Happy Christmas

Wednesday 16 December 2020 (1553) – Christmas lights adorn the ancient Market Cross and buildings in the Market Square, Mildenhall as a Stephensons of Essex ADL Enviro drives by.

Wednesday 16 December 2020 (1548) – Christmas lights adorn the ancient Market Cross and buildings in the Market Square, Mildenhall as a Galloway Plaxton Centro drives by. It was working for the related Stephensons of Essex business on a school contract duplicate.

Thursday 23 December 2021 (0937) – Belle Coaches (Shreeve) of Lowestoft BC17 BEL seen beneath the Christmas lights in Newmarket High Street just after picking up passengers that were to spend Christmas on a Just Go! holiday. It is a Scania K410 Interlink Finesse new in March 2017.

Thursday 23 December 2021 (0929) – Daish’s Coaches BF68 ZDW seen beneath the Christmas lights in Newmarket High Street just after picking up passengers that were to spend Christmas at the Imperial Hotel in Eastbourne. The Daish Group operates twelve hotels as well as its own coach fleet. This Mercedes-Benz Tourismo was new in November 2018.

Thursday 23 December 2021 (0920) – Stagecoach in Cambridge (Cambus) 15641 (SF10 CCY) seen beneath the Christmas lights in Newmarket High Street when working the 0910 service 12 from The Guineas Bus Station to Cambridge. It is an Alexander Dennis (ADL) bodied Scania N230UD new in May 2010 to Stagecoach owned Western Buses (Scotland) that wears a bright livery to promote the Cancer Research UK ‘Race for Life’.

Thursday 23 December 2021 (0922) – Ambassador Travel 256 (BV17 CUA) seen beneath the Christmas decorations in Newmarket High Street after collecting passengers for a Sunrise Direct Christmas tour. Turkey and tinsel perhaps? It is a Sunsundegui SC7 bodied Volvo B11R which was new in May 2017. Characteristically in all white unlettered livery, boring but practical since Ambassador carries out contract work for a number of different holiday companies. Forming the backcloth are two notable red brick buildings. The rather substantial Post Office building, which few small to medium sized towns have nowadays, was opened in November 1951 to replace an earlier building located on the opposite side of the road that suffered bomb damage during World War 2. It was designed by the Ministry of Works, the then Government department responsible for building projects. Just beyond the Post Office is The Jockey Club Rooms building the frontage of which was re-built in the 1930s. Newmarket has been the centre of British horse racing for over 250 years and this building is considered to be the headquarters of the industry.

Friday 27 December 1996 (approx. 0920) – Cambus Limited (Stagecoach owned) 160 (L660 MFL) seen arriving in Market Street, Ely on service 125 (from Little Downham??). It is a Marshall bodied Volvo B6 new in October 1993. The Stagecoach Group acquired Cambus on 6 December 1995 and 160 still wore the pre-Stagecoach livery.

Friday 27 December 1996 (approx. 0920) – Cambus Limited (Stagecoach owned) 160 (L660 MFL) seen in Market Street, Ely having recently arrived on service 125 (from Little Downham??). It is a Marshall bodied Volvo B6 new in October 1993. The Stagecoach Group acquired Cambus on 6 December 1995 and 160 still wore the pre-Stagecoach livery.

Friday 27 December 1996 (approx. 0920) – Two Cambus vehicles seen in Market Street, Ely. The Stagecoach Group acquired Cambus on 6 December 1995 and this view shows 160 (L660 MFL), which still wore the pre-Stagecoach livery, passing 542 (P542 EFL) which was only a few weeks old and so wearing the Stagecoach corporate striped livery. 160 is a Marshall bodied Volvo B6 new in October 1993 and 542 a Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympian new in November 1996.

Friday 27 December 1996 (approx. 0910) – Stagecoach Cambus 542 (P542 EFL), a Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympian new in November 1996, seen in Market Street, Ely operating the Cambridge to Littleport service 109. Cambus had been privatised on 5 December 1986 and nine years later, on 6 December 1995, was purchased by the Stagecoach Group.

Volvo Olympian new in November 1996, seen in Market Street, Ely operating the Cambridge to Littleport service 109. Cambus had been privatised on 5 December 1986 and nine years later, on 6 December 1995, was purchased by the Stagecoach Group.

Friday 27 December 1996 (approx. 0925) – Cambus 742 (VEX 295X), an Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol VR new to Eastern Counties as their VR295 in August 1981. It was apparently intended to have been United Counties 968 (VVV 968X) but was diverted to ECOC before entering service with United Counties. Cambus had been owned by the Stagecoach Group since 6 December 1995 but the livery carried by 742 is the pre-Stagecoach two tone blue and white livery.

Friday 2 December 2022 (1118) – First Eastern Counties Buses 63319 (SK65 PWZ), seen through the trees and Christmas fairy lights in Red Lion Street, Norwich. It is a Wright StreetLite DF new in November 2015 branded for the Green Line group of services which include 14/14A/15/15A.

Saturday 17 December 1983 - Ipswich Borough Transport 65 (DPV 65D) seen at Tower Ramparts bus station decorated for Christmas. It was a Neepsend bodied AEC Regent V new in January 1966.

Saturday 17 December 1983 – Father Christmas standing on the platform of Ipswich Borough Transport 65 (DPV 65D). The bus had been decorated for Christmas with ‘snow’ around the windows and carried a headboard ‘The Christmas Special’. Seen at Tower Ramparts bus station it was a Neepsend bodied AEC Regent V new in January 1966.

Sunday 3 December 1995 (1155) – Whippet Coaches H303 CAV seen in High Street, Mildenhall passing the volunteers putting up the Christmas lights when working the 1102 Cambridge-Great Yarmouth Suffolk County Council ‘Suffolk Sundaybus’ service 200. It is a Northern Counties bodied Volvo B10M Citybus new in September 1990 and was fitted with high backed coach type seating like two similar vehicles bought the previous year.

Saturday 22 December 1990 – Christmas and New Year greetings adorn the back window of B502 CBD, a Jonckheere bodied DAF of Wiltshires Coaches of Sea Palling, Norfolk. It was seen at King Street, Mildenhall duplicating Premier Travel Services 372 (G372 REG) which was operating the 0820 Lowestoft to National Express service 747. The cluster of signs on the left remained from time when the car park entrance was located to the left of them. The large rectangular sign would no longer be read by any motorists, the ‘Buses and Coaches prohibited’ sign now looks rather odd in a bus and coach lay-by and the sign facing into the car park was the original ‘No Entry’ sign now guarding a brick wall!

Saturday 4 December 1993 - Cambus 506 (B144 GSC) was one of a pair of Alexander RLC bodied Leyland Olympians acquired from Eastern Scottish in 1993 that had operated on the Glasgow-Edinburgh Scottish Citylink service. They were regular performers on the X11 service operated between Cambridge and Bury St. Edmunds. 506 was seen under the Christmas decorations in Newmarket High Street working to Cambridge.