Bowen, Birmingham

Saturday 3 September 1988 – L F Bowen of Birmingham EOI 4362 travelling through Red Lodge, Suffolk when operating a summer Saturday holiday express service from the West Midlands to the Norfolk Coast. A Volvo chassis with bodywork badged ‘Moseley’. The UK coach dealership Alf Moseley of Loughborough imported Spanish and Portugeuse coaches for the UK market which it badged with the Moseley name. I don’t want to commit myself but I think the bodywork on this one was built in Spain by Unicar.

Saturday 20 August 1988 – L F Bowen of Birmingham NOL 44X seen travelling on the A11 through Red Lodge, Suffolk heading for the Norfolk Coast when operating a summer Saturday holiday service from the West Midlands. It was a Volvo B58 with Plaxton Supreme VI bodywork new in March 1982.

Saturday 29 June 1991 - L F Bowen of Birmingham KJW 69W seen at AJ’s Family Restaurant at Barton Mills during a refreshment stop when operating the afternoon return of their summer Saturday holiday express service from the Norfolk Coast to the West Midlands. It is a Caetano bodied DAF MB200 new in April 1981.

Saturday 13 July 1991 - L F Bowen of Birmingham KJW 69W seen at AJ’s Family Restaurant at Barton Mills during a refreshment stop when operating the afternoon return of their summer Saturday holiday express service to the Norfolk Coast from the West Midlands. It is a Caetano bodied DAF MB200 new in April 1981.

Saturday 12 August 1989 – L F Bowen of Birmingham EOI 4362 taking a refreshment break at Sanara Services in Red Lodge, Suffolk when operating a summer Saturday holiday express service from the West Midlands to the Norfolk Coast. The parking ground at Sanara, formerly known as The Suffolk Punch, was less than presentable with a dirt surface surrounded by piles of old pallets. A Volvo chassis with bodywork badged ‘Moseley’. The UK coach dealership Alf Moseley of Loughborough imported Spanish and Portugeuse coaches for the UK market which it badged with the Moseley name. I don’t want to commit myself but I think the bodywork on this one was built in Spain by Unicar.

Saturday 12 August 1989 – L F Bowen of Birmingham EOI 4362 taking a refreshment break at Sanara Services in Red Lodge, Suffolk when operating a summer Saturday holiday express service from the West Midlands to the Norfolk Coast. The parking ground at Sanara, formerly known as The Suffolk Punch, was less than presentable with a dirt surface surrounded by piles of old pallets. A Volvo chassis with bodywork badged ‘Moseley’. The UK coach dealership Alf Moseley of Loughborough imported Spanish and Portugeuse coaches for the UK market which it badged with the Moseley name. I don’t want to commit myself but I think the bodywork on this one was built in Spain by Unicar.

Saturday 19 June 1993 - L F Bowen of Birmingham D784 SGB, a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Volvo B10M which had been new to Park’s of Hamilton in March 1987, seen at AJ’s Family Restaurant at Barton Mills during a refreshment when operating the summer Saturday holiday express service from the West Midlands to the Norfolk Coast.

Saturday 19 June 1993 - AJ’s Family Restaurant at Barton Mills (now Five Guys after being the Pancake and Waffle Shack in between) became a regular refreshment stop by the coaches of L F Bowen of Birmingham when operating their summer Saturday holiday express service from the West Midlands to the Norfolk Coast. In this view D784 SGB, a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Volvo B10M which had been new to Park’s of Hamilton in March 1987, was running as coach number 3 today. On the left is a coach of Leon’s of Stafford that was also part of the Bowen’s convoy. (Originally posted 29 May 2016)

Saturday 13 July 1991 - L F Bowen of Birmingham EEW 126Y seen during a refreshment stop at AJ’s Family Restaurant, Barton Mills when operating a summer Saturday holiday express service from the West Midlands to the Norfolk Coast. It is a Jonckheere Jubilee bodied DAF SB2300 new to Young’s Coaches of Rampton, Cambridgeshire in April 1983.

Thursday 26 October 1989 - L F Bowen of Birmingham had held the National Exhibition Centre car park shuttle contract for quite some time (approx. 1987 to 1985 I believe). D230 PBF, a Van Hool Alizée bodied Volvo B10M was new in 1987, and was seen at the main entrance of the N.E.C.

Thursday 26 October 1989 - L F Bowen of Birmingham had held the National Exhibition Centre car park shuttle contract for quite some time (approx. 1987 to 1985 I believe). Two of their coaches are seen at the main entrance of the N.E.C. Nearest the camera is KJW 68W, a Caetano bodied DAF MB200 new in April 1981 and in the background is D230 PBF, a Van Hool Alizée bodied Volvo B10M was new in 1987.

Thursday 26 October 1989 - Two Caetano Alpha bodied coaches seen working the car park shuttles at the National Exhibition Centre. On the left is Leons of Stafford 31 (5888 EH) on Volvo B58 chassis new to Bonas (Supreme Coaches) of Coventry in June 1979 registered EWK 450T. Beyond is L F Bowen KJW 68W, on DAF chassis new in April 1981

Birmingham based L F Bowen had quite a range of Summer Saturday holiday services with pick-up points from a very large catchment area of the West Midlands. The coaches operating the service to Great Yarmouth (and the holiday centres between there and Lowestoft) travelled along the A11 taking refreshment breaks at either Red Lodge or Barton Mills. The earliest pick-up time was at Wolverhampton with the latest in Coventry. I seem to recall the breaks occurred around 1030-1100 when heading eastbound and 1630-1700 heading westbound. This is the Summer 1991 timetable.

Saturday 13 July 1991 – Lichfield City Coaches A656 EMY seen during a refreshment stop at AJ’s Family Restaurant, Barton Mills when operating a duplicate for L F Bowen of Birmingham’s summer Saturday holiday express service from the West Midlands to the Norfolk Coast. It is a Leyland/Roe Royal Tiger Doyen new to National Travel London in May 1984.

Saturday 9 August 1997 – Leon’s of Stafford 77 (5702 PL), a Van Hool Alizee bodied Scania, seen during a refreshment stop at AJ’s Family Restaurant, Barton Mills when operating a duplicate for L F Bowen of Birmingham’s summer Saturday holiday express service from the West Midlands to the Norfolk Coast.