Simonds of Botesdale

Wednesday 19 June 2024 (1010) – On board Simonds of Botesdale Limited BT13 YWF at Shepherd’s Grove, Stanton when working the 0940 service 338 from Garboldisham to Bury St. Edmunds. The driver assists in loading a mobility scooter for a passenger. The bus is an MCV Evolution Volvo B7RLE new to the company in August 2013. Wednesday is market day in Bury St. Edmunds and there were only a few empty seats available when the last passenger boarded at Great Barton. In May 2024 the Simonds business was acquired by Vectare and the Simonds services are to be rebranded. This was the third of four buses I travelled on today during a morning outing. The buses were: Bus 1: Mulleys CH56 FDU – Mildenhall to Bury St. Edmunds Bus 2: Simonds SN56 AGV – Bury St. Edmunds to Stanton via Ixworth Bus 3: Simonds BT13 YWF – Stanton to Bury St. Edmunds via Walsham-le-Willows Bus 4: Mulleys LW51 ZHJ – Bury St. Edmunds to Mildenhall

Wednesday 19 June 2024 (0815) – With official ‘Road Tax/Road Fund Discs’ now being a thing of the past Simonds of Botesdale Limited appear to have their own internal system whereby vehicles displaying an alternative (the upper one in this photograph). The lower (green) disc is the official ‘Operator’s Licence Disc’. The Operator’s Licence itself comes with an approved number of such discs which may be transferred freely from one vehicle to another. Every vehicle used on the road must display such a disc. The PSV Circle fleet list G854 dated January 2024 showed that Simonds had authorisation of 50 vehicles. BT13 YWF, an MCV Evolution Volvo B7RLE was new to the company in August 2013. I travelled on this bus later in the morning and the driver told me that the vehicle was expected to leave the fleet quite soon – perhaps when the tax expires on 31 July 2024. In May 2024 the Simonds business was acquired by Vectare and the Simonds services are to be rebranded.

Wednesday 19 June 2024 (1010) – On board Simonds of Botesdale Limited BT13 YWF at Shepherd’s Grove, Stanton when working the 0940 service 338 from Garboldisham to Bury St. Edmunds. A short section of road was closed for ditch works but the repair team were co-operative in allowing the bus through. Wednesday is market day in Bury St. Edmunds and there were only a few empty seats available when the last passenger boarded at Great Barton. The bus is an MCV Evolution Volvo B7RLE new to the company in August 2013. In May 2024 the Simonds business was acquired by Vectare and the Simonds services are to be rebranded. This was the third of four buses I travelled on today during a morning outing. The buses were: Bus 1: Mulleys CH56 FDU – Mildenhall to Bury St. Edmunds Bus 2: Simonds SN56 AGV – Bury St. Edmunds to Stanton via Ixworth Bus 3: Simonds BT13 YWF – Stanton to Bury St. Edmunds via Walsham-le-Willows Bus 4: Mulleys LW51 ZHJ – Bury St. Edmunds to Mildenhall

Wednesday 19 June 2024 (1010) – On board Simonds of Botesdale Limited BT13 YWF at Stanton when working the 0940 service 338 from Garboldisham to Bury St. Edmunds. Wednesday is market day in Bury St. Edmunds and there were only a few empty seats available when the last passenger boarded at Great Barton. It is an MCV Evolution Volvo B7RLE new to the company in August 2013. In May 2024 the Simonds business was acquired by Vectare and the Simonds services are to be rebranded. This was the third of four buses I travelled on today during a morning outing. The buses were: Bus 1: Mulleys CH56 FDU – Mildenhall to Bury St. Edmunds Bus 2: Simonds SN56 AGV – Bury St. Edmunds to Stanton via Ixworth Bus 3: Simonds BT13 YWF – Stanton to Bury St. Edmunds via Walsham-le-Willows Bus 4: Mulleys LW51 ZHJ – Bury St. Edmunds to Mildenhall

Friday 26 July 2024 (1035) – Snapped from on board a Sanders Coaches double decker (PC23 SAN) in St. Stephens Street, Norwich. Simonds of Botesdale acquired YJ56 KCK from Lodge Coaches, High Easter in August 2023 for school contract work that still carries Lodge’s blue and white livery. It is an East Lancs bodied VDL DB250 that was new to Courtney Buses, Bracknell in November 2006 to operate a Sony contract. Later passing to Tyrers Coaches where it was re-registered P3 TYR. In May 2024 the Simonds business was acquired by Vectare and the Simonds services are to be rebranded.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1014) – Simonds/Central Connect YX12 FPY, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D, seen in Stanton when working the 0915 service 73 from Bury St. Edmunds to Garboldisham. It had been new to M.W.Nicholl of Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire in July 2012. Later added to the fleet of Lancashire based Tyrers Coaches before being acquired by Galleon Travel which operated under the Trustybus and Central Connect names in the Hertfordshire area. In September 2023 the Central Connect network of Galleon Travel was acquired by Vectare Limited which has now applied the Central Connect name to the various bus operations it has since acquired. This includes the services of Simonds of Botesdale Limited purchased in April 2024.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1014) – Simonds/Central Connect YX12 FPY, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D, seen in Stanton when working the 0915 service 73 from Bury St. Edmunds to Garboldisham. It had been new to M.W.Nicholl of Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire in July 2012. Later added to the fleet of Lancashire based Tyrers Coaches before being acquired by Galleon Travel which operated under the Trustybus and Central Connect names in the Hertfordshire area. In September 2023 the Central Connect network of Galleon Travel was acquired by Vectare Limited which has now applied the Central Connect name to the various bus operations it has since acquired. This includes the services of Simonds of Botesdale Limited purchased in April 2024.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1014) – Simonds/Central Connect YX12 FPY, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D, seen in Stanton when working the 0915 service 73 from Bury St. Edmunds to Garboldisham. It had been new to M.W.Nicholl of Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire in July 2012. Later added to the fleet of Lancashire based Tyrers Coaches before being acquired by Galleon Travel which operated under the Trustybus and Central Connect names in the Hertfordshire area. In September 2023 the Central Connect network of Galleon Travel was acquired by Vectare Limited which has now applied the Central Connect name to the various bus operations it has since acquired. This includes the services of Simonds of Botesdale Limited purchased in April 2024.

Friday 6 December 2024 (0947) – Simonds/Central Connect 365 (YY24 HBJ), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new in August 2024, seen in Stanton when working the 0915 service 73 from Garboldisham to Bury St. Edmunds. In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the Simonds services.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1213) – Simonds/Central Connect 365 (YY24 HBJ), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new in August 2024, seen in Stanton when working the 1115 service 73 from Bury St. Edmunds to Garboldisham. In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the Simonds services.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1213) – Simonds/Central Connect 365 (YY24 HBJ), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new in August 2024, seen in Stanton when working the 1115 service 73 from Bury St. Edmunds to Garboldisham. In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the Simonds services.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1213) – Simonds/Central Connect 365 (YY24 HBJ), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new in August 2024, seen in Stanton when working the 1115 service 73 from Bury St. Edmunds to Garboldisham. In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the Simonds services.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1207) – In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the services. SN11 BTU, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400D, was seen in Stanton when working the 1130 service 70 from Diss to Bury St. Edmunds. It had been new to First Capital (DN33655) in June 2011 to work Transport for London (TfL) contracted services. It was later operated by the London Borough of Redbridge in whose livery style it remains.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1207) – In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the services. SN11 BTU, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400D, was seen in Stanton when working the 1130 service 70 from Diss to Bury St. Edmunds. It had been new to First Capital (DN33655) in June 2011 to work Transport for London (TfL) contracted services. It was later operated by the London Borough of Redbridge in whose livery style it remains.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1207) – In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the services. SN11 BTU, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400D, was seen in Stanton when working the 1130 service 70 from Diss to Bury St. Edmunds. It had been new to First Capital (DN33655) in June 2011 to work Transport for London (TfL) contracted services. It was later operated by the London Borough of Redbridge in whose livery style it remains.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1207) – In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the services. SN11 BTU, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400D, was seen in Stanton when working the 1130 service 70 from Diss to Bury St. Edmunds. It had been new to First Capital (DN33655) in June 2011 to work Transport for London (TfL) contracted services. It was later operated by the London Borough of Redbridge in whose livery style it remains.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1203) – In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the services. YX72 OMY, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new to Simonds in January 2023, was seen in Stanton when working the 1130 service 70 from Bury St. Edmunds to Diss.

Friday 6 December 2024 (1203) – In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the services. YX72 OMY, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new to Simonds in January 2023, was seen in Stanton when working the 1130 service 70 from Bury St. Edmunds to Diss.