Cambridge Coach Services

Friday 19 June 1998 (0710) – The success of the Cambridge to Lowestoft service 74 of Cambridge Coach Services resulted in the purchase of two Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympians dedicated to the service. 91 (R91 GTM) was just a few days old when seen at King Street, Mildenhall, when working the 0630 Cambridge to Norwich service.

Friday 19 June 1998 (0710) – In June 1998 Cambridge Coach Services added two Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympians to their fleet branded to their successful Cambridge to Lowestoft service 74. Seen when just a few days old at King Street, Mildenhall when working the 0630 Cambridge to Norwich service. The shop with the blue signage was Blockbuster Video Rental (originally Ritz and after Blockbuster it became Costa Coffee). To the right was Computer Scene (later En-Thai-Sing Restaurant).

Sunday 6 June 1999 - Cambridge Coach Services 92 (R92 GTM), seen at King Street, Mildenhall, is standing where the entrance to the shoppers car park was prior to the re-modelling of the bus lay-by. Despite the entrance having been closed off the signage relating to the car park remained for quite some time. When this was the entrance the ‘Buses and coaches prohibited’ sign faced in the other direction but it had for some reason become ended up facing inwards to the car park which made it look rather odd. CCS made quite a success of their service 74 which operated between Cambridge and Lowestoft initially using single deck Plaxton coaches. In June 1998 two Volvo Olympians with high backed seating in their Northern Counties bodywork were dedicated to the service. They were numbered 91/92 (R91/92 GTM).

Sunday 6 June 1999 - Cambridge Coach Services 92 (R92 GTM), seen at King Street, Mildenhall, is standing where the entrance to the shoppers car park was prior to the re-modelling of the bus lay-by. CCS always paid great attention to detail and made quite a success of their service 74 which operated between Cambridge and Lowestoft initially using single deck Plaxton coaches. In June 1998 two Volvo Olympians with high backed seating in their Northern Counties bodywork were dedicated to the service. They were numbered 91/92 (R91/92 GTM). The adjacent lamp post sports a CCS Coach Stop flag and a timetable case.

Saturday 20 June 1998 (approx 1050) - The Cambridge Coach Services service 74 grew in popularity and the company added two Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympian double deckers to the fleet in 1998 to cater for the demand. 92 (R92 GTM) was photographed running about 15 minutes late on the A11 Red Lodge by-pass when working the 0905 service from Norwich. These two double deckers carried dedicated route branding for service 74. It was being pursued by a Jetlink liveried coach of Speedlink Airport Services bound for Brighton via Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports which had left Norwich at 0930.

Sunday 28 October 1990 - The only example of what was the mainstay of the Premier Travel Services fleet for many years, the Plaxton Supreme Express bodied AEC Reliance, transferred to Cambridge Coach Services was WEB 409T, a Plaxton Supreme bodied AEC Reliance. It had been up on the engineers support stands at Waterbeach for a good few weeks when this photograph was taken with part of the engine removed. It still carried the Premier name on the front glass.

Saturday 9 March 1991 - Nineteen coaches were transferred from Premier Travel Services to Cambridge Coach Services at its formation which included two Plaxton Supreme Express V bodied Leyland Tiger TCRTL11/3R coaches dating from 1990. VAV 256X was seen at Haverhill between trips on service 38 which operated between Haverhill and London (Eccleston Bridge, Victoria). Earlier in the day it had worked the 0825 hrs service from Haverhill to London and the 1200 hrs service back. I was to take it over for the 1525 hrs service back to the capital which returned from there at 1900 hrs.

Saturday 9 March 1991 - Cambridge Coach Services inherited two of the former Premier Travel Services Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Tigers which had been new to Premier in 1982. VAV 256X was seen at London (Eccleston Bridge, Victoria) having worked the 1525 hrs service 38 from Haverhill via Saffron Walden. It returned on the 1900 service 38 back to Haverhill. Earlier in the day it had worked the 0825 hrs service southbound and the 1200 hrs northbound.

Sunday 20 August 1995 (1250 hrs) - Passenger milling around the door of Cambridge Coach Services 305 (M305 BAV), a 1995 Plaxton Premiere 350 bodied Volvo B10M, at Drummer Street, Cambridge in anticipation of boarding the 1300 hrs service to Heathrow and Gatwick. The driver was loading the luggage before the crowd boarded.

Sunday 20 August 1995 (1250 hrs) - Cambridge Coach Services 305 (M305 BAV), a 1995 Plaxton Premiere 350 bodied Volvo B10M, at Drummer Street, Cambridge about to load as the 1300 hrs service to Heathrow and Gatwick. (In the background is Wessex 141 (H69 PDW) on a National Express working).

Tuesday 2 July 1996 (approx 0830 hrs) - Cambridge Coach Services Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M 306 (M306 BAV) seen in the bus and coach station at Heathrow Central leaving for Gatwick when working the 0600 hrs Cambridge-Stansted-Heathrow-Gatwick service 79. I had travelled down to Heathrow on this coach. Due to heavy traffic on the M25 motorway the coach was running about 35 minutes late.

Tuesday 2 July 1996 (approx 0830 hrs) - Cambridge Coach Services Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M 306 (M306 BAV) seen in the bus and coach station at Heathrow Central leaving for Gatwick when working the 0600 hrs Cambridge-Stansted-Heathrow-Gatwick service 79. I had travelled down to Heathrow on this coach. Due to heavy traffic on the M25 motorway the coach was running about 35 minutes late.

Tuesday 27 May 1997 (approx 1410) - Cambridge Coach Services 306 (M306 BAV), a 1996 Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M, seen heading up the High Street in Saffron Walden when working the 1310 service 38 from Cambridge to London (Buckingham Palace Road) where it was due at 1550. It would return from London at 1700.

Tuesday 2 July 1996 (approx 1350 hrs) - Cambridge Coach Services Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M 311 (N311 VAV) seen in the bus and coach station at Heathrow Central when working the 1400 hrs service 76 to Ipswich. This service had only been introduced in the previous April.

Tuesday 2 July 1996 (approx 0640 hrs) - Cambridge Coach Services Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M 311 (N311 VAV) seen in the bus and coach station at Stansted Airport waiting to take over the Stansted-Ipswich portion of service 76 from Heathrow. ‘IPSWICH’ can just be made out on the destination blind which was unfortunately not to clear due to reflection. On the left is 306 (M306 BAV) which was working the 0600 hrs Cambridge-Stansted-Heathrow-Gatwick service 79. I travelled down to Heathrow on 306 and later in the day returned on 311.

Tuesday 2 July 1996 (approx 0640 hrs) - Two Cambridge Coach Services Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10Ms seen in the bus and coach station at Stansted Airport. Left is 311 (N311 VAV) which was to take over the Stansted-Ipswich portion of service 76 from Heathrow and right is 306 (M306 BAV) which was working the 0600 hrs Cambridge-Stansted-Heathrow-Gatwick service 79. I travelled down to Heathrow on 306 and later in the day returned on 311.

Saturday 2 August 1997 (approx 0730) - Cambridge Coach Services Limited 313 (P313 PVE), seen on Waverley Bridge, Edinburgh, Scotland after an overnight run from the Cambridge area on one of the company’s ‘Classic Day Tours’. CCS regularly ran tours of this type which involved night travel overnight Friday night to the destination and travelling back home overnight Saturday night thus giving something like 10 hours at the destination. The coach, a Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M, was new in 1997.

Saturday 2 August 1997 (approx 0730) - With the Scott Memorial as a backcloth Cambridge Coach Services Limited 313 (P313 PVE) is seen on Waverley Bridge, Edinburgh after making an overnight run from the Cambridge area on one of the company’s ‘Classic Day Tours’. CCS regularly ran tours of this type which involved night travel overnight Friday night to the destination and travelling back home overnight Saturday night thus giving something like 10 hours at the destination. The coach, a Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M, was new in 1997.