Thursday 15 September 2022

It's A Mystery ~ Solved!!

With apologies for using Toyah's hit record title of the early 1980s to describe the quandary I am in. Some of you may not know or choose not to know of the existence of that!

Paul Goodman has recently sent in a request asking me to identify a double deck bus he saw in the grounds of one of the Beccles schools.



It has an unusual (foreign?) registration of B3 CCL 35 2A as far as I can discern from the photo. However, it is right hand drive with the window arrangements on the nearside appearing to be quite unusual. The lower floor arrangement suggests that alterations may have been made previously - possibly a conversion to a café serving hatch which has subsequently been replaced?

Paul has not identified which school has the bus but would be pleased to know its true identity and perhaps any of its history. So would we!

Looking forward to receiving your responses either here or via email to eastnorfolkbus@yahoo.com. 

Identity Solved

I am overwhelmed by the response I have received to this request in such a short period of time. At the beginning Colin Oakley was among others suggesting it was not a foreign plate but one specially created to look like BECCLES SA or 5A

Patrick Munford agreed suggesting it was one of the ex Border Bus deckers going by the blue and white entrance doors which I had missed

Lorraine Reade suggested the registration was for Beccles Primary Academy and didn't realise it was now painted red. Tyson Dundas sent a photo of the repaint under way. 

The comments reminded me that I had compiled a post of when it was acquired by the Academy in October 2019

So to summarise it is former Border Bus Volvo B7TL/ Plaxton X647 LLX and it being painted red threw me off course. A later post shows the same fence behind the bus. Finally, my thanks to all of you who responded and I knew you would come up with goods!! Paul has now found his answer to the true identity

Roy

7 comments:

  1. B3CCL35 is obviously BECCLES

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  2. The window arrangement is stock for a President of that era, here's one for sale on ukcoachsales.co.uk https://www.ukcoachsales.co.uk/admin/app/web/upload/large/29_e017689487de5df3eaf8c4ec8e44439b.jpg

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  3. Hi Roy

    The vehicle is a Plaxton President which had deeper windows midships.

    Whilst I can't read the registration myself, I would say that if the '3's were 'E's it would read 'BECCLES 2A' - so maybe just a dummy number plate.

    Hope this might assist.
    Regards
    David

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  4. Looking at google maps i think it's the Beccles primary academy

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  5. Possibly a recently withdrawn BorderBus B7TL/President? Those white and blue doors look a tad suspicious. If you take a closer look at "B3 CCL 35" you may discover the name of a town by the Norfolk/Suffolk border...

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  6. She looks a nice one don’t she

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  7. Thank you all for your help with this which is much appreciated. I knew you would all quickly solve the problem!!

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