'Ipernity HFF

Monday 4 June 2012 (1426) – Great Malvern: Perhaps to many the vehicle providing the least interest in this photograph is First Midlands West 53061 (VX53 OEP), an Optare Solo new in October 2003. It was seen from the Mount Pleasant Hotel as it descended Wells Road when working the 1401 departure of service 44B from Ledbury (Tesco) to Worcester, a Summer Sundays and Bank Holiday service. A street party to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was being held today on Belle Vue Terrace. Among the attractions was this car display seen the bedroom window of the hotel. A Ford Popular is on the far right. Our first family car was a sarum blue ‘Pop’ dating from December 1953 which my Dad bought circa 1960. Note the Morgan third from the right. Great Malvern is the home of the Morgan Motor Company and this lovely car was the prize in a charity lottery. I bought some tickets but needless to say I still don’t possess a Morgan!

Saturday afternoon 7 September 1996 – Open top double deckers (and a donkey!) waiting for customers on the Foreshore at Scarborough. Applebys of Cornisholme, Lincolnshire grew to quite a sizeable business and created a base in Scarborough running open top seafront and normal town bus services. The coach fleet worked private hire and excursions. The company had latterly been part of the ill-fated Bowens Group went into receivership during late 2012. ORJ 366W, a Northern Counties bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R new to Greater Manchester Transport (4366) as a normal covered top bus in April 1981. Parked behind is SS Suncruisers SS7 (KBE 108P), a Roe bodied Daimler Fleetline that had been new as a standard covered top bus to Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport (108) in February 1976. It wears an all-over advert for the Flamingoland Theme Park at Kirkby Misperton.

Wednesday 18 October 2023 – Cambridge Coaches T70 OMG, a Yutong ZK6938HQ new in January 2019 registered YF68 GAX, seen turning from Station Road to Hills Road in Cambridge. Taken from the upper deck of Stagecoach East 86012.

Wednesday 18 October 2023 (1209) – A view through the ventilation window of Whippet coaches WG119 (MX23 LRZ) showing sister vehicle WG112 (UN14 BUS originally MX23 LCU), two of the nine Mellor Sigma 12 electric buses new in September 2023 for the re-launched Universal services. WG112 was passing the Royal Cambridge Hotel in Trumpington Street as it worked the 1145 (departing 1150) service U2 to Eddington. According to the Bus Times website it had previously worked the 1001 service from the Biomedical Campus (departing late at 1013) to Girton Corner (due there at 1040 but arrived at 1107). It then appeared to run out of service back to the Biomedical Campus to work the 1145 service. WG119 was working the 1147 service U2 from Eddington to the Biomedical Campus which ran on time throughout. The ‘Universal’ bus service in Cambridge, provided by the University of Cambridge and operated by Whippet Coaches, had originally commenced in July 2016. In September 2023 it was re-launched with the delivery to Whippet Coaches of nine Mellor Sigma 12 electric buses. The service links Eddington (a relatively new community on the north-west side of the city which is still growing) with the Biomedical Campus (a large site to the south of the city which houses Addenbrooke’s Hospital and a growing number of medical institutions) travelling via various academic properties on the west side of the city. The nine buses carry fleet numbers WG112-120 with registrations MX23 LCU/V/W; MX23 LRO/U/V/Y/Z/LSC although cherished registrations were soon applied to WG112 (UN14 BUS) and WG113 (UN14 CAM). The combined U1/U2 services give a 15 minute service frequency and between these two U2 departures there had been the 1134 service U1 (which had originated at Girton Corner at 1127) worked by WG111 (BT66 MVL), a Wright Eclipse 3 bodied Volvo B8RLE new in December 2016, one of the original buses for the Universal service. The difference between routes of the two services occurs between the University Rugby Ground on Grange Road and Queens College (Silver Street). Service U1 travels via West Road and Queens Road and service U2 travels via Barton Road and Newnham Road. The latter requiring about three minutes more in the timetable.

Saturday 23 June 2001 (0820) – Two Arriva London South Alexander ALX400 bodied DAF DB250s seen in Park Lane in Croydon town centre. DLA187 (W387 VGJ) was new in May 2000 and DLA252 (X452 FGP) was new in February 2001.

Bank Holiday Monday 28 August 1989 (approx. 0800) – Cambus 450 (EAH 888Y) seen at Drummer Street, Cambridge taking on passengers for the once daily joint National Express/Scottish Citylink service 377 to Edinburgh. The arrival in the Scottish capital, a distance of about 350 miles, was scheduled at 1910. The coach is a Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodied Leyland Tiger which was new to the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company in February 1983 with fleet number LT888. When Eastern Counties was divided it passed to Ambassador Travel and then to Cambus.

Thursday 11 August 1994 (approx. 0700) – R W Appleby Limited of Cornisholme, Lincolnshire grew to quite a sizeable business and created a base in Scarborough running open top seafront and normal town bus services. The coach fleet worked private hire and excursions. In this view of the yard on the Queen Margaret’s Road Industrial Estate there are a number of different vehicle types seen before going out for the day. The Scarborough-York railway line and buildings on Seamer Road stand beyond. The company had latterly been part of the ill-fated Bowens Group went into receivership during late 2012.

A weekday in March 1999 (1105) – Ownership of County Bus and Coach Company passed to the Cowie Group in 1996, Cowie renamed itself Arriva the following year. County’s operations from the Ware garage carried the name Lea Valley. DWL402 (J402 XVX), a Wright Handybus bodied Dennis Dart 9SDL 3011 new to County in April 1992, and was seen in Buntingford when working the 1030 service 331 from Royston to Hertford (due there at 1155).

Saturday 21 September 2002 – Arriva the Shires 3106 (L306 HPP), a Northern Counties Paladin bodied Volvo B6-9.9M new in February 1994 to Luton & District Transport – a company which, through various takeovers, came into Arriva ownership. The front end carries Arriva corporate livery whilst the side is an overall advert for Warburtons bakers.

Monday 22 June 2015 (1322) – GHA Coaches Optare Solo SL12 (YJ59 GFY) seen passing the Roman Amphitheatre in Chester when working ‘deebee’ service DB1 to Mold. The River Dee and the buzzing of buses and bees gives the network this name. New in October 2009.

Thursday 17 August 1989 – Colchester bus station. Left to right: Eastern National Omnibus Company 1403 (F403 LTW), a Leyland Lynx new in July 1988. Colchester Borough Transport 90 (RVW 90W), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Atlantean new in July 1980. Osborne’s of Tollesbury Duple Dominant bodied Bedford coach.

Saturday 20 June 1987 – Is the man leaning on a barrier in Camden Town contemplating the end of the world? The World’s End pub was the terminus of London Buses service 74. MCW Metrobus M1436 (M436 BUV) (and possibly two others ahead of it) stands in Greenland Road. Buses don’t park here anymore and the lettering of Miller Beale and Hider has been overpainted with what looks like a graffiti message.

Saturday 30 May 1987 – A rooftop view of a Travellers Coach Company (Brelaton, Hounslow) Van Hool Alizée seen from the Monument in London. Based close to Heathrow Airport the company did a lot of tour and sightseeing work for incoming foreign tourists. It ceased trading around the mid/late 1990s. The Monument was built between 1671-1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London (1666) and to celebrate the re-building of the city. www.themonument.info

Wednesday 7 February 1996 – East Yorkshire Motor Services 505 (JKH 505V) seen passing Heslington Hall adjacent to York University on a chilly day – there were a few pockets of snow here and there. It carried a board in the nearside windscreen showing the route details and I believe was bound for Fulford. New in October 1979 it a Bristol VR with the higher style Eastern Coachworks body (defined by the higher set lower deck windows and deeper white band above the windscreen and windows). Not as pleasing to the eye as the far more common lower height models a comparative example of which may be seen in the inset photograph.

Saturday 27 June 2015 (1314) – City Circle of West London Irizar bodied Scania YT15 AUV seen arriving at Caernarfon Castle.

Saturday 18 June 2016 (0749) – Spirit Buses Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MX14 FUG travelling through Rothbury when working the 0745 service 15 from Thropton to Alnwick.

Friday 9 February 2024 (1252) – Borderbus of Beccles 216 (YT59 SFO) seen in St. Stephens Street, Norwich departing as the 1250 service 146 to Southwold via Beccles and Kessingland. It is a Scania N230UD OmniCity new to London United (SP90) in October 2009. Signage is part of the roadworks taking place in Queens Road part of which had closed the entrance to Norwich bus station.

Friday 9 February 2024 (1257) – First Eastern Counties Buses 35199 (SK16 GVY), a Wright StreetDeck new in April 2016, seen in St. Stephens Street, Norwich. It carries branding for the ‘Pink Line’ group of services and includes some self advertising on the rear. However, part of the ‘PINK LINE’ lettering is missing reducing the name to ‘PINI L NE’. Looks like the bus wash hasn’t quite done the full job resulting in a dirty vertical line down the centre rear.