Barton Mills (PCVs in the village)

Friday 4 November 1994 – A group of Barton Mills residents board a Neal’s Travel service in Church Lane heading to Mildenhall for their market day shopping. Sadly all have now passed away (Mrs Saker, Mr Saker, Mrs Charles and Mrs Gage). Neal’s operated quite a number of local stage services at one time that included market day only runs and their destination boards were simple showing the service number and an abbreviated destination usually comprising three or four characters. G806 HRN, a Reeve-Burgess bodied Mercedes-Benz 814D, was operating the inward service 145 from Lackford to Mildenhall.

Friday 29 December 1989 – Neal’s Travel G806 HRN seen collecting residents of Barton Mills as they head to Mildenhall for shopping. Mrs. Charles is boarding followed by Mrs. Gage. I can’t recall the name of the gentleman though. Neal’s Travel operated quite a number of local stage services at one time some of which only ran on certain days of the week. Service 145, supported by Suffolk County Council, ran from Lackford to Mildenhall with just one journey each way on Tuesdays and Fridays. Leaving Lackford at 0900 it travelled via Icklingham and Barton Mills (0915) to Mildenhall (King Street arriving 0920) extending to the Health Centre/Clinic on College Heath Road on request. The return from the Health Centre was at 1045 and from King Street at 1050 arriving Lackford 1105. G806 HRN, a Reeve-Burgess bodied Mercedes-Benz 814D new in September 1989, was quite new when seen here at Barton Mills and was quite often the regular vehicle on this service for a number of years. St. Mary’s Church and the Vicarage form the backcloth. The 1980s era house stands behind a flint built frontage from an earlier era sensibly retained. Flint faced buildings are prominent in this area of East Anglia. The Church dates from around the mid-1300s some parts possibly earlier.

November 1994 - Neal’s Travel of Isleham operated quite a number of local stage services at one time that included market day only runs. Caetano Optimo bodied Toyota Coaster H391 CFT, which was new in March 1991, seen turning into Church Lane from The Street in Barton Mills village as it worked the return trip of service 145 from Mildenhall to Lackford.

Friday 3 March 1995 – Suffolk doesn’t see serious snowfalls as perhaps experienced in other parts of Britain but on this particular morning there was a fair bit of it around. Not only that but there had also been some blustery winds which had brought down a telephone wire across Church Lane in Barton Mills. As a result, the driver of Neal’s Travel G806 HRN, which was working the 0900 Suffolk County Council supported Fridays only service 145 from Lackford to Mildenhall, had to reverse back and make a detour via Bell Lane to reach his passengers waiting near the Church. The mini-coach seen here just before reversing back is a Reeve-Burgess bodied Mercedes-Benz 814D new in September 1989. Neal’s destination boards showed the service number and an abbreviated destination usually comprising three or four characters. In this case ‘Mild’ signified Mildenhall and for the return trip it would show ‘Lack’ for Lackford.

Friday 3 March 1995 – Suffolk doesn’t see serious snowfalls as perhaps experienced in other parts of Britain but on this particular morning there was a fair bit of it around. Friday is market day in Mildenhall and despite the weather there were ten passengers at Barton Mills today heading to the market and shops. They are seen walking very gingerly across the snow towards the coach. From left to right the visible passengers are Mrs Spry, Mr Gage, Mrs Boustead (in beige coat), Mrs Gage (darker blue coat) and Mrs Wright (light blue coat). Neal’s Travel G806 HRN, a Reeve-Burgess bodied Mercedes-Benz 814D new in September 1989, was working the 0900 Suffolk County Council supported Fridays only service 145 from Lackford to Mildenhall.

Friday 3 March 1995 – Friday is market day in Mildenhall and a number of Barton Mills villagers are boarding Neal’s Travel G806 HRN, a Reeve-Burgess bodied Mercedes-Benz 814D new in September 1989, which was working the 0900 Suffolk County Council supported Fridays only service 145 from Lackford to Mildenhall. Suffolk doesn’t see serious snowfalls as perhaps experienced in other parts of Britain but on this particular morning there was a fair bit of it around which didn’t prevent there being ten passengers boarding here today. Mrs Gill is paying the driver. On the pavement are Mrs Spry, Mrs Boustead, Mrs Wright, Mrs Gage and Mr Gage.

Friday 2 April 1993 – Neal’s Travel G806 HRN seen passing the Dog and Partridge pub as it entered Barton Mills. Neal’s operated quite a number of local stage services at one time that included market day only runs. Service 145, supported by Suffolk County Council, started in Lackford travelling via Icklingham and Barton Mills to Mildenhall comprised just one trip each way. G806 HRN, a Reeve-Burgess bodied Mercedes-Benz 814D new in September 1989, was quite often the regular vehicle on this service for a number of years. Neal’s destination boards showed the service number and an abbreviated destination usually comprising three or four characters.

Friday 7 February 1992 – Neal’s Travel H475 HSG seen in Barton Mills when working the return trip of Suffolk County Council supported service 145 from Mildenhall to Lackford. Travelling via Barton Mills and Icklingham the service comprised just one trip each way. Neal’s operated quite a number of local stage services at one time that included such market day only runs. Flint faced buildings are prominent in this area of East Anglia evidenced by St. Mary’s Church in the background and ‘Flint House’ on Church Lane. The Church dates from around the mid-1300s some parts possibly earlier.

Friday 13 October 1995 – During repairs to the A11 Barton Mills by-pass various temporary traffic diversions were in force resulting in some of the local bus services being seen on sections of road they would not usually use. Neal’s Travel K832 FEE, an Autobus Classique bodied Mercedes-Benz O 814D new in January 1993, is seen on the old A11 road near Golf Links Road when working the 1050 Friday only (for Mildenhall market) return trip of service 145 to Lackford, a service not usually found on this piece of road. Access to the main A11 near the Dog and Partridge Inn was closed so the buses had to run along this section of the old A11 and join the bypass near Chalk Hill in order to travel to Fiveways roundabout.

Friday 13 October 1995 – During repairs to the A11 Barton Mills by-pass various temporary traffic diversions were in force resulting in some of the local bus services being seen on sections of road they would not usually use. Neal’s Travel K832 FEE, an Autobus Classique bodied Mercedes-Benz O 814D new in January 1993, is seen on the old A11 road near Chalk Hill when working the 1050 Friday only (for Mildenhall market) return trip of service 145 to Lackford, a service not usually found on this piece of road. Access to the main A11 near the Dog and Partridge Inn was closed so the buses had to run along this section of the old A11 and join the bypass near Chalk Hill in order to travel to Fiveways roundabout.

Saturday 27 April 2002 – Neal’s Travel R281 THL, an Auwärter Neoplan Transliner bodied Dennis Javelin new in February 1998, seen near the Bull Inn at Barton Mills. (Houses of Chestnut Close on right)

Sunday 13 June 1999 – Neal’s Travel T631 JWB seen outside St. Mary’s Church in Barton Mills having brought a party of Dutch visitors to the Scarecrow Festival. It is a Plaxton Cheetah bodied Mercedes-Benz O 814D new in April 1999. Standing behind is a Willhire Vehicle Rentals Sherpa mini-bus being used on the ‘Scarecrow Shuttle’ that provided tours of the village. The village became well known for the Scarecrow Festivals which attracted many visitors.

Sunday 13 June 1999 – Neal’s Travel T631 JWB seen outside St. Mary’s Church in Barton Mills having brought a party of Dutch visitors to the Scarecrow Festival. It is a Plaxton Cheetah bodied Mercedes-Benz O 814D new in April 1999. The village became well known for the Scarecrow Festivals which attracted many visitors.

Sunday 17 January 1993 (1145) - Ipswich Buses 228 (J228 JDX) seen passing Barton Mills Post Office when working the 1000 Ipswich-Ely Suffolk County Council sponsored ‘Suffolk Sundaybus’ service 156.

Sunday 21 May 1995 - Ipswich Buses 229 (K100 LCT) passing through Barton Mills when working the 1236 Ely to Ipswich ‘Suffolk Sundaybus’ service 156. This MCW Metrorider was previously operated by Lancaster City Transport, hence the letters LCT in the registration number. Ipswich Buses names all its buses. This one pays homage to its origins and is named ‘Lancastrian’. The building on the right was once the vicarage to the nearby St. Mary’s Church. The frontage had to be retained when the original property was demolished and it now stands in front of a modern day residential property.

Easter Sunday 3 April 1994 (1310) – Ipswich Buses 229 (K100 LCT) passing through Barton Mills when working the 1236 Ely to Ipswich ‘Suffolk Sundaybus’ service 156. This MCW Metrorider was previously operated by Lancaster City Transport, hence the letters LCT in the registration number. Ipswich Buses names all its buses. This one pays homage to its origins and is named ‘Lancastrian’.

Sunday 27 February 1994 – Ipswich Buses 218 (J218 NRT), an Optare MetroRider named ‘Apollo’, travels along The Street in Barton Mills whilst working the 1000 ‘Suffolk Sundaybus’ service 156 from Ipswich to Ely. For a number of years Suffolk County Council supported a number of Sunday bus services which criss-crossed the county and connected with each other serving main towns and tourist attractions/stately homes etc.

Bank Holiday Monday 30 May 1994 – Suffolk County Council supported a number of ‘Suffolk Sundaybus’ services that additionally operated on Bank Holiday Mondays. Ipswich Buses 121 (G121 VDX) was passing through Barton Mills when working the 1236 Ely to Ipswich service 156. It is an East Lancs bodied Dennis Falcon new in August 1989. The building on the right was once the vicarage to the nearby St. Mary’s Church. The frontage had to be retained when the original property was demolished and it now stands in front of a modern day residential property.