Mildenhall people mingling with buses and coaches

Saturday 2 July 1988 – DJ Coaches (Jeffrey) of Fordham, Cambridge MJF 802P seen loading pupils at Mildenhall Upper School for the 1988 Camp Trip to Brockenhurst in the New Forest. My elder daughter was passing her suitcase into the coach. It was a Duple Dominant bodied Bedford YRT that had been new to Wood of Wigston in March 1976.

Saturday 2 July 1988 – DJ Coaches (Jeffrey) of Fordham, Cambridge MJF 802P seen loading pupils at Mildenhall Upper School for the 1988 Camp Trip to Brockenhurst in the New Forest. It was a Duple Dominant bodied Bedford YRT that had been new to Wood of Wigston in March 1976.

Friday 22 October 1993 – West Row Coach Services operated the Suffolk County Council supported service 401 that ran on Fridays (for Mildenhall market) and Tuesdays (for Mildenhall Clinic). Plaxton Supreme bodied DAF MB200 TND 418X was new in May 1982 as a Shearings Holidays touring coach (owned by either Shearings or Jacksons – they were in the same group). It was then operated by D J Coaches of Fordham and Steve MacKenzie of West Row before passing to WRCS. This was the 1119 trip from King Street, Mildenhall to Lakenheath. In the background is Neal’s Travel H475 KSG, a Carlyle bodied Ford Transit, loading as the 1107 trip to West Row.

Friday 17 July 1992 – Like many schools in rural counties, Mildenhall Upper School had a catchment area that brought pupils from reasonable distances to school and they remain busy places with a lot of bus and coach activity. In this view West Row Coach Services YTV 165Y, a Van Hool bodied DAF eases past a coach lettered for Waterside Travel, a Southampton based operator. I presume it had been acquired by a local operator.

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.

August 1996 - Cambridge Coach Services 360 (E360 NEG) seen at King Street, Mildenhall when working a Lowestoft to Cambridge trip on service 74. A Plaxton Paramount bodied Volvo B10M that had been new to Premier Travel Services in March 1988. CCS was formed after the Blazefield Group sold Premier to the Cambus Holding Group but retaining the coach services under the CCS name.

Saturday 22 February 2005 – During the construction of the new bus station in Mildenhall, buses and coaches picked up in what had been car parking bays outside Bussens and Parkin’s store in King Street. A Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M that had been new to Cambridge Coach Services was working the Norwich to Gatwick service 727.

Friday 13 May 1994 - Premier Travel Services 381 (G381 REG), a Plaxton Expressliner bodied Volvo B10M, seen in High Street, Mildenhall. It was working the 0920 Cambridge to Norwich (1125) service and would return as the 1230 Norwich to Cambridge (1435?) service, a working that only survived between 1 November 1993 and 15 May 1994. Mildenhall market was bustling with traders and shoppers. On 1 June 1412 King Henry IV signed a charter to allow a market to be held once a week, every Friday in Mildenhall. Sadly, the number of traders in 2023 is significantly less than it was 30 or so years ago when this photograph was taken. The black and white building was the ‘original’ TSB (Trustee Savings Bank) that was later merged into Lloyds TSB and then 'demerged' to live again. The two ladies chatting on the right are standing outside what was the Eastern Electricty showrooms (later Stebbings and later still Barbers Inc). I seem to recall the taller lady may have worked at Bussens and Parkin at one time although I am not totally certain. In my mind I have a mental picture her serving in a shop where she wore a navy blue overall with white piping.

Friday 13 May 1994 - Premier Travel Services 381 (G381 REG), a Plaxton Expressliner bodied Volvo B10M, seen in King Street, Mildenhall. It was working the 0920 Cambridge to Norwich (1125) service and would return as the 1230 Norwich to Cambridge (1435?) service, a working that only survived between 1 November 1993 and 15 May 1994. Friday is market day in Mildenhall, on 1 June 1412 King Henry IV signed a charter to allow a market to be held once a week, every Friday. Whilst the market stalls were generally concentrated in the Market Place, Market Street and the shopping precinct some additional trading spilled over into King Street. Snushall's fish and chip shop is directly behind the lamp post. Twenty odd years later bus and coach drivers still have to tolerate cars parked on the double yellow lines (where the two are in this photograph) as they swing out of the bus station.

Saturday 24 February 1990 - Premier Travel Services 335 (JNM 742Y) was one of a pair (the other being JNM 743Y) of Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodied Leyland Tiger coaches bought from the London based sightseeing company ‘The Londoners’ in 1986. It was seen at King Street, Mildenhall when working the 0805 Lowestoft to Bristol service 747. Once upon a time this was a joint service operated by Premier Travel, Percivals Coaches of Oxford and National Express. By now Percivals had ceased to be and Premier Travel was a National Express contractor rather than a joint operator hence the window label ‘On hire to National Express’. Ambassador Travel PJI 5715 was duplicating as far as Cambridge.

Monday 18 May 1992 (0705) – There was an early morning National Express commuter type run operated Mondays to Saturdays from Thetford into Cambridge that had latterly been covered as a short 098 service but from 26 April 1992 when the Summer timetables began it was grafted on to the Cambridge to Bournemouth service 746. This therefore became the only 746 trip through Mildenhall, the 0620 from Thetford. There was no corresponding evening return trip as that terminated at Newmarket. It was quite a surprise to see Premier Travel Services 278 (WEB 408T) working this run as the Plaxton Supreme bodied AEC Reliance 6U3ZR was just over 13 years old having been new in March 1979! It probably didn't venture beyond Cambridge though. The destination blinds show ‘Premier Coaches’ in red in what was normally a service number display; the words ‘Premier Travel’ in the first of two destination displays and, in the second of the two destination displays, it correctly shows ‘Bournemouth’. The origins of that town being included on the blind stem from Premier Travel having their Haverhill-Cambridge-Bournemouth summer Saturday holiday service 72 that began in the late 1950s. PTS had been acquired by Cambus Holdings in 1990 although this coach still retained the silver and blue PTS livery. The young man in front of the coach is looking for his mate who seems to be ‘on the drag’ as they say in Suffolk – meaning running late.

Saturday 2 May 1998 - Cambridge Coach Services 350 (D350 KVE) doing a good trade at King Street, Mildenhall when working the 0905 Norwich to Cambridge service 74. A Van Hool Alizeé bodied Volvo B10M that had been new to Premier Travel Services in April 1987. It was equipped with a wheelchair lift towards the rear of the nearside and it was this attribute that saw it last longer in the CCS fleet after other similar coaches were sold on. CCS was formed after the Blazefield Group sold Premier to the Cambus Holding Group but retaining the coach services under the CCS name.

Sunday 29 October 1989 (0850) – The first National Express service 305 working through Mildenhall at the start of the Winter 1989/1990 timetables gave the town a link with Birmingham with a trip forming part of the 747 timetable east of Cambridge. Premier Travel Services Plaxton Paramount bodied Volvo B10M 360 (E360 NEG) was seen on a damp and gloomy Sunday morning at King Street lay-by when working the 0715 service from Norwich to Birmingham.

Sunday 31 May 1992 – The County Councils of East Anglia subsidised many Sunday bus services for a number of years serving main towns and tourist attractions/stately homes etc. Neal’s Travel F722 SML was a Reeve Burgess bodied Mercedes-Benz 811D new in January 1989 seen loading for Ipswich at King Street, Mildenhall.

Friday 25 August 1989 (approx. 1045) – Homeward bound shoppers board Neal’s Travel E46 MMT at King Street, Mildenhall which was working the Friday only (MIldenhall market day) Suffolk County Council supported service 406 to Lackford. The lady looking at the camera from the window close to the door looks like the late Grace Wharton, a resident of Icklingham. In the background is Eastern Counties TH919 (C919 BEX), a Robin Hood bodied Ford Transit new in March 1986.

Friday 25 August 1989 (approx. 1045) – Homeward bound shoppers board Neal’s Travel E46 MMT at King Street, Mildenhall which was working the Friday only (MIldenhall market day) Suffolk County Council supported service 406 to Lackford.

A Saturday in November 1995 (0905) – Two vehicles of Neal’s Travel of Isleham occupy the King Street lay-by in Mildenhall so Ambassador Travel 108 (G108 HNG), working the 0700 Cromer-London National Express service 495, picks up in the entrance to the lay-by. The Neal’s vehicles are Reeve Burgess bodied Leyland Swift G642 WMG, working a private hire, which is standing in front Marshall SPV bodied Mercedes-Benz of M373 VER, working the Mildenhall town service.

Saturday 19 July 1997 – Neal’s Travel of Isleham operated a small network of town services in Mildenhall and to the adjacent villages six days a week for a number of years. M373 VER was a Marshall SPV bodied Mercedes-Benz 709D which was seen in King Street, Mildenhall.