Ipernity HFF

Friday 11 September 1992 (0936) - Acadian Lines 115, a 1989 MCI MC9 Crusader Special, seen at Bridgetown when working the 0700 Yarmouth to Halifax Limited Stop trip 22 – approx 210 miles in 5 hours 33 minutes. (Ref 177-27)

Saturday 14 May 2016 (0900) – Hedingham Omnibuses (Go-Ahead Group) 581 (W956 WGH) seen at the junction of Agate Road and Marine Parade West in Clacton-on-Sea working town circular service 137. It is a Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TL new to London General (PVL56) in May 2000.

Tuesday 10 May 1994 - Premier Travel Services 425 (G525 LWU), a Plaxton Paramount bodied Volvo B10M new in March 1990 to Wallace Arnold Tours, seen in Newmarket when working the 0620 National Express service 347 from Thetford to Cambridge.

Friday 7 June 2013 (1528) – St. Ives, Cornwall. The town’s small bus station is built on a shelf into the rising cliff amongst all the cluster of houses and other buildings. The bus parking area is only capable of taking about four modern day sized buses at best. First Devon & Cornwall 52554 (S554 RWP), a Plaxton Beaver bodied Mercedes-Benz Vario, is parked alongside the adjacent building (1530 service 16 to Penzance via Nancledra) with two larger buses parked towards the apex of the triangular shaped site. Left is Stagecoach 33942 (V942 DFH), an Alexander ALX200 bodied Dennis Dart, working on hire to Western Greyhound (loaned to cover the buses lost in the depot fire on 13 May 3013) which carried Stagecoach Swindon fleetnames (1500 service 547 from Hayle) and right First Devon & Cornwall 69222 (MX56 AEM), a Wright bodied Volvo B7RLE (1345 service 14 from Truro).

Tuesday 4 June 2013 (0816) – Seen from the window of our room at Dylan’s Guesthouse in Bude, Stagecoach 35154 (WA56 FKP), an Alexander Dennis Dart with Plaxton Pointer style body, working local service 128 (Stratton to Poughill via Bude town centre), a 27 or so minute journey each way which kept one bus busy going back and forward all day. This was the first run of the day towards Poughill which had left Stratton at 0800 and Bude (Strand) at 0814 due at Poughill at 0823. The Atlantic Ocean forms the horizon in this photo.

Tuesday 4 June 2013 (1426) – Western Greyhound Optare Solo 955 (YJ06 FZM) (new April 2006) seen in Bude, Cornwall. It had just arrived as the 1220 service 599 from Exeter and having unloaded at the bus shelter on the right it was going to park up for a break. The two hour trip operates twice daily competing with Stagecoach’s service X9 which operates six times a day but only six days a week.

Thursday 6 June 2013 (1357) – Western Greyhound 986 (WK11 APX), a new style Optate Solo, seen at Newquay bus station prior to working the 1405 service 593 to Plymouth, a journey of 2 hours 19 minutes.

Sunday 9 June 2013 (1134) – The small fishing village of Mousehole (pronounced ‘Mouzle’) in Cornwall has such narrow streets with tight 90 degree turns that only certain types of bus are suitable – normally a Mercedes-Benz Vario. For the first few trips of First Devon and Cornwall’s service 6 today a Vario wasn’t available and Optare Solo 53007 (W807 PAF) covered the service. It was too long/too wide to negotiate the last part of the route down to the harbour so had to terminate at the ‘The Old Coastguard’, a hotel short of the normal terminus where it is seen in this photograph. A Vario became available for the next trip onwards so normal service was then resumed through to the harbour. St. Michael’s Mount, at Marazion, can be seen in the background across the bay.

Sunday 9 June 2013 (1240) – First Devon and Cornwall 52554 (S554 RWP), a Plaxton Beaver bodied Mercedes-Benz Vario, seen in the small fishing village of Mousehole. The village has such narrow streets that only certain types of bus like the Vario are suitable. Earlier in the day, when we travelled by bus to the village, it was on board an Optare Solo (53007) because a Vario had not been available all morning. The Solo was too wide/too long to negotiate the last part of the route down to the harbour so it had to terminate at the ‘The Old Coastguard’ - a hotel a little way short of the normal terminus. However, this Vario was able to resume the normal service commencing with the 1215 service from Penzance and was seen here at the Quay prior to working the 1243 return service back to Penzance.

Sunday 9 June 2013 (1241) – First Devon & Cornwall 52554 (S554 RWP), a Plaxton Beaver bodied Mercedes-Benz Vario, seen in the small fishing village of Mousehole. The village has such narrow streets that only certain types of bus like the Vario are suitable. Earlier in the day, when we travelled by bus to the village, it was on board an Optare Solo (53007) because a Vario had not been available all morning. The Solo was too wide/too long to negotiate the last part of the route down to the harbour so it had to terminate at the ‘The Old Coastguard’ - a hotel a little way short of the normal terminus. However, this Vario was able to resume the normal service commencing with the 1215 service from Penzance and was seen here at the Quay prior to working the 1243 return service back to Penzance.

Sunday 9 June 2013 (1243) – First Devon & Cornwall 52554 (S554 RWP), a Plaxton Beaver bodied Mercedes-Benz Vario, seen in the small fishing village of Mousehole. The village has such narrow streets that only certain types of bus like the Vario are suitable. Earlier in the day, when we travelled by bus to the village, it was on board an Optare Solo (53007) because a Vario had not been available all morning. The Solo was too wide/too long to negotiate the last part of the route down to the harbour so it had to terminate at the ‘The Old Coastguard’ - a hotel a little way short of the normal terminus. However, this Vario was able to resume the normal service commencing with the 1215 service from Penzance and was seen here at the Quay prior to working the 1243 return service back to Penzance. The bus leaves the bus stop marked on the roadway, reverses to turn round, and then heads out of the village passing bus stop. It makes its first 90 degree turn between the two white buildings.

Saturday 8 June 2013 (1437) – First Devon & Cornwall 34182 (S682 AAE), a Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympian new in August 1998 as First Bristol 6682, at Sennen Cove. This was the 1340 service 1 from Penzance to Lands End via St.Buryan and Sennen Cove. Upon arrival at Lands End it would become the (late running) 1435 service 1A returning to Penzance via Porthcurno and St. Buryan. Buses travelling outward as service 1 returned as service 1A and buses travelling outward via service 1A returned as service 1 effectively being a circular service west of St. Buryan. During the summer months Sennen Cove is also served by First’s ‘Cornwall Explorer’ service 300 with five trips daily running every two hours, in both clockwise and anti-clockwise circuits, linking Penzance-Lands End-Sennen Cove-St Just-St Ives-Penzance. This primarily tourist oriented route takes 3 hours 14 minutes for the full circuit and is worked by open top double deckers. Services 1/1A run all year but only Mondays to Saturdays. Sennen Cove is also served by Western Greyhound services 501 and 504 which run six days a week all year round. During the winter months their service 501 provides the Sunday service.

Tuesday 11 June 2013 (1443) - The small fishing village of Polperro in Cornwall has such narrow streets in the harbour area that the village is a restricted area for traffic. A large coach and car park is located at the top of the long main street of the village and visitors then walk down into the centre. Alternatively they can use the small shuttle vehicles of ‘The Polperro Tram Company’ operated by A Wright and Sons – a local business that also includes the selling of ice cream and Cornish pasties! During my visit three vehicles were active, a motorised Suzuki (NV02 CCO) and two electric vehicles with bodywork mounted on milk float chassis (JDR 661F and REO 207L). The Suzuki seen from the window of our room at the Penryn House Hotel as it headed from the village to the car park.

Wednesday 12 June 2013 (1404) – Plymouth Citybus 429 (Y827 TGH), a Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TL new in April 2001 as London Central PVL227, seen in Royal Parade, Plymouth. The City of Plymouth had only recently sold Plymouth Citybus to the Go-Ahead Group and the decker had been cascaded from Go-Ahead London Central.

Wednesday 12 June 2013 (1359) – Buses of Plymouth Citybus seen in Royal Parade, Plymouth: Centre is 202 (X202 CDV), a Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart new in Sept 2000. The bus carries a special livery and is named ‘Dennis Dart’ to complement a series of children’s books which tell stories and adventures of a ‘happy little bus’ with other ‘vehicle friends’. On the left is 19 (R119 OFJ), also a Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart (but getting less attention) new in May 1998. The City of Plymouth had only recently sold Plymouth Citybus to the Go-Ahead Group.

Wednesday 14 May 2014 (1645) – Glastonbury Tor and St. Michael’s Tower form a backcloth to First 42738 (V738 FAE) which was heading for Bridgwater working the 1625 service 375 from Wells. An Alexander ALX200 bodied Dennis Dart new in January 2000 as First Bristol 1738.

Monday 12 May 2014 (1627) – I had never seen an arrangement like the passenger gates used in Wells bus station before. Passengers have to stay on the concourse area until the driver opens the bus doors. There is also a board which tells passengers that once a bus starts reversing drivers will not stop to allow passengers to board. The driver of First 66174 (W374 EOW), an Alexander bodied Volvo B10BLE new in March 2000 as First Provincial 374, had just pulled in (about 6 minutes late at 1626) as the 1500 service 126 from Weston-super-Mare. After unloading he checked the interior and within a moment opened the doors to load as the 1630 departure back to Weston.

Tuesday 5 June 2012 (0849) - Adorned with flags to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, Whittle Coach & Bus Limited 84 (FJ11 GJX), a Caetano Levante bodied Volvo B9R new in June 2011, was seen travelling along Belle Vue Terrace in Great Malvern when working the 0830 Worcester-London National Express service 444.