Worthing On Monday

Whilst the rest of the group were indulging in their favourite hobby in Worthing, I decided to indulge myself in mine on Monday afternoon. I anticipated that I would be catching up on photographing the new Stagecoach deckers and the odd bus from the Compass and Metrobus fleets - but that was not the case as the accompanying photos show.

I decided to take up my position on Marine Parade opposite the Stagecoach depot at Library Place. Immediately outside the Pier entrance was ex London Transport AEC Routemaster RMA11 NMY648E. I had noticed it there on the previous evening and it appeared to have been abandoned. Owned by Southdown Heritage Vehicles, fitters were seen later in the afternoon attempting to revive it.

Immediately behind was a Heritage Coaches Bova Futura bearing the cherished registration of 8957FN. It is the second time the registration has been used by Heritage as it previously adorned a former Shearings Volvo B10M-60 J256NNC.

In between the Stagecoach South 700 arrivals was this Barnes Coaches of Swindon's YT17EZM. Fresh from dropping off its passengers at a Steyne Gardens hotel, the Irizar i6 was noted making its way to the coach parking area on West Parade.

The only Compass Travel bus noted was Dart SF bodied Dennis Enviro200 GX13FSO - new to them in September 2013.

Another surprise was the arrival of red liveried Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini YK55ATV. It is a former Yorkshire Coastliner bus acquired from Transdev Lancashire United by City of Chichester Coaches trading as thesussexbus.com. The latter appears to part of the same group as Heritage Coaches.

Just I was getting ready to leave another member of the fleet turned up in the shape of Dennis Trident MSV617. It was new to Selkent X317NNO in January 2001 and subsequently with Stagecoach London as its 17317.

I later found out from a Facebook post that the vehicles were being used on schools contract work. (thought they had already finished for the summer break!)

Roy