Christmas Eve In Norwich

A couple of photos taken on Castle Meadow in Norwich on Christmas Eve by Dan High.

The first is of a Coastal Clipper liveried Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B9TL which are rarely seen in the city. This is First 37572 AU58 ECW on the 13:20 service 7 to Great Yarmouth via Fleggburgh and Caister.

Often visiting the Norfolk coastal area are members of the Alfa Travel fleet and this is their Mercedes-Benz Tourismo A108 BV19 YFC on its way to Cromer after visiting Norwich.

Thanks to Dan for the photos

Roy

Boxing Day Back Track

Happy Boxing Day Readers, hope you all had a fantastic Christmas Day, all full and rested i hope!

I am taking you back to Norwich in August 2005, sounds very odd saying that it is now 20 years ago.

 

First up is a new arrival for First that year, 32652 AU05MUP an Alexander Dennis ALX400 which was wrongly delivered in Park & Ride Blue livery before being repainted in the corporate Barbie scheme, in fact the whole batch of these arrived at Great Yarmouth Depot in Blue. The Park & Ride vehicles were then made up of 53 plate ALX400's from the fleet.

Sanders ran a few DAF/Ikarus vehicles around this time and P127RWR is seen in Castle Meadow heading out to Holt a the 44 service. This was new to Luton Airport, it moved onto Brylaine in Lincolnshire after service with Sanders.

Norfolk County Council had begun running some of the City Park & Ride sites, one of these being Postwick where this photo was taken. AU05FKG was in a White scheme as a dedicated spare vehicle covering all sites, NCC ran Agoralines in Green, Yellow & Purple schemes for the various sites at Postwick, Sprowston & Norwich Airport.

 

A unique loan vehicle was operating for First at the time, 32850 T850LLC, A Dennis Trident with Plaxton President bodywork appeared on the 25 service, This type was to become a fixture in the fleet from 2009 along with more Volvo B7TL's from London. 32850 did return to Norwich in Barbie colours before moving on to First Essex.

 

Finally adding to the new colourful Park & Ride fleets were Konectbus who operated the Thickthorn site using VDL/Wright Geminis, YJ05PXD is seen heading out of the new Bus Station which was yet to be completed at the time if i recall.

Enjoy the rest of the festive celebrations, hopefully i should be up to Norwich again before the end of the year.

All The Best, Grahame.

Season's Greetings

Well another twelve months has shot by so quickly with many comings and goings for many of our local operators’ fleets. You are able to view all the posts of the year (and previous years’ too!) in the blog archive located at the bottom left hand side of the web site. There’s also the search facility at the very top of the web page if you are looking for a particular item.

The blog has amassed almost eight million page views with much of its success down to our many contributors. Daily views are in the thousands each day with visitors from USA, Hong Kong, Brazil, India and Uzbekistan being notable. Thanks for your continued support.

Thanks also to each and every one of our contributors as the information is very much valued and appreciated. Again this year I feel I have to acknowledge the continuous updates and photos from Dan High on the Norwich bus scene. As well as our regular correspondents it is pleasing to see so many new names appearing too.

Once more my very special thanks to Grahame Bessey for his input and support despite being a very busy man. I understand he is to venture out with his camera over the holiday period so looking forward to that.

Finally, both Grahame and I would like to wish all readers, contributors and supporters a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2026.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 24th December 2025

Our last post on the weekly issue of the East of England Traffic Commissioner's Notices and Proceedings Repor before Christmas shows new services by Simonds of Bottesdale and changes by First in the Lowestoft area

The Simonds' entries relate to three new schools services in the western part of our area. They include the 6 from the Old Courthouse onYarmouth Road, Blofield to St Andrew High School in Thorpe and the 7 between Cucumber Lane in Brundall and the same school. The third is the 3A/3B which runs from Chapel Road in Lingwood to Acle Academy on South Walsham Road in Acle. All three services commence on 5th January 2026

First Eastern Counties has amended the route and timetable of its X2 / X21, X22 / 902 Lowestoft Bus Station to Norwich Bus Station services from 2nd November 2025. The operator is to amend the route and timetable of the 102 from 4th January 2026. From the same date the timetable of its 105 Gordon Road, Lowestoft to Oulton Rock in the town will also change

The full Notices and Proceedings Report will be available to view here soon.

Roy

Norwich Tuesday

Some photos selected from a number of contributions sent by Dan High taken in Norwich earlier today.



The complimentary vintage Christmas bus rides around Norwich continues and this is former Eastern Counties VPW 85S, an Eastern Coach Works bodied Bristol VRT.



Our second photo shows First's Wright GB Kite Electroliner 63642 BK24 AAY on driver training duties in Castle Meadow.



Also making an appearance in the city was Sanders' newly acquired MCV bodied Volvo DM66 DRM which was being employed on the 54 to North Walsham.

My thanks again to Dan for the photos .

Roy

Free Christmas Vintage Bus Tours

Saturday marked the start of the traditional complimentary vintage Christmas bus rides around Norwich provided by Norfolk Vintage Bus Hire. I intended to visit the city to take advantage of the tours but the dreaded lurgy thwarted our plans.



However, Dan High got a photo of their Routemaster RML2401 JJD 401D.in action on one of the trips. Regular support was provided by former Eastern Counties privately preserved VPW 85S, an Eastern Coach Works bodied Bristol VRT.

A guest appearance was made by Eastern National ECW bodied Bristol KSW5G WNO 479 open topper which began life with Westcliff on Sea in 1953

Free daily services operate until 24th December running every 30 minutes between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM. departing from Castle Meadow. Voluntary donations for the British Heart Foundation are being welcomed.

Roy

Norwich Friday

Regular contributor Dan High has forwarded a number of photos of his sightings on Norwich's Castle Meadow earlier today.



The first shows Sanders Coaches' Caetano Levante bodied Volvo B9R 929 W29 SCL passing through on a relief X40 service for Sheringham which, according to Bus Times, worked only as far as Cromer.

The second features visiting Kings Langley-based Barnett's Coaches Irizar i6s YT19 KUH. Named 'Miss Courtney-Louise', the coach had also been observed by Grahame at Great Yarmouth's Beach Coach Station in July this year.



The final photo is that of Flagfinders' branded ADL Enviro200 769 MX12 DZE operating on the Simonds PR2 Harford Park & Ride service.

Thanks Dan for the photos

Roy

Norwich Thursday

Mark Doggett was in Norwich earlier today viewing activity when he found newly transferred ADL Enviro400 33549 SN58 CFU on its first day in service. The former First Essex decker was being employed on the 38 route to Ives Road Community Centre. Unfortunately it didn't appear to cover all of its planned duties.



Whilst on Castle Meadow he also snapped another First Essex exile in the form of Wright StreetLite 63143 SN14 DWW on its way to Hellesdon.



My thanks to Mark for the information and photos.

Roy

New Addition At Sanders

Earlier today Sanders Coaches unveiled the latest addition to the fleet on social media. MCV bodied Volvo DM66 DRM was new to DRM Bus of Bromyard, Herefordshire in September 2016. It is now in Sanders livery as their 539 and is branded for the  6A/X6 North Walshan to Great Yarmouth route.

It is pictured here by Kieran Smith on its maiden journey, the 14:20 X6 from North Walsham to Great Yarmouth this afternoon.

My thanks to Kieran for his help with this post 

Roy

Park & Ride Duties

Regular contributor Dan High has provided a number of photos showing buses in use on Castle Meadow in Norwich earlier today.

They include Transport Made Simple’s (Simonds) ADL Enviro200  MMC’s YY24 HBK and YY24 HBL being employed on the PR3 Postwick Park & Ride route.

Also used on park and ride duties was First Wright StreetDeck Electroliner 36547 BK73 AGO seen here being passed by similar 36588 BK73 AMU on the 24 to Queen’s Hills.

My thanks to Dan for the photos. 

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 17th December 2025

Only one entry concerning local bus operations in today's East of England Traffic Commissioner's Notices and Proceedings Report.

Sanders Coaches is to cancel its service 26A service between Wells former Railway Station and Fakenham Sixth Form Academy from 9th January 2026.

The full Notices and Proceedings Report will be available to view here soon.

Roy

First Latest News

We learnt earlier tonight that First Eastern Counties ADL Enviro400 33423 SN60 CAA has been withdrawn from active service due to chassis deterioration. Apparently it needs a serious amount of welding and unfortunately its next journey will be to the scrapyard.

It last caught the attention of my camera on 30th August this year when operating on the X1 on Church Lane in Gorleston which was undergoing resurfacing at the time.

On its acquisition from Connex in Jersey during June 2013, 33423 became the pride of the fleet with its tinted windows. It was later painted into Coastlink livery with the tint removed and became just another member of the fleet.

Vehicles loaned to Lowestoft are Wright StreetLite 47501 SN64 CPU along with Wright StreetDeck 35671 MF22 SXZ and Volvo B9s 36196 BN12 JYW and 37571 AU58ECV.

Meanwhile 36215 BJ12 VWX and 47484 SN64 CNV are due to undergo an MOT in January.

My thanks to First for the update.

Roy

Thetford Rangers

Coach Services began operating their new T1/T2/T3 Thetford Rangers service from today with regular contributor Jdraves1 providing some photos of the buses employed.

We previously mentioned the impending arrival of two new MCV eVoRas with the first featured being BU25 WMK in the Thetford Rangers livery.

The second 10.8 metre variant is BU75 WMO which has yet to receive the new branding.

The third vehicle in use this morning was YX67 VGG which operated the T1/T2/T3 routes before the 82/83 was introduced.

My thanks to Jdraves1 for the photos and information 

Roy

Welcome To Worthing

My first opportunity to observe bus activity in Worthing was late yesterday afternoon and it was nearing dusk. After a few pictures during daylight hours I thought I would try and experiment with the ‘night mode’ on my mobile phone.

I thought it might be appropriate, bearing in mind our closeness to the magic day, to take my first photo of a bus beneath the ‘Merry Christmas from Worthing’ illuminated sign. It features Compass Bus ADL Enviro200 YX63 GXP on the 16 to Lyons Farm.

With the light beginning to fade, I took a photo of Stagecoach South’s ADL/Transbus Enviro300 27664 GX10 KZS passing similar 27675 GX60 PDK, in the latest livery, opposite The Dome Cinema in Worthing.

Also seen opposite The Dome is unibus branded ADL Enviro400 MMC 11228 SN69 ZDJ being prepared for a 700 service to Durrington..

I experimented a little more with some slowly moving buses but the photos tended to be slightly blurred. So I decided to move to South Street to capture buses at the stops with Christmas lighting in the background with the first showing out of service Enviro300 27832 GX62 BUU at the front of the photo.

The final photo features another ADL Enviro400 MMC 10943 SN18 KNG with ‘You can’t miss us’ branding on the 701 to Lancing with a Compass Bus ADL Enviro200 passing the lights in the background on South Street.

Reasonably pleased with some of the results of ‘night mode’ and will definitely use it again.

Roy

Coastlink Decker Withdrawn

Another Coastlink branded decker has been withdrawn by First Eastern Counties. It’s Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 37141 SN57 HDA which joined the local fleet from First Borders in April 2021. It received Coastlink colours during June of that year and is pictured by Will Drake following its transfer to First’s Lowestoft depot. It’s next and final journey will be to the scrapyard.

Volvo B9 37722 YJ09 OBT has returned to Norwich whilst Ultraviolet StreetDeck 35196 SK16 GVV is now on loan at Caister Road,

My thanks to First for the update.

Roy

Completely Gorleston

Two Completely Coach Travel vehicles arrived in Gorleston earlier today loaded with customers attending an event at the Pavillion.

One of the coaches was their new Irizar i6 YN75 ZXZ thought to be making its first appearance in Gorleston. It was supported by similar L29 CCT which was new to Coliseum (Lucketts) as JIL 8230 in May 2016 and later became PG16 LXJ.

Two of the company’s Van Hool TD 927 Astromegas were also noted on private hire in Great Yarmouth with R28 CCT and J29 CCT parked up at the coach station.

My thanks to Kai Gied for the photos and information. Kai has also set up a Facebook group for the operator.

Roy

Yellow For Blue

Another First Norwich bus not on its correct coloured route this morning was Yellow Line Volvo B9 36267 BG12 YJZ on Blue Line service 25. It is seen at Castle Meadow on its way to the University of East Anglia.

My thanks to Dan for the photo.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 10th December 2025

Again there’s just the single entry concerning local bus operations in today's East of England Traffic Commissioner's Notices and Proceedings Report.

First Eastern Counties has amended the timetable of service 7, between Great Yarmouth Market Gates /James Paget Hospital and Norwich Bus Station, from 2nd November 2025.

The full Notices and Proceedings Report will be available to view here soon.

Roy

Volvo Re-registered

Further to our post from last Thursday, Mark Dogget paid another visit to Ensign of Purfleet today and found former First Norwich Volvo B9 / Wright Eclipse Gemini with its new number plate. 36168 BD11 CFN has been re-registered LPY 374 as expected.

My thanks to Mark for the information and photo.

Roy

Another Enviro300 Joins First Essex

Over the weekend another First Eastern Counties ADL/TransBus Enviro300 moved south to First Essex.This morning saw 67773 SN62 AXH, in Ipswich Park & Ride colours, at Chelmsford Rail Station on its first day in service on the c1 to Galleywood.

It was in April 2017 when it moved from First Borders to First Eastern Counties depot in Great Yarmouth for preparation for the new service. Simon Taylor provided a photo to accompany our original post about its arrival.

My thanks to Dale Bell for his photo of 67773.

Roy

Norwich Selection (8/12/25)

Day of from work to do some Christmas shopping in the city, so took the camera along for when the shopping bug left!

 

First up is one of  the more recent Streetlite arrivals from First Essex, 63169 SN64CJV is pictured in Castle Meadow working the 36A route to Mulbarton.

It has been a while since i had the camera out in Norwich so i still have a few vehicles to catch up on!

 71025 CMZ5293 (ex. SO15CUW) is one of the re powered Streetdecks operating in the city.

 

One of the oldest fleet members now is Volvo B9TL 37139 SN57HCY seen here about to depart for Fakenham on the X29. It recently had a brief spell in Great Yarmouth before returning to Norwich.

 

Finally we have BT63UUR a Volvo /MCV Evolution, previously with Simonds and now part of the Coach Services fleet. Seen here about to head out to East Harling.

Hopefully another trip before Christmas (When the shopping is finished!)

Grahame. 

Thursford Coaches

David Bell has been to Thursford several times this year since the Christmas Concerts started and has provided a selection of photos for use on the blog.

Representing the long distance operators were Brethertons of Longridge in Lancashire with their Volvo 9900 bodied Volvo B11R GL22 HOL in its distinctive red livery. 

John Martin of Midsomer Norton in Somerset was represented by their VDL Futura2 JM19 HOL.

KM Travel of Barnsley, an operator which regularly visits Great Yarmouth, sent along their Yutong GT12 KM25 KMT.

The more local operators were represented by Coach Services of Thetford’s Scania YN17 OLW and Ipswich-based Suffolk Travel’s Volvo PN06 KJZ

I’m grateful to David for the many photos

Roy

StreetLite Gets New Livery

Harry Holmes was  out and about in Norwich tonight and caught site of former First Essex Wright StreetLite 63143 SN14 DWW in its new corporate colours with First Eastern Counties. It was its first time out in service in the new livery with its first journey’s beginning this evening. He apologises for the poor quality of the photo due to the bad lighting conditions.

Roy