Burtons Coaches

Saturday 27 November 2010 (1202) – Burtons Coaches operated the Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre ‘Park and Ride’ in 2010 between the ‘west’ car park in Olding Road and the bus station. Some of the what are normally bus layover bays of the bus station which were used for this special service today. Alexander Belfast bodied Leyland Olympian H155 PVW (incorrectly showing service 944 on the back indicator) had almost finished unloading as Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart KX51 UDE set off back to the car park to collect more town centre bound passengers. ‘Meet and greet’ staff were on site handing out Christmas Fayre brochures and giving directions to passengers as they alighted from the buses. H155 PVW new to Dublin Bus in May 1991 as their RH94 (91 D 1094) and KX51 UDE new in September 2001 to Central Parking, Heathrow Airport.

Mid/late June 2007 - Tellings-Golden Miller (TGM Group) acquired the business of Wiltax Buses in June 2007 and H155 PVW was subsequently transferred from Wiltax to Burtons Coaches. It was an Alexander Belfast bodied Leyland Olympian new to Dublin Bus in May 1991 as their RH94 (91 D 1094).

Mid/late June 2007 - Tellings-Golden Miller (TGM Group) acquired the business of Wiltax Buses in June 2007 and Northern Counties bodied Volvo B10M-55 F312 MYJ made a brief appearance at Burtons Coaches of Haverhill for maintenance work. Burtons was also a TGM company. It was new to Southdown (312) in August 1989.

September 2007 - Burtons Coaches and Wiltax Buses shared common ownership after Wiltax was acquired by the TGM Group in June 2007. C652 LFT, an Alexander R type bodied Leyland Olympian ONLXB/1R new in March 1986 to Tyne and Wear PTE (Newcastle-upon-Tyne area), was seen in Hamlet Road, Haverhill working for Burtons. Burtons mainly used it on schools work from Haverhill but I got a chance to drive it between the garage and bus station on this occasion using it as a ‘pool car’!

March 2006 - Three Burtons Coaches National Express liveried Plaxton Panther bodied Volvos seen on the parking ground adjacent to the Cambus property in Depot Road, Newmarket which Cambus leased to Burtons at the time.

Wednesday 21 June 2006 - Burtons Coaches RK04 BWU, a Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B12B, seen at Linton. An appointment at the dentists today resulted in my normal duty being covered by another driver and around the appointment I was 'spare man'. It turned out to be quite an interesting day in that I had to shuttle various National Express coaches between Newmarket and Haverhill for workshop checks.

Tuesday 10 April 2007 - Burtons Coaches Limited YU04 XFD in National Express livery. Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B12B new July 2004. Seen in Haverhill bus station after I briefly drove it as a ‘pool car’ from the garage during a bus duty driver changeover.

Thursday 20 April 2006 - Yes, I know it is a totally rubbish photograph but it is the only one I got to record the fact that I had driven Burtons Coaches YN54 DDJ, a Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B12B. I had been on duty 524 today and at 1835 I arrived back in Drummer Street, Cambridge from Saffron Walden on service 32. The normal routine was to hitch a ride back to Newmarket, where Burtons occupied an outstation building in Depot Road, but this evening the controller asked me if I could travel to Haverhill and take the coach back to Newmarket after it had been in the workshops. In the fading light this was the best shot I managed.

Monday 6 May 2005 (approx 1128) - I couldn't contain my excitement when Burtons Coaches YN54 DDO came into Bury St. Edmunds bus station for me to work the 0915 service 358 to Thetford and the 1115 service back to Bury. The Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B12B was photographed at Santon Downham in the most unlikely place to see a National Express coach.

Wednesday 21 June 2006 - Burtons Coaches YN54 ZHK, a Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B12B, seen on Willie Snaith Road, Newmarket. An appointment at the dentists today resulted in my normal duty being covered by another driver and around the appointment I was 'spare man'. It turned out to be quite an interesting day in that I had to shuttle various National Express coaches between Newmarket and Haverhill for workshop checks.

March 2006 - Two Burtons Coaches National Express liveried Plaxton Panther bodied Volvos seen on the parking ground adjacent to the Cambus property in Depot Road, Newmarket which Cambus leased to Burtons at the time.

Wednesday 21 June 2006 - Burtons Coaches YN54 ZHL, a Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B12B, seen on Rowley Drive, Newmarket. An appointment at the dentists today resulted in my normal duty being covered by another driver and around the appointment I was 'spare man'. It turned out to be quite an interesting day in that I had to shuttle various National Express coaches between Newmarket and Haverhill for workshop checks.

March 2006 - Rear end advertising for British Airways was carried on some of the National Express liveried coaches operated by Burtons Coaches. YN54 ZHL was seen at Drummer Street, Cambridge loading on service 010 to London (Victoria) despite the 'Airport' branding and airline advertising.

March 2006 - Rear end advertising for British Airways was carried on some of the National Express liveried coaches operated by Burtons Coaches. YN54 VRU was seen at Drummer Street, Cambridge loading on service 010 to London (Victoria) despite the 'Airport' branding and airline advertising.

November 2007 - Burtons Coaches YN05 VRU, a Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B12B, had suffered a broken windscreen and the Autoglass fitters were on site at Haverhill to fit a new one. Burtons was a National Express contractor operating a number of services centred on Cambridge.

Monday 28 April 2008 (1521) - Burtons Coaches FJ08 KMA, a Caetano Levante bodied Scania K340 tri-axle coach, seen at the Haverhill yard. About one month old it had 61 seats and a wheelchair lift.

Friday 24 February 2006 - A shortage of buses today resulted in my assigned vehicle being T300 BCL to operate service 311 from Exning and Newmarket to Bury St. Edmunds. It was nice to drive a vehicle like this but I barely had time to familiarise myself with all the switches and buttons. I got a quick photograph of it in St. Andrew's Street North in Bury St. Edmunds just before I had to hand it over to another driver.

Saturday 27 May 2000 - Burtons Coaches W50 BCL, a Plaxton bodied Volvo, seen at RAF Mildenhall during the Mildenhall Air Fete organised by the US Air Force. Premier fleetnames are carried, a famous East Anglian bus and coach name, a name which Burtons acquired from Stagecoach Cambus for a nominal sum (I had heard it was £1).