Mildenhall bus station - 20 years old on 16 January 2026!

Late April 2005 - The building of Mildenhall bus station: This photograph was taken from beneath the entrance to the shopping precinct between the Co-op and Coral's betting shop (which had once been the Midland Bank). The dark coloured buildings formed Mildenhall Social Club and are where Sainsbury's now is. As construction work took place in and around the bus station area general traffic destined for the Social Club, the Swimming Pool and the town's main car park was diverted across the new bus station surface for a while.

Friday 24 June 2005 - The building of Mildenhall bus station: The steelwork for the bus station building was now in place. This view was taken from the old zebra crossing (just visible in the bottom left corner) close to the postbox outside the Co-op Store. The zebra crossing was relocated further away from the camera beyond the bus station exit. The buildings beyond formed Mildenhall Social Club and are where Sainsbury's now is.

Mid August 2005 - The building of Mildenhall bus station: This view was taken from the corner of St. Mary's Close where Costa Coffee now is looking directly down King Street. During the time of the construction of the bus station buses and coaches picked up and set down outside the Bussens and Parkin Store where a Caetano bodied Dennis Dart operated by Burtons Coaches can be seen.

Monday 16 January 2006 (approx 0945) - Mildenhall's controversial bus station opened for business today (although the official opening took place the following day). It occupied the site of what had been the town car park and a small bus lay-by alongside in King Street. Both had closed one year and one week earlier on 10 January 2005 for work to begin. The buildings beyond formed Mildenhall Social Club where Sainsbury's now is. Burtons Coaches W903 UJM, an Alexander ALX200 bodied Volvo B10BLE, is seen on stand C between trips on service 356 from/to Bury St. Edmunds. This was a new commercially operated service which commenced on Monday 3 January 2006 competing with the Suffolk County Council supported services along the same route. W903 UJM came to Burtons Coaches from Tellings-Golden Miller at Portsmouth where it had been employed on the X27/X47 'Solent Clipper' services linking Portsmouth and Southampton.

Monday 16 January 2006 - Mildenhall's controversial bus station opened for business today (although the official opening took place the following day). It occupied the site of what had been the town car park and a small bus lay-by alongside in King Street. Both had closed one year and one week earlier on 10 January 2005 for work to begin. Burtons Coaches W903 UJM, an Alexander ALX200 bodied Volvo B10BLE, is seen on stand A prior to working the 1024 service 356 to Bury St. Edmunds. This was a new commercially operated service which commenced on Monday 3 January 2006 competing with the Suffolk County Council supported services along the same route. W903 UJM came to Burtons Coaches from Tellings-Golden Miller at Portsmouth where it had been employed on the X27/X47 'Solent Clipper' services linking Portsmouth and Southampton

Monday 16 January 2006 (approx. 0945) - Mildenhall's controversial bus station opened for business today (although the official opening took place the following day) which occupied the site of the town car park and a small bus lay-by - which had closed one year and one week earlier on 10 January 2005. National Express D6 (T206 AUA), a Van Hool T6 Alizée bodied DAF SB3000 new in April 1999 (to Airlinks), seen on Stand A working the 0550 Gatwick to Norwich service 727. In the background is Burton’s Coaches G619 OTV working the 0921 Beck Row to Bury St. Edmunds service 355. Running late this service should also have loaded on Stand A but is seen on Stand B.

Mildenhall bus station opened for business on Monday 16 January 2006 (although the formal opening was the next day). It was located on the site that was once the town car park and a small bus lay-by which closed one year and one week earlier on 10 January 2005. A Burtons Coaches Plaxton Beaver bodied Mercedes-Benz Vario is loading for Bury St. Edmunds. This photograph was taken from the upper deck of a double decker bus parked in the layover bays alongside the children's playground.

Tuesday 3 April 2007 - National Express (Operations) Limited NXL21 (YN05 WJJ) Scania with Irizar bodywork new August 2005 seen at Mildenhall bus station. Special green livery ‘Supporting Birmingham ’s Irish Community’. Other special liveries have been applied to similar coaches recently, one for the England team in the football World Cup and a very attractive scheme featuring a Welsh Dragon.

Wc Sept 10 (12th?) 2007 - National Express Operations Limited D23 (R300 SPK) seen during a pick-up call at Mildenhall bus station. It was working the 1315 Norwich (University of East Anglia) to Gatwick Airport service 727 (due 1900). This Plaxton Premiere bodied DAF SB3000 was new in May 1998 to Speedlink Airport Services. The letters ‘SPK’ on the licence plate being a short form for that name.

Friday 28 Sept 2007 (1715) – Suffolk County Council placed nine new Marcopolo Viaggio bodied Iveco EuroRider coaches in service for the new school year (4 Sept 2007) supplied by Irisbus, the UK dealer. PN57 CUO was seen at Mildenhall bus station at about 1715 when working the 1645 College Days only trip on service 355 from Bury St Edmunds to Lakenheath. At the time Burtons Coaches worked the 355 service (during both school terms and school holidays) under contract to SCC with Mulleys covering a couple of trips. However, SCC covers this trip which, despite being a College day only service, was also available to the general public.

Friday 28 Sept 2007 – Suffolk County Council placed nine new Marcopolo Viaggio bodied Iveco EuroRider coaches in service for the new school year (4 Sept 2007) supplied by Irisbus, the UK dealer. PN57 CUO was seen at Mildenhall bus station at about 1715 when working the 1645 College Days only trip on service 355 from Bury St Edmunds to Lakenheath. In the main Burtons works the 355 service (during both school terms and school holidays) under contract to SCC with Mulleys covering a couple of trips. However, SCC covers this trip which, despite being a College day only service, is available to the general public.

Friday 28 Sept 2007 – Suffolk County Council placed nine new Marcopolo Viaggio bodied Iveco EuroRider coaches in service for the new school year (4 Sept 2007) supplied by Irisbus, the UK dealer. PN57 CUO was seen at Mildenhall bus station at about 1715 when working the 1645 College Days only trip on service 355 from Bury St Edmunds to Lakenheath. In the main Burtons works the 355 service (during both school terms and school holidays) under contract to SCC with Mulleys covering a couple of trips. However, SCC covers this trip which, despite being a College day only service, is available to the general public.

Tuesday 29 July 2008 (0559) - A regular sight when Burtons Coaches used to outstation two buses in Mildenhall bus station. The allocation was usually two Plaxton Beaver bodied Mercedes-Benz small type buses although no two specific buses were regularly featured. In this view S130 NRB is on the right.

Tuesday 6 July 2010 (0922) – Mildenhall bus station with two Plaxton Beaver bodied Mercedes-Benz Vario buses of Mulleys Motorways awaiting departure. The white bus is EN53 NOF working the 0935 service 356 to Bury St Edmunds and the orange bus is S719 URT working the 0935 hrs service 201 to Thetford. EN53 NOF was new to Golden Boy of Hoddesdon as MY52 BOY with fleet number 423. It was later sold to Coach Services Limited of Thetford. In the background, behind the bus station building, the Social Club had been demolished and construction of the new Sainsbury’s supermarket was underway. Mulleys drivers Kevin Dean (in hi-vis vest) and Gary Agnew (in checked shirt) are having a chat. Both were good team players.

Tuesday 6 July 2010 (0953) – Mildenhall bus station – Whippet Coaches J670 LGA picking up en route to Great Yarmouth on coastal service A. This service operated Monday to Saturday May to October and on limited days in November/ December leaving Cambridge at 0900. There were feeder services from Bedford/Eaton Socon and from Huntingdon/St Ives on different days. (The two passengers about to board are Colin Harris in the blue shirt and Linda whose surname I don’t know). In the background, behind the bus station building, the Social Club had been demolished and construction of the new Sainsbury’s supermarket was underway. The coach is a Van Hool Alizée bodied Volvo that had been new to Park’s of Hamilton in March 1992. Previous registrations carried were J456 HDS and LSK 496.

Tuesday 6 July 2010 (0953) – Mildenhall bus station – Whippet Coaches J670 LGA picking up en route to Great Yarmouth on coastal service A. This service operated Monday to Saturday May to October and on limited days in November/ December leaving Cambridge at 0900. There were feeder services from Bedford/Eaton Socon and from Huntingdon/St Ives on different days. (The two passengers about to board are Colin Harris in the blue shirt and Linda whose surname I don’t know). In the background, behind the bus station building, the Social Club had been demolished and construction of the new Sainsbury’s supermarket was underway. The coach is a Van Hool Alizée bodied Volvo that had been new to Park’s of Hamilton in March 1992. Previous registrations carried were J456 HDS and LSK 496.

Saturday 7 May 2011 (1045) - National Express CO66 (FN06 FMA), a Caetano Levante bodied Volvo B12B, working the 1040 service 727 through Mildenhall to Norwich. The service would have possibly originated at Gatwick Airport at 0640 travelling via Heathrow and Stansted Airports. (Pictured from the driving seat of Mulleys YN54 VLE).

Tuesday 31 May 2011 (1004) - Stephensons of Essex Limited took over Burtons Coaches in the latter days of the previous week and Stephensons buses were soon appearing in Suffolk. 432 (EU10 NVR), an Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 new in August 2010 carries lettering for the Witham to Maldon ‘Blackwater Link’ service. It had arrived in Mildenhall working the 0925 service 16 from Bury St Edmunds and was now returning as the 1005 service. Burtons had only started to run this service on 4 April 2011 competing with Mulleys service 355.