Yarmouth Swifts In Ipswich

Further to the posts on Ipswich Falcons being loaned for Great Yarmouth services, I received a Facebook contact from a former Ipswich driver who said that the latter were always borrowing Great Yarmouth Swifts for use in service

Bob Jenkins says he drove just about all those loaned to Ipswich and provided a photo of a couple of them taken by an enthusiast who he was friendly with during the 1980s when he was a driver. However, unfortunately he couldn't remember his name but I found the same photos on Flickr and contacted the photographer concerned.

Great Yarmouth Swift LEX859H is pictured at Electric House destined for Chantry In November 1985

Crewcastrian was the cameraman and he related further information about the Swifts which were 'used to cover saloon shortages. Their appearance was more than a little ironic, as that saloon shortage was partly caused by Ipswich's drive to get rid of their own AEC Swifts, which had not proved very successful. There was, however, movement in the other direction as Yarmouth actually acquired three Ipswich Swifts for spare parts.'

He continues 'Perhaps the most amusing stage of this saga occurred on 21st November 1985. Ipswich Swift No. 92's certificate of fitness had expired the previous day and it wasn't considered worthwhile renewing this. Therefore 92 was driven up to Yarmouth (where the bus was subsequently cannibalised) and the driver returned with Yarmouth Swift No. 59 to effectively act as a temporary replacement for Ipswich 92. (The Yarmouth bus was three years older than the Ipswich one!)'

PEX174K at Electra House having just worked in on the 4 - it returned to Great Yarmouth in April 1984 

Bob says that the Swifts were on loan for quite a while and were always a little quicker off the mark than the Ipswich Swifts at the time; which reinforces Crewcastrian's comment

My thanks to Bob and Crewcastrian for their contributions and the latter for allowing me to use his photos

Roy