Wallace Arnold Tours

Sunday 8 September 1991 – Preserved former Wallace Arnold Tours 8340 U, a 1958 Burlingham Seagull bodied Leyland Tiger Cub on display at the Eastern Transport Collection ‘British Bus Day Rally' at the Norfolk Showground.

Sunday 21 September 1997 – Preserved former Wallace Arnold Tours 8332 U, a 1958 Plaxton Consort bodied AEC Reliance entered at Showbus, Duxford. The double decker in the background is the Wallace Arnold hospitality vehicle WA 3399 which acted as rally control. It is an Alexander bodied Ailsa B55 that had been new Harold Wilson (Premier) of Stainforth in August 1976 registered NET 520R.

Summer 1966 (I think) – A line up of three Plaxton bodied coaches of Wallace Arnold Tours (Devon) Limited parked on a summer Saturday together with a Weymann bodied AEC Regent V of Rochdale Corporation Transport. The coaches had worked on the Yelloway Friday night northbound service from Torquay and would return on the Saturday night southbound service. The road along the front of the picture is Smith Street and Penn Street is alongside the RCT bus. This parking ground became part of the then new bus station in the 1970s which has itself been demolished and redeveloped.

Saturday x August 1973 - Two Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied coaches in the Yelloway bay at Chorlton Street coach station Manchester. On the left is Yelloway PDK 463H, an AEC Reliance, the ‘service motor’ on the joint Yelloway/Associated Motorways Rochdale to Ilfracombe direct service. On the right is Wallace Arnold (Devon) Limited WUM 520L, a Leyland Leopard, which was loading as a duplicate to the Yelloway 0830 Rochdale-Paignton motorway express service. This express left Rochdale one hour later than the normal daily service picking up as far as Altrincham then running non-stop (except for refreshment/toilet stops) to Exeter, Newton Abbot, Torquay and Paignton. On paper leaving Rochdale one hour later, it arrived in Devon 15 minutes earlier.

Tuesday 28 April 1992 – A Wallace Arnold Tours Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Volvo B10M circles the Arc de Triomphe at Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris, France. On the left is RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) SC-10 bus passing the top of the Champs Élysées and on the right (parked in Avenue Marceau) is a coach wearing Contiki livery possibly with a Dutch registration plate.

Sunday 31 May 1992 (1800) – Wallace Arnold Tours G537 LWU arriving at King Street, Mildenhall to set down homeward bound tour passengers on a bright early summer evening. It is a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Volvo B10M new in March 1990 and was driven by a rather unhappy looking driver. The main window label implied that the coach had been on a tour to Newquay. Alongside there is a listing of places served by the coach that was now operating as a feeder service for passengers from the interchange point covering a wide range of different tours. The 1990 intake of coaches to the Wallace Arnold Tours fleet included 52 Plaxton Paramount bodied Volvo B10Ms and 2 Van Hool Alizée bodied DAFs.

Sunday 31 May 1992 (1800) – Wallace Arnold Tours G537 LWU setting down homeward bound tour passengers on a bright early summer evening arriving at King Street, Mildenhall. It is a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Volvo B10M new in March 1990 and was driven by one miserable so-and-so. I hope his passengers were satisfied with his demeanour on their tour. The main window label implied that the coach had been on a tour to Newquay. Alongside there is a listing of places served by the coach that was now operating as a feeder service for passengers from the interchange point covering a wide range of different tours.

Monday 16 May 1994 – Wallace Arnold Tours (Devon) Limited H637 UWR, a Plaxton Paramount bodied Volvo B10M new in March 1991, parked for the night at the Smoke House Inn, Beck Row near Mildenhall whilst on a five day ‘Constable Country’ tour. The Smoke House Inn was rather popular with a number of different tour companies large and small using it as a base for their five day tours to different East Anglian tourist spots like Cambridge, Constable Country, Norfolk Broads, Suffolk Villages etc. The coaches tended to arrive on Monday afternoons and leave on Friday mornings. The 1991 intake of coaches to the Wallace Arnold Tours fleet included 60 Plaxton Paramount bodied Volvo B10Ms and 1 Plaxton Paramount bodied Dennis Javelin.

Tuesday 1 June 1993 - The Tuesday Market in the small Gloucestershire town of Moreton-in-Marsh attracted scores of coaches from far and wide including coaches passing through on extended tours like J701 CWT working tour 1052 ‘The Cotswolds’. The 1992 intake of coaches to the Wallace Arnold Tours fleet included the new Plaxton models launched for this season, the Premiere and Excalibur models. This was one of the former. I believe the Springtime intake comprised 55 coaches. Press reports stated that Wallace Arnold was not happy with the quality of the new models and as a result the following year (1993) the company switched allegiance to different builders for the bulk of its fleet buying 25 Van Hool Alizées, 20 Jonckheere Deauvilles and a mere 5 from Plaxton.

The 1992 intake of coaches to the Wallace Arnold Tours fleet included the new Plaxton models launched for this season, the Premiere and Excalibur models. This was one of the former. I believe the Springtime intake comprised 55 coaches. Wednesday 29 April 1993 – J703 CWT was seen near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Press reports stated that Wallace Arnold was not happy with the quality of the new models and as a result the following year (1993) the company switched allegiance to different builders for the bulk of its fleet buying 25 Van Hools, 20 Jonckheere Deauvilles and a mere 5 from Plaxton.

The 1992 intake of coaches to the Wallace Arnold Tours fleet included the new Plaxton models launched for this season, the Premiere and Excalibur models. This was one of the former. I believe the Springtime intake comprised 55 coaches. Wednesday 29 April 1993 – J703 CWT was seen near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Press reports stated that Wallace Arnold was not happy with the quality of the new models and as a result the following year (1993) the company switched allegiance to different builders for the bulk of its fleet buying 25 Van Hools, 20 Jonckheere Deauvilles and a mere 5 from Plaxton.

The 1992 intake of coaches to the Wallace Arnold Tours fleet included the new Plaxton models launched for this season, the Premiere and Excalibur models. This was one of the latter. I believe the Springtime intake comprised 55 coaches. Sunday 4 October 1992 – J734 CWT was seen at Ferrybridge Service Area. Press reports stated that Wallace Arnold was not happy with the quality of the new models and as a result the following year (1993) the company switched allegiance to different builders for the bulk of its fleet buying 25 Van Hools, 20 Jonckheere Deauvilles and a mere 5 from Plaxton.

The 1992 intake of coaches to the Wallace Arnold Tours fleet included the new Plaxton models launched for this season, the Premiere and Excalibur models. This was one of the latter. I believe the Springtime intake comprised 55 coaches. Sunday 4 October 1992 – J734 CWT was seen at Ferrybridge Service Area. Press reports stated that Wallace Arnold was not happy with the quality of the new models and as a result the following year (1993) the company switched allegiance to different builders for the bulk of its fleet buying 25 Van Hools, 20 Jonckheere Deauvilles and a mere 5 from Plaxton.

Monday 11 July 1994 - Before its closure (and subsequent demolition) the Smoke House Inn at Beck Row regularly hosted a couple of coach tours each week. In this photograph Wallace Arnold Tours J725 CWT, a Plaxton Premiere 350 bodied Volvo B10M new in June 1992, was already parked up as an Excelsior Holidays Plaxton Premiere 320 was arriving for the first night of the tour. The tours were usually of a 5 day duration arriving Monday teatime and departing after breakfast on Friday. On the three days in between the party was taken on day trips to the locations outlined in the tour title, ‘Constable Country’, ‘Cambridge and East Anglia’ etc.

Saturday 9 October 1993 (1740) – Wallace Arnold Tours K808 HUM setting down homeward bound tour passengers at King Street, Mildenhall. This was one of the 50 Volvo B10Ms new for the 1993 season that comprised 25 with Van Hool Alizée bodywork (K801-825 HUM); 25 with Jonckheere Deauville bodywork (K826-845 HUM); and 5 with Plaxton Premiere bodywork. The trade press reported that this varied choice was because WA was unhappy with the Plaxton Premieres and Excaliburs launched the previous year and so went elsewhere in 1993. In the distance is Neal’s Travel Ford Transit/Carlyle H475 KSG heading for Beck Row.

Saturday 9 October 1993 – Wallace Arnold Tours K808 HUM, a Van Hool Alizée bodied Volvo B10M new in March 1993, was seen in King Street, Mildenhall setting down homeward bound tour passengers. The 1993 intake of coaches to the Wallace Arnold Tours fleet included 25 Van Hool Alizées (K801-825 HUM), 20 Jonckheere Deauvilles (K826-845 HUM) and a mere 5 from Plaxton (4 Premiere 350 K846-849 HUM and 1 Excalibur K850 HUM). Press reports had stated that Wallace Arnold was not happy with the quality of the 1992 deliveries of the then new Premiere and Excalibur models and as a result for 1993 the two Belgian builders got the lion’s share of the orders.

Saturday 9 October 1993 (1740) – Wallace Arnold Tours K808 HUM leaving King Street, Mildenhall after setting down homeward bound tour passengers. This was one of the 50 Volvo B10Ms new for the 1993 season that comprised 25 with Van Hool Alizeé bodywork (K801-825 HUM); 25 with Jonckheere Deauville bodywork (K826-845 HUM); and 5 with Plaxton Premiere bodywork. The trade press reported that this varied choice was because WA was unhappy with the Plaxton Premieres and Excaliburs launched the previous year and so went elsewhere in 1993.

Monday 27 June 1994 – The Smoke House Inn was rather popular with a number of different tour companies large and small using it as a base for their five day tours to different East Anglian tourist spots like Cambridge, Constable Country, Norfolk Broads, Suffolk Villages etc. The coaches tended to arrive on Monday afternoons and leave on Friday mornings. Left is Excelsior Holidays of Bournemouth 320 (A13 XEL), a Plaxton Premiere bodied Scania K113CRB new in May 1992. Right is Wallace Arnold Tours (Devon) Limited K817 HUM, a Van Hool Alizée bodied Volvo B10M new in March 1993. The 1993 intake of coaches to the Wallace Arnold Tours fleet included 25 Van Hool Alizées (K801-825 HUM), 20 Jonckheere Deauvilles (K826-845 HUM) and a mere 5 from Plaxton (4 Premiere 350 K846-849 HUM and 1 Excalibur K850 HUM). Press reports had stated that Wallace Arnold was not happy with the quality of the 1992 deliveries of the then new Premiere and Excalibur models and as a result for 1993 the two Belgian builders got the lion’s share of the orders.