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Monday, 8 January 2018

The Ghost Bus ~ Final Update

In July 2015 I posted this photo on the blog of a Plaxton bodied Leyland Leopard laying over at Eastern Counties Wellington Road depot some 33 years earlier..

Grey Green JRK622K at the St Peters Road side of the bus station - it was later rebodied as TMU847Y
In response to the photo I have subsequently been contacted by 'theghostbus' and the reason for the nom de plume will be quite evident when I relate his query. 'Is there anyone who could tell me more about the Grey Green service which i think was sometimes known to staff as 'The Ghost Bus'? 

This was the daily coach service from London to Great Yarmouth which left Kings Cross somewhere around 11pm or midnight. Any details about the service would be welcome but, in particular, I would like to discover whether it was running on the three nights of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and 27th December 1980.

If some of  you are interested in more esoteric matters who recognise the significance of those three dates in relation to certain events near the A12 ...... You're right!'

Subsequent Updates 

One of our readers contacted a former Grey Green Traffic Manager from the early 1990s who 'confirmed 'the company did run services to Norwich and Great Yarmouth and most of the resorts. But he said most would have been seasonal. but will ask a few old colleagues if any services ran in the off season. However, he also added that Venture Coaches from Harrow also ran services from North West London and the surrounding areas as they mirrored the Grey Green operation.' As many of our Ipswich based readers will know, 'the former Grey Green Terminus in Ipswich still has the name above the building to this day even though services ceased many many years ago, which made him laugh!'

'theghostbus' has also contacted me following further detective work and says 
'I now have details of the service my friend was driving, and the events on the A12 occurred in the evening, not in the early hours of the morning. That service was the 1545 ex-Victoria, leaving Ipswich somewhere around 1930/1945. I've been told that by 1980 there was no service at all on the 26th between London, Ipswich and Yarmouth so I am, therefore, certain the date was 27th December 1980'

Many thanks to those of you helped to narrow this down.

Roy

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