Flying Banana Retires

I received news from First yesterday evening that one of the last Great Yarmouth Alexander Dennis Dart SLFs had been withdrawn. Not only that but it was the Flying Banana heritage liveried 42943 WA06 OAS.



The saloon joined First Eastern Counties from First South West in November 2015 and was initially allocated to Lowestoft. After later moving to Caister Road I received news in June 2018 that it was heading for Simon Morris at Ipswich for a repaint into a 'local heritage livery'. The 'Flying Banana' received a new engine a month later and I was pleased to get a photo of it operating on Shrublands Estate where the former business started its first service.



It also appeared at the East Anglia Transport Museum's Trolleybus event in September 2018 offering Park and Ride services and went on to be stored at Lowestoft's Gasworks Road depot during the first COVID-19 lockdown in April 2020. Following an ease in restrictions it returned to work at Caister Road with a visit to Norwich featuring in one of its duties.

What of its future? Unfortunately its next journey is a one way trip to the scrapyard.

My thanks to First Great Yarmouth for the information

Roy