1980s/1990s A11 Barton Mills/Red Lodge

Sunday 28 April 1985 (1513) – Work had already started to upgrade the A11 to dual carriageway between Fiveways, Barton Mills and Red Lodge and I took the opportunity to climb a huge pile of earth positioned by the construction company to get this unique photograph. It shows two Ambassador Travel coaches heading westbound past the Bull Inn at Barton Mills. The roadway where the coaches are is still there although it takes a 90 degree turn towards the pub alongside the second coach. The alignment of the dual carriageway was to the right of the camera. Now to the coaches! Leading is LT893 (A101 HNC) working the 1330 Great Yarmouth-Norwich-London National Express ‘Rapide’ service 599, a new service launched this day. ‘Rapide’ services offered featured toilet and refreshment facilities the latter served by a steward/stewardess. Ambassador Travel received four Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodied Leyland Tigers from other National Bus Company affiliates to work on this improved service. Following is LL800 (OEX 800W), a Willowbrook bodied Leyland Leopard new to Eastern Counties Omnibus Company in December 1980, that was operating the 1455 service from RAF Mildenhall to London.

Sunday 28 April 1985 – Work had already started to upgrade the A11 to dual carriageway between Fiveways, Barton Mills and Red Lodge and I took the opportunity to climb a huge pile of earth positioned by the construction company to get this unusual photograph of Ambassador Travel LL800 (OEX 800W) passing the Bull Inn at Barton Mills. The alignment of the dual carriageway was to the right of the camera. The roadway in the photograph still remains but makes a 90 degree turn where the car heading away is seen. Note the car park of the Bull Inn lined with white posts where the houses of Chestnut Close now stand. LL800, a Willowbrook bodied Leyland Leopard new to Eastern Counties Omnibus Company in December 1980, was operating the 0735 National Express service 097 from Brandon to London.

Sunday 12 May 1985 - Ambassador Travel 888 (EAH 888Y) seen descending Chalk Hill towards Barton Mills when working the 1030 London to Norwich National Express service 099. It is one of the eight Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodied Leyland Tigers new to the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company in February 1983 that wore the ‘Norfolk Flyer’ livery to operate services between Norfolk and London. They passed to Ambassador Travel when ECOC was split up in September 1984. A Duple Dominant bodied Bedford of DJ Coaches of Fordham is following. Construction of the dual carriageway between Red Lodge and Barton Mills was underway to the right.

Saturday 13 April 1985 - Ambassador Travel LL757 (SPW 103R), a Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard that had been new to Eastern Counties in May 1977, seen near the Bull Inn on the old A11 at Barton Mills when working the 1500 Cambridge to Brandon service 747. After the dual carriageway was constructed this section of road remained in place to serve the village. The path on the left just about visible in 2020 ran alongside the Bull Inn car park where the houses on Chestnut Close were later built. The trees on the verge have matured over the passing years.

Sunday 15 July 1984 – Eastern Counties LL822 (RNG 822W), a Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard new in April 1981, seen on the eastern side of Fiveways, Barton Mills operating a National Express service 099 duplicate. Eastern Counties was split up in September 1984 and this coach passed to Ambassador Travel.

Saturday 13 April 1985 - Ambassador Travel LL757 (SPW 103R), a Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard that had been new to Eastern Counties in May 1977, seen setting down near the Dog and Partridge Inn on the old A11 at Barton Mills when working the 1500 Cambridge to Brandon service 747. The pub subsequently closed but the building remains as a private residence named Trego House. The area this side of the wall bordered by the wooden posts supporting the chain link fence was the car park of the Bull Inn where the houses on Chestnut Close were later built.

Sunday 31 March 1985 - Ambassador Travel 891 (EAH 891Y) seen on the old A11 at Barton Mills when working the 1420 Norwich to London National Express service 099. It is one of the eight Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodied Leyland Tigers new to the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company in February 1983 that wore the ‘Norfolk Flyer’ livery to operate services between Norfolk and London. They passed to Ambassador Travel when ECOC was split up in September 1984.

Sunday 18 February 1990 (approx. 1200 noon) – Ambassador Travel 887 (A101 HNC) seen cruising up Chalk Hill on the A11 near Barton Mills when working the 0950 service 599 from Lowestoft to London. Barton Mills Church stands beyond Keepers Cottage. It was one of the four ‘Rapide’ specification Plaxton Paramount bodied Leyland Tiger coaches transferred to Ambassador to operate the National Express ‘Rapide’ service 599 from East Anglia to London which began on 28 April 1985. The coaches featured a drinks/snack servery and toilet facilities and was new in August 1983 to National Travel West as their 101. www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/41041988

Sunday 24 March 1985 - Ambassador Travel 894 (EAH 894Y) seen just after leaving Fiveways, Barton Mills. It is one of the eight Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodied Leyland Tigers new to the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company in February 1983 that wore the ‘Norfolk Flyer’ livery to operate services between Norfolk and London. They passed to Ambassador Travel when ECOC was split up in September 1984. Most gained National Express white livery although 894 wears what was the Ambassador fleet livery at the time. Part of a huge convoy of buses and coaches conveying supporters of Norwich City Football Club bound for Wembley for the League Cup Final against Sunderland. Norwich were triumphant with a 1-0 win.

Sunday 22 July 1984 – Eastern Counties LT892 (EAH 892Y), a Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodied Leyland Tiger, seen at Barton Mills when working the 1020 Norwich to London ‘Norfolk Flyer’ service 099 to London. It was new in February 1983 and passed to Ambassador Travel just a few weeks later in September 1984 when Eastern Counties was split up. It carried the Eastern Counties name in red letters along the top edge of the first large side windows. The National Express name was carried on the lower panels behind the rear wheels (white lettering on a blue block just visible in this shot). I had heard that the National Bus Company or National Express hierarchy were not pleased with the creation of this branding on the vehicles which defied the National Express corporate identity. Millford’s Garage is on the left, then selling Texaco fuel from pumps right alongside the roadway, was subsequently redesigned and greatly improved. The new workshop buildings stood behind the new filling station and these buildings are now the workshops of the East of England Ambulance Service.

Sunday 27 January 1985 – Ambassador Travel LT902 (A902 KAH) seen climbing Chalk Hill between Barton Mills and Red Lodge on the A11. St. Mary’s Church and the houses of Barton Mills village stand beyond. The A11 in this photograph follows the line of trees and hedgerows and passes to the left of white building seen in the centre of the view. The dual carriageway was constructed in the late 1980s the new road diverged from this point to cross the field and pass to the right of the building. LT902 was a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Leyland Tiger that wore the black, white and gold fleet livery and was new in January 1984 to Eastern Counties.

Sunday 27 January 1985 – Ambassador Travel LT889 (EAH 889Y) seen heading down Chalk Hill towards Barton Mills when working the 0930 London (Victoria) to Great Yarmouth National Express ‘Norfolk Flyer’ service 099. Ambassador LT889 is one of the eight Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodied Leyland Tigers new to the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company in February 1983 that wore the ‘Norfolk Flyer’ livery to operate services between Norfolk and London. They passed to Ambassador Travel when ECOC was split up in September 1984. It was from close to this point where the dual carriageway through to Fiveways roundabout was constructed a few years later. The new road diverged from this point to the right across the adjacent fields.

Sunday 24 March 1985 – Norwich City Football Club played (and won 1-0 against Sunderland) in the F.A. Cup Final at Wembley on this day and lots of different buses and coaches were employed to carry the many supporters. Eastern Counties Omnibus Company Limited VR257 (PCL 257W), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol VR new in September 1980, was seen as it headed away from Fiveways, Barton Mills on the way to Wembley. This vehicle would usually be assigned to working normal bus services around the Norwich area so to see it heading for London was certainly a rare occurrence. Work was already underway to make the A11 dual carriageway and this section of the road was still single carriageway. It would later become the eastbound carriageway when the new westbound carriageway was built alongside and where the dilapidated direction sign was standing. New signage for the improved road layout was expected. (There is no one more uninterested in football than myself and on this particular morning I had ventured out to photograph a certain coach service being unaware of the fact that it was the F.A. Cup Final day. I was totally oblivious that Norwich City was one of the teams playing. However, I was rewarded with the sight of numerous buses and coaches passing by as they conveyed the supporters to the event!)

Sunday 24 March 1985 – Norwich City Football Club played (and won 1-0 against Sunderland) in the F.A. Cup Final at Wembley on this day and lots of different buses and coaches were employed to carry the many supporters. Eastern Counties Omnibus Company Limited VR284 (VEX 284X), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol VR new in October 1981, was seen passing the end of Bell Lane on the old A11 road at Barton Mills on the way to Wembley. ECOC was a National Bus Company subsidiary and this vehicle was ordered fellow NBC subsidiary Alder Valley (The Thames Valley and Aldershot Omnibus Company Limited). The normal ECOC fleet livery was mainly red with a single narrow white line but this vehicle wore a reversed scheme dubbed ‘red line’ with such liveried vehicles assigned to the longer limited stop services. (There is no one more uninterested in football than myself and on this particular morning I had ventured out to photograph a certain coach service being unaware of the fact that it was the F.A. Cup Final day. I was totally oblivious that Norwich City was one of the teams playing. However, I was rewarded with the sight of numerous buses and coaches passing by as they conveyed the supporters to the event!)

Sunday 28 April 1985 – Den Caney Universal Travel, Birmingham A720 UOP, a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Leyland Tiger new to the company in August 1983, seen passing the Dog and Partridge Inn at Barton Mills, Suffolk. Work had already started in creating a dual carriageway between here and Chalk Hill towards Red Lodge and the earthworks can be seen just to the left. Beyond the Dog and Partridge is Sandford's Garden Centre - both establishments now closed. The wooden posts on the right were the boundary of the Bull Inn car park which was redeveloped as Chestnut Close. (Coach may have been re-registered to DEN 83D later).

Sunday 24 March 1985 – Millfords Garage and filling station at Barton Mills was located on the site now occupied by the BP station on the eastbound carriageway leading up to Fiveways. The house in the left background stands on the corner of Tuddenham Road and, despite being enclosed by high trees, is recognisable today. The coach was operated by C J Down from Marytavy near Tavistock, Devon. An exuberant bunch of young ladies displaying a card bearing the words ‘Devon Team X Country’ crowd the rear seat. A cross country team making a cross country trip – just over 300 miles to go. I hope they were as lively after such a journey! I believe the coach was new to Battersby-Silver Grey of Morecambe registered CCW 936S which was a Duple Dominant bodied Volvo B58. Acquired by Down's circa 1983.

Sunday 28 April 1985 – Taylor's, London SE16 KUW 528P, a Plaxton Supreme bodied AEC Reliance new to National Travel South East in April 1976, passing the Dog and Partridge Inn at Barton Mills. Work had already started in creating a dual carriageway between here and Chalk Hill towards Red Lodge and the earthworks can be seen just to the left. Beyond the Dog and Partridge is Sandford's Garden Centre - both establishments now closed. The ground on the right was the Bull Inn car park which was redeveloped as Chestnut Close.

Sunday 28 April 1985 - Percivals Coaches 80 (LWL 744W) passing the Dog and Partridge Inn at Barton Mills when working the 0820 Oxford to Thetford service 747. The service was operated jointly with Premier Travel Services and National Express. Work had already started in creating a dual carriageway between here and Chalk Hill towards Red Lodge and the earthworks can be seen just to the left. Beyond the Dog and Partridge is Sandford's Garden Centre - both establishments now closed. The ground on the right was the Bull Inn car park which was redeveloped as Chestnut Close.