvern: Framed by the statue and monument to Sir Edward Elgar, who was born in the village of Lower Broadheath, a few miles from Great Malvern, First Midlands West 66977 (KX05 MHA) is seen descending to Church Street when working service 44 to Worcester (County Hall). A Wright bodied Volvo B7RLE new to First Leicester in April 2005. (People of a certain age might, like myself, might find it coincidental that a bus number plate containing the letters ‘HA’ graces the streets of former BMMO ‘Midland Red’ bus operating territory).

Tuesday 23 November 2021 (1429) - First Eastern Counties Buses 69424 (AU58 FFL), a Wright Eclipse Urban bodied Volvo B7RLE new in January 2009, seen descending Convalescent Hill in Felixstowe. It carries the Ipswich Reds livery with Felixstowe Flyers branding for the Ipswich-Felixstowe group of services (75/77/X7) and was working the 1340 service 77 from Ipswich to Landguard Fort. Landguard Fort was built to defend the River Orwell estuary. Whilst there had been fortifications on the site from around 1540, the building of a more substantial fort took place during the 1700s and this was later expanded during the Napoleonic Wars. The fort is now a museum.

Tuesday 11 May 2021 (1123) – A solar powered electronic information display outside St. Andrew’s Church in Girton near Cambridge. The village is served by the Stagecoach East (Cambus) Cambridge-Girton-Oakington ‘Citi 6’ service. On Monday 17 February 2020 two new Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV bodied BYD electric buses were put to work on the service which has a frequency of every 30 minutes and a round trip journey time of 56 minutes. As well as the bus times there is also a three day weather forecast shown on the screen. The church clock was showing five to five!

Thursday 9 December 2021 (1155) – Mil-Ken Travel OIG 8937 seen in Kingsway, Mildenhall when being rescued by the tow truck. It is a Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B12B that had been new to Fourway (Cropper) of Leeds in June 2006 registered YN06 RVL.

Friday 18 August 2017 (1045) – Mulleys Motorways Optare Solo MX57 HDH seen on the approach to Bury St. Edmunds railway station when working the 1040 town service M44. It was new in Sept 2007 to Nightingale Coaches (Johnson) of Greencroft, Annfield Plain, County Durham.

Tuesday 28 August 2012 (1300) – Plaxton coach operated by Norfolk based Our Hire Limited of Acle, Norfolk (trading as 'Our Bus') crossing the river bridge in Wroxham seen from a table where I was having lunch at a riverside restaurant. It was quite possibly working the 1246 Tuesdays only service 292 from Tunstead to Reedham. *HFF recycled as HTT: A popular feature on Fridays for many Ipernity members is the challenge to submit a photograph featuring a fence under the title of ‘HFF’ or ‘Happy Fence Friday’. Similarly on Mondays the topic is ‘HBM’ or ‘Happy Bench Monday’ with photographs featuring a bench. A new group for 2023 is 'Happy Table Tuesday' or 'HTT'.

Thursday 24 June 2021 (0905) – Bury St. Edmunds bus station. Through bays are used for the town services and nose-in bays used for the out of town services. Parked in that latter are two vehicles of Konnectbus/Chambers (dark red in colour), two of Stephensons (green and white) and one of Stagecoach East (lighter green second from the right which is the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway livery – although a long way from the Busway today!). Just visible at the very far end was a (white) Mulleys coach.

Friday 14 January 2022 (1001) – In its highly standardised fleet Lynx (Coastal Red Limited) has an operational fleet of 29 Optare Tempo vehicles (along with a further 8 in reserve). All are 12 metre long X1200 models except for this one, bus number 1 which is a 10.6 metre long X1060 model. (Although with such a front on view who would know it was a different length!) Lynx 1 (YJ05 JWZ) was seen picking up on London Road, King’s Lynn near the South Gate as it worked service 37 to Downham Market and Southery. The service 37 timetable at the time featured 8 trips as far as Hilgay three of which then continued to Southery and three of which continued to Ten Mile Bank. The last two trips in the late afternoon setting down by request to all points south of Downham Market.

Saturday 8 June 2013 (1117) – First Devon & Cornwall 69225 (MX56 AEP) seen setting down in Market Jew Street in Penzance on the 0920 service 14 from Truro. A Wright bodied Volvo B7RLE new to First Manchester in September 2006. The statue above the bus is Sir Humphrey Davy, one of the leading scientists of the 19th century born in these parts, who invented the miner’s safety lamp and also discovered that nitrous oxide could be used as an anesthetic. (Unfortunately in this photograph he has a gull sat on his head!)

Friday 29 May 2015 (0840) - Stagecoach (East Kent) 27921 (SN63 VTT), an Alexander Dennis Enviro300 new in September 2013, seen in Canterbury city centre. It sports a special Park and Ride livery and was working to Wincheap Park and Ride site located on the south western edge of the city.