Felix Coaches Query

Felix Coaches EX6644 - a Crossley SD42/7 with Yeates C35F bodywork
Photo copyright Mick Turpin

Regular readers of the blog will recall my article about the restoration of a coach previously owned by Great Yarmouth operator Felix Coaches in the 1950s

Following the article I have subsequently received a couple of responses on the subject.

The first is from the founder's great grandson, James Hazell, who, on seeing the photo, remarked 'What an absolute joy to see this coach returned to its former Felix glory'

The second response was in an email from Colin Royds:-

'I have just been on a web site about Felix coaches in Great Yarmouth. Does anybody remember the small wood hut at the side of the Aquarium theatre on the prom. Myself & my future wife had a holiday in Great Yarmouth in about 1964 and the man in the wood hut was called Bob Jex. He said we would remember his name as it was the reg. letters of Great Yarmouth. We went on so many day trips with them in the holiday that he bought my girl a box of chocolates. They did a trip on one night in the week that was a music night in a pub with a live duo dressed in pullovers with a felix cat on it. does any body know the name of the pub?

Regards

Colin'

I do just about remember the said wooden hut beside the Aquarium Theatre (now the Hollywood Cinema). As for Mr Jex's reference to the vehicle registrations, if my memory serves me right, I believe Felix (or was it Seagull Coaches using the Felix name) had two Bedford VAL14s whose registrations were JEX3 and JEX5. 

Indeed EX were the registration letters for Great Yarmouth and I understand Seagull Coaches had an arrangement with the then Great Yarmouth County Borough Council to match its fleet numbers with the registration numbers

As for the identity of the pub Colin refers to I am not sure where it was. I would be grateful to hear from anyone who could provide the answer so I could pass the information onto Colin

Venue Identified!

I have subsequently been contacted by David Burdett and Mick Capon who have both identified the venue as being The Eels Foot in Ormesby, just north of Great Yarmouth

Mick's reply can viewed by clicking the Comments tab below whilst David emailed me to say:-

Relating to your question about coach trips from Great Yarmouth which ended in a pub night, might I suggest that The Eels Foot at Ormesby could possibly have been the one referred to. I seem to recall that this was mentioned to me by drivers from Cromer in the 70s, although at the time which you state, I would only have been quite a youngster!!
Regards
David Burdett.

My thanks to both David and Mick for their replies