New Open Topper Arrives

Another addition to the Open Top fleet at Great Yarmouth has arrived today from First's South West operations in Cornwall.

 

37796 LK59CXO was new to First London before being aquired by Metroline. It then passed to Ensign before ending up an Open Topper with First Kernow running the Land's End Coaster service.

We believe it will replace 32348 LK53LZL which has engine problems.

Thank you to the Southern England Bus Scene for use of the photo and to First for the information.

Grahame. 

East Norfolk Sixth Form College Bus Changes

First Eastern Counties are introducing changes to buses serving the East Norfolk Sixth Form College (ENSFC) from the beginning of the new term.

Former Ipswich Volvo B7TL /ALX400 32651 AU05 MUO operated the 981 service in January last year

The revisions include the withdrawal of its 983 Martham - ENSFC route with students able to use the 1/1A  or 8 services instead. The 981 Carlton Colville - Lowestoft - ENSFC and the 982 Oulton Broad - Blundeston - ENSFC both return.

There is also a new 980 service linking Beccles to the ENSFC via Lowestoft

Roy

Excel Bus Changes

David Bell tells me that significant changes are to take place to the First Eastern Counties Peterborough to Kings Lynn-Norwich Excel service from the end of this month



From 31st August, with the exception of the 0730 Monday to Friday service from Dereham to Norwich, there will be no other D services. They are to be replaced by service A journeys.The C service, which omits Dereham, and runs fast from Little Fransham to Easton is reduced to one service each way from its present hourly frequency.

So there will be slower journeys from Kings Lynn and Swaffham to Norwich but on the positive side most journeys Monday to Saturday services will terminate at Norwich Rail station instead of the bus station. However, Sunday journeys will continue to start and terminate at the bus station. The new timetable can be found HERE

I am grateful for David for the information and for the photo of Scania N250UD 36908 YN69XZM departing the Norwich Bus Station with an excel D service on Tuesday.

Roy

Captured, At Last!

After seeing this coach every Tuesday lunchtime for the past few weeks, I have been unable to get a photo of it as I was always driving. That changed at lunch time today as I made a determined effort to get one at Great Yarmouth's Beach Coach Station stop!

It is one of Completely Coach Travel’s recently acquired Van Hool Astromegas from Stagecoach West Scotland. This is their 50248 YJ14 LFS which has now been re-registered J29 CCT by the Norwich-based company. It carries the old Stagecoach long distance colour scheme and is taking onboard workers for the Banham Poultry factory.

Roy

Tuesday In Norwich

Regular contributor David Bell spent a few hours in and around Norwich bus station on Tuesday and provides a selection of photographs.



He says 'Interestingly the open top service was still being run by a closed top decker and this time it was Wright StreetDeck Electroliner BK73 AFJ'.



The Yutong demonstrator YE74 VGO was still with Sanders Coaches and worked into the city with the 43 service



Regular performers on the X1/X11 route to Norwich from the coast are the recently transferred Wright bodied StreetDeck Ultroliners and, as if to prove the point, 35675 MF22 SYG appeared



The Simonds' minibuses seem to have disappeared from the Postwick Park & Ride with Volvo B8R Plaxton PantherYX68 UCA turning up on the service.

My thanks to David for the information and photos

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 27th August 2025

This week's Notices and Proceedings Report, published by the East of England Traffic Commissioner earlier today, contains no information regarding changes to local bus services. The full Notices and Proceedings Report can be viewed here soon

Roy

Sightseer Replacement

Stephen Tyrrell was at Norwich Bus Station on Friday and saw the unusual use of Wright StreetDeck Electroliner 36567 BK73 AHY on the Norwich Sightseer open top 100 service.



As it left, it passed Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL 32348 LK53 LZL already parked in the bus station and we are not sure why it was replaced.



My thanks To Stephen for the information and photos.

Roy

East Coast Truckers

Normally on the Sunday before the August Bank Holiday, the East Coast Truckers Children's Convoy takes place when drivers take disabled and disadvantaged children in their cabs for a trip to Pleasurewood Hills. The public line the route to clap and wave to the children as the procession passes through Norwich, Acle, Great Yarmouth and Gorleston before arriving at the Suffolk attraction at around midday.



I snapped the convoy on Church Road passing St Andrew's Church with, as in previous years, Sanders Coaches providing the support vehicles.



They were Yutong GT12 DS25 NCH Delia Smith and Volvo B8R / Plaxton Panther OC21 SAN Oliver.



Robert Kelly tells me there was a third support coach - Yutong GT12 NO25 MWJ, although it didn’t take part in the convoy through Gorleston. Thanks Robert.

Roy

North Norfolk Venture

There was a change of scenery for our regular contributor Dan High yesterday when he visited the North Norfolk area to view activity there. He spent a little time at the North Walsham Travel Hub taking some photos.



The first of them was of Our Bus Optare Solo YJ59 NNL Paddy having arrived on the 33 from Cromer.



The next one shows Sanders Coaches' Volvo B8RLE / MCV eVoRa 547 M80 FXO ready to head for Norwich on the X55, The former Felixstowe Travel vehicle has been named Anna Sewell after the Great Yarmouth born author of the children’s classic Black Beauty.



At Cromer's Cadogan Road Coach Park he photographed Skills of Nottingham's Mercedes-Benz Tourismo BV71 HZB

My thanks to Dan for his photos

Roy

Ex First Norwich Volvos On the Move

Some of the former First Norwich fleet have transferred from Cornwall to the York Pullman Bus Company reports Allan Clearie. The latter had agreed the sale of its business to First Group a year ago.

Allan says that some of them have appeared on Leeds Festival shuttles and provides a photo of ex Blue Line Volvo B9 36169 BD11 CFO in the city yesterday.

My thanks to Allan for the information and photo

Roy

Clacton Activity

It was the first day of the Clacton Airshow yesterday and I spent around 20 minutes observing bus activity, mainly in Pier Avenue, prior to watching the display.

We were up early (for me!) to catch our feeder minibus in Gorleston to connect with our main coach. Belle Coaches Irizar i6 YS16 LNN provided the means to get there and is pictured at our destination on Marine Parade West.

After a great breakfast at the Greensward Café, I disappeared to Pier Avenue to take my first picture there. Appropriately it was former Angliianbus Scania CN230UB/ OmniLink AN61 BUS which caught my attention. Still in Hedingham colours with fleet number 456 it now has Konectbuses fleet names.

Still with Hedingham fleet branding was former Go Ahead London Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 527 LX06 EAK

I wasn't previously aware that an open top service ran through Pier Avenue so the arrival of Wright bodied Volvo B7TL 502 LF52 ZNE was a pleasant surprise. Further investigation revealed that the route was introduced in July 2023 and runs from the town centre to Point Clear.

A couple of ADL Enviro400s were observed which previously operated in the Norwich area. They were 629 SN65 OAJ in the new corporate blue livery and 602 SN10 CFF pictured currently in Hedingham. colours.

The airshow itself went well in better weather compared to last year with the Red Arrows bringing it all to an end with their usual great display.

Roy

Sanders' 23 Service

Dan High was in Lyng near Dereham yesterday to witness the Wednesday only shopping bus service between Horningtoft Church and Norwich Riverside. Leaving the latter at 9am its return journey arrives at 14:43.

Working the 23 service to Norwich yesterday was Sanders Coaches' MCV eVoRa bodied Volvo B8RLE 519 BV21 OOB named Norfolk Rambler.

My thanks to Dan for the photo

Busman's Holiday

'Mickshomeuk' has contacted me via email and tells me he spent most of his working life driving for First Huddersfield.

He's holidaying in the area at the moment and imagine his surprise when he saw this ex Huddersfield bus still resplendent with its HD Connection lettering in Great Yarmouth's Market Gates yesterday. The Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 37725 YJ09 OBW was on the 8 service to Caister's Marram Drive.

My thanks to Mick for the information and photo.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 20th August 2025

For the second consecutive week today's Notices and Proceedings Report, published by the East of England Traffic Commissioner, contains no information regarding changes to local bus services. The full Notices and Proceedings Report can be viewed here soon

Roy

Sanders' Demonstrator

Sanders Coaches' latest demonstrator is an all electric Yutong E9L type YE74 VGO which has been allocated fleet number 600 and entered service at Holt this morning. It is currently on a week's loan from Pelican Bus & Coach and has been used by many operators across the UK since first registered in November 2024.

Stephen Purkiss provides a photo of it on the operator's Fakenham bound service 9 at Hunworth this morning.

My thanks to Stephen for the use of his photo.

Roy

First Lowestoft Update

The latest from First Lowestoft is that Coastlink Enviro400 33820 YX63 LKK is currently off the road for its MOT. It is seen at Great Yarmouth's Market Gates on an X1 service to Norwich during April 2021.



The latest arrival from First Essex is Wright StreetLite 47645 SN15 AFE in Olympia livery which was previously based at Hadleigh. Photo courtesy of Christian Newsome.



My thanks to First Lowestoft for the update and to Christian for the photo

Roy

Friday Five

A total of five coaches were observed at Great Yarmouth's Beach Coach Station earlier this afternoon.



The first photo taken was of A Lyles & Son's Mercedes-Benz Tourismo AL23 LYC



Further along the line was Kent-based Crosskeys Coaches' Scania K360CB4 / Higer YT24 BVB



Next to that was Yutong GT12 LB25 SLE from the Lincolnshire-based fleet of Sleafordian Coaches



The remaining vehicles were also Yutongs - YD66 AYE from Empress Coaches of London plus Gee Vee Travel's GT17 GVT



Roy

Coastlink Withdrawls

Further to Roy's post on Tuesday, 3 Enviro 400's from the Coastlink fleet are now withdrawn. They are now being stored at the Reepham Road site in Norwich alongside the stored ex First Leeds Volvo's.

33805/33806 & 33811 have all been withdrawn from service, we are led to believe they are due to move to First Essex.

 33805 YX63LJK pictured at Caister Road back in March this year.

Thanks to First for the Information & Photo.

Grahame 

Service Alterations Registered ~ 13th August 2025

This week's Notices and Proceedings Report, published by the East of England Traffic Commissioner earlier today, contains no information regarding changes to local bus services. The full Notices and Proceedings Report can be viewed here soon

Roy

Rail Replacement

This morning I visited the Inspiration Railway 200 Exhibition Train at Lowestoft Railway Station's platform 4 which also provided an opportunity to meet up with a couple of friends I haven't seen for some time.



Whilst I was there it was announced that the 12:57 to Norwich would operate as a bus replacement service due to a problem with the Reedham Swingbridge .There was some immediate concern that passengers might join the East Anglia Transport Museum's former Lowestoft Corporation's AEC Swift YRT 898H on display at the bus stop in error!



The journey itself was provided at the last minute by Angies Tours of Lowestoft's Caetano Levante bodied Scania K410 P20 PJO. The coach was new as National Express BN64 FKO

My thanks to Tim Miller for the photos

Roy

Second Enviro400 Withdrawn

The latest from First's Caister Road depot is that a second Coastlink liveried ADL Enviro400 has been removed from the local fleet. It is 33811 YX63 LJY.



All four replacement Wright StreetDecks currently in the town are available for service.

Roy

First Update

Noted at First Norwich's Roundtree Way depot earlier today was First Ipswich Wright StreetLite 47679 SL15 RVW. It has been off the road since 19th June.

Also now stored in Norwich is recently withdrawn First Great Yarmouth ADL Enviro400 33806 YX63LJL, which is rumoured to be destined for First Essex.

Since Grahame's post yesterday, a fourth former First South West Wright bodied StreetDeck Ultroliner has arrived at Caister Road in the form of 35672 MF22 SYA. Leaving the remaining two of the batch to follow soon.

My thanks to First for the information and photo.

Roy

BIG Bus Show

More than 150 vehicles attended the BIG Bus Day event held at Stonham Barns Park in Suffolk yesterday.



While I was unable to attend, Dan High did and provided some 90 photos. This made a very difficult task for me to select what to post and what to leave out. One of the main attractions though was the appearance of the Ohmio LIFT Shuttle Autonomous vehicle KX24 BUF supplied by Suffolk County Council.



I had to restrict the photos in the remainder of this post to buses not published on the blog before or those locally based. One of the former was Eastern Coach Works bodied Bristol RELH OTA 645G in Midland Red colours.



One of the Norfolk contingent attending was Eagles Coaches ENH 634, a Volvo BM10-62 first registered in May1997 as P303 VWR by Wallace Arnold Coaches.



Another representative from the county was SALEC Travel's Setra W939 GAG which retains its former Coachpoint colour scheme.



A local operator not featuring much on the blog is Grebe Coaches of Wheatacre near Beccles which provided Mercedes-Benz O818D MIL 8912.



Many preservationists attended the event which provided an opportunity to display their vehicles. They included Suffolk-based J&M Preservations who brought along their latest acquisition Volvo B10M Plaxton Premiere 350 T325 APP still in its Ellie Rose Travel colours. Former AEC/Park Royal Routemaster 860 UXC, owned by another Suffolk group, also appeared with the former RM664 securing an award at the show.



Lowestoft independent Angies Coaches showed off its latest purchase - Yutong GT12 Y7 PTO in its recently applied Sunrise livery



Other local operators attending included First Eastern Counties, Sanders Coaches, Belle Coaches and Wrights Coaches.

I am very grateful to Dan for all the photos used with the exception being that of Y7 PTO which was taken by Will Drake. I can only apologise if your favourite vehicle is not included in our report
 
Roy

New Arrivals at Yarmouth

Yarmouth Depot is taking delivery of its first vehicles in the new corporate livery. These are a batch of ex First South West Wright Bodied StreetDeck Ultroliners.

35670 - 35675 are all expected at Caister Road with 35671/3 & 5 having arrived so far. All have been repainted out of Badgerline livery at Mardens in Essex.

 

35675 MF22SYG pictured at Caister Road prior to entering service, it worked the 7 service between Yarmouth & Norwich that day.

 

The latest arrival was collected from Norwich on Saturday, 35671 MF22SXZ is pictured over the pits at Caister Road shortly after arriving.

Full details as follows,

35670 MF22SXY  (Has been on loan with First Essex)

35671 MF22SXZ

35672 MF22SYA

35673 MF22SYC

35674 MF22SYE (Has been on loan with First Essex)

35675 MF22SYG 

We have been informed these will replace some of the Coastlink liveried Enviro 400 fleet which will transfer to Essex. A batch of Volvo B9TL Geminis are also rumoured to be heading to Yarmouth to replace older Volvo's here.

Many Thanks to First for the Information and the photo of 35671.

Grahame. 

Sanders in Cornwall

Dave King reports the sighting of three Sanders Coaches in Mid Cornwall today. He suggests from the window stickers that they are probably in the area in connection with the Boardmasters Surf Festival which is taking place near Newquay this weekend.



He observed Volvo B13RT/ Jonckheeres 919 DLZ 822 and 920 DLZ 844 along with Van Hool T915 / Alicron 800 WH11 CHR



Apparently the Sanders' contingent in Cornwall is even larger with an additional four coaches later reported present on our Facebook site. They are Volvo B9Rs PVF 377, 259 VYC, W30 SCL and Volvo B11R SC23 NJS

Later in Newquay, whilst photographing the shuttle buses, he saw ex First Norwich Volvo B9TL 36171 BD11 CFU on service 87 from Truro. Following the loss of college and schools work at First Kernow it is reported that all of the ex Norwich Volvo B9TL's are soon to move elsewhere.

Many thanks to Dave for the information and photos and to James Morgan for details of the other coaches

Roy