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 Ultraliners.

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

More Changes

Among the latest changes at First Great Yarmouth and First Lowestoft are the removal of two vehicles from active duty.

Coastlink liveried ADL Enviro400 33806 YX63 LJL has been removed from the Great Yarmouth fleet whilst ADL Enviro 200 44599 YX08 HJF has been withdrawn at Lowestoft. Coincidentally both were parked next to each other in the rear yard at the former's Caister Road premises this afternoon.

My thanks to First for the information and photo.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 6th August 2025

Several relevant entries appear in this week's Notices and Proceedings Report, published by the East of England Traffic Commissioner earlier today.

BorderBus of Beccles has retrospectively registered some of its services for the Latitude Festival held at Henham Park between 24th and 27th July 2025:-
LAT1 Halesworth Rail Station, Suffolk to Latitude Festival.
LAT5 Tesco, Beccles, Suffolk to Latitude Festival

The operator has also varied the timetable of two of its Latitude services:-
LAT2 Halesworth Rail Station, Suffolk to Latitude Festival
LAT4 Kessingland, Suffolk to Latitude Festival.

City to Coast Day Tours, of Staines-Upon-Thames, has received approval to increase its licence authorisation to four vehicles at its Pinbush Close site in Lowestoft.

The full Notices and Proceedings Report can be viewed here soon.

Roy

BIG Bus Show~ Stonham Barns

The BIG Bus Show is being held at Stoneham Barns Park in Suffolk on Sunday 10th August where there can be found a collection of historic and modern buses ranging from 1930s to the present day.



Almost 140 or so buses are already registered to attend the event which is being organised by the Eastern Counties Bus Preservation Group. The event starts at 10 am with attendance being £7 per adult and under 12s going free with a family ticket available at £24.

J&M Preservations are also attending the show and are offering a complimentary free return bus service from Lowestoft Bus Station to Stonham Barns for attendees. Timings are as follows:

Departure from Lowestoft Bus Station: 07:40

Return from Stonham Barns: 16:00 

This service is provided exclusively for the BIG Bus Show and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage all passengers to arrive promptly to secure a seat.

Hope all attendees and exhibitors have a great day.

Roy

Norwich Visit

Yesterday meant one of those now very rare visits to Norwich and, despite the damp start to the day, the weather was warm with sunny intervals. Naturally some photos were taken of bus activity!



Our day began with the delayed First X1 10:30 service from Lowestoft with 33819 YX63 LKJ providing the means to get to the city. It is shown here shortly after arrival at Norwich Bus Station immediately displaying its next duty the 12:25 X11 to Belton. Passing is Wright StreetDeck 35179 SK16 GUW arriving with the X2 from Lowestoft.



Moving to Castle Meadow, I assumed a Dan High role and took some photos there as he was away on a short break in Italy. My last visit to the city was before the recent Park & Ride changes so it provided an opportunity to get photos of the latest incumbents. The first was of Central Connect's (Simonds) ADL Enviro200MMC 366 YY24 HBK on the Postwick PR3 route.



Shortly after First's 37574 AU58 ECY passed through Castle Meadow in Coastal Red colours heading to Great Yarmouth with the 13:20 service 7.



The only visiting coach noted was from Woods Travel of West Sussex with its Irizar i6 S55 FYX which was first registered YT17 EZZ when with Avalon of Glastonbury.



First Ipswich deckers continue to operate in the city with Wright StreetDeck 35927 MF72 WBE being employed on the X29 to Fakenham.



Two repowered StreetDecks were observed - 71016 W6 FAL and 71025 CMZ 5293. The latter was passing through Castle Meadow from Wroxham with the 12 service to the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital.

Our final contribution features my first photo of a Flixbus vehicle in the shape of Simonds Yutong GT12 418 YK25 OME which was due to depart Norwich Bus Station at 14:30 on the 007 service to Stratford.

Roy

Latest Arrival at J&M Preservations

Earlier in the week, I originally posted that J&M Preservations had acquired a Volvo B10M-62. This has subsequently been swapped for Volvo B10M Plaxton Premiere 350 T325 APP

Built in 1999, this coach was the final new delivery to Cambridge Coach Services as its no 325 before their takeover by National Express.. It originally ran in service as part of their express coach network linking Cambridge, Oxford, Gatwick and Stansted Airport.

There is also a photo of it in Norwich Bus Station taken in July 2005 on Flickr in the then current National Express Airport livery.

T325 APP later operated for many years with Ellie Rose Travel of Hull providing private hires and operating school routes. It also spent some time with Poppletons of Halifax.

Keep an eye out for restoration updates and photos on the group's Facebook site. My thanks to Mason Lee for the information.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 30th July 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

Busy Beach Coach Station

Quite a line up today at the Coach Station in Great Yarmouth with two operators supplying the majority of vehicles. Dews of Somersham and Richmonds of Hertfordshire each had a selection of their fleets at the seaside for the day.

 The line also included a single Alfa Travel Mercedes, BV22WDR.

 Three of Dew's vehicles here were all Mercedes Tourismos, EV16DEW, DEW5S & 325DEW.

 Richmonds vehicles included LB21YMV, LB21YMW, 729KTO & 892LTV.

 

Finally another vehicle here was GT05BUS, a Temsa HD12 Giles of Millisle County Down in Northern Ireland, this was new as AY73EDR.

Grahame. 

Two Deckers On Loan

Two double-deckers are on loan to First Great Yarmouth today. They are Volvo B9 36183 BN12 JYF, in Eastern Counties red livery, and Wright StreetDeck 35286 SL87 VXP in Ultraviolet colours.



With the onset of rain, the latter’s first duty was the 1C Great Yarmouth to Hemsby service replacing an open topper on the route.

My thanks to First Great Yarmouth for the information and to James Clarke for the use of his photo which shows 35286 at a deserted Pleasure Beach

Roy

Grange Travel In Gorleston

This afternoon, before the rains came. I discovered a Van Hool TX25 Astromega parked up on the Lower Esplanade in Gorleston. I immediately suspected it was one of Completely Coach Travel's vehicles without any fleet names on the side.

However, as I got closer I noticed it wasn't as it had a 29 GT registration. I glanced at the legal lettering and found it to be a member of the Grange Travel Coach Hire fleet of Gravesend in Kent. Further homework revealed it to originally have the registration KN23 FUP.

Roy

Norwich Interloper

This morning there appears to be a foreigner in the camp at First Norwich's Vulcan Road depot. It is First Essex ADL Enviro400 MMC 33981 SN65 OFW.

As it is in 'Ultraviolet Pride' livery, it is assumed it is in the city for the Norwich Pride event being held tomorrow..

Many thanks to our anonymous contributor for his photo

Roy

Beach Coach Station Ten

I observed a multi-coloured gathering of ten coaches at Great Yarmouth's Beach Coach Station just after midday yesterday.



First snapped was Country Lion's Northampton-based Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B9 L1 ONB in its red colour scheme.



Up next is a photo of Landmark Coaches Neoplan N2216/3SHDC Tourliner BMZ 4979 which was earlier registered as PN13 TFF.



The third photo is of Pats Coaches of Wrexham's Scania K360IB4 / Higer YN22 YMR in its Shearings.com livery

Our final offering shows three Alfa Travel Mercedes-Benz Tourismos which have visited the town before. They were A135 BV22 WTR, A148 BF24 AOW and A159 BV25 LZO.

The remaining four were also pervious visitors to the Coach Station. They comprised Kings Tours KC22 ABC, Coach Services YN17 OLW, Wrights Coaches W25 PTS and Green Line GC18 GLC.

Roy

Ambassador's Wherry Service

Today saw the introduction of the 100 Wherry bus service between Vauxhall Holiday Park and the town's seafront with a new operator.

Ambassador Travel was employing their Scania 280CB / Higer Fencer 617 Y23 BDF on the route this morning and it appears the damp weather didn't attract too many customers. The Scania is seen outside the Pub on the Prom on Marine Parade and is about to leave with the 11:55 service.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 23rd July 2025

Just the one entry of local relevance in this week's Notices and Proceedings Report, published by the East of England Traffic Commissioner. It concerns the timetable revision to Sanders Coaches' 54 service between North Walsham Travel Hub and Norwich Bus Station from 20th July 2025

The full Notices and Proceedings Report can be viewed here soon
Roy

Two BorderBus Demonstrators!

Andrew Watts provides information on recent workings in the Great Yarmouth area by BorderBus on its 580 route.

'Over the last few months, it has been more and more common to see one of the BorderBus Envrio400 MMC deckers (217 or 218) working the longer 580 duty that includes the Harleston extensions and today was no exception with the approximately one year old 218 (BB74 BUS) making its way between Bungay and Great Yarmouth.



Rather unusually, however, 218 was joined today on the 580 by not one, but two (!) saloon demonstrators in the form of the Volvo BZL Electric BV72 KPF and ADL Enviro200 MMC 

YY25 DKX.

As previously reported, the Electric demonstrator has been working the 146 since mid-last week, but today was the first time it had the treat of visiting Great Yarmouth. The Enviro200 MMC was in use for the first time with BorderBus today.



The first picture shows a rather well loaded BV72 KPF working the 13:30 Yarmouth to Bungay journey snapped on Beaufort Way, Gorleston. The second, taken less than 5 minutes later, shows YY25 DKX working in the opposite direction, having left Bungay at 13:16.'

I am very grateful to Andrew for his detailed report and the use of his photos.

Roy

StreetDecks Still Here!

Regular contributor Dan High provides photos of activity in Norwich city centre earlier today and it is interesting to note that at least two First Ipswich Wright StreetLDecks remain active in the area



Observed were 35926 BN72 TVY and 35911 BN72 TVC with the former appearing on the 36 service to Horsford



Another notable working was Wright StreetLite 63324 SK65 PXE on the 39 to Mile Cross - normally operated by the smaller wheelbase version of the model.

My thanks to Dan for his photos

Roy

Reepham Road Stored Deckers

'Ashleybus400' paid a visit to First Eastern Counties' Reepham Road premises in Norwich earlier today where there are now eleven former First West Yorkshire double-deckers.



He has provided photos of the group of vehicles through his X account and has ben able to identify them all. They are, in order on the photos, (from left to right)

39236 - BP11 JWW
39222 - BP11 JWD
39221 - BP11 JWA
39227 - BP11 JWL
39225 - BP11 JWF (behind 39227)
39230 - BP11 JWJ
39202 - BJ60 BZB
39203 - BJ60 BZC
39223 - BP11 JWC
39205 - BJ60 BZE
39224 - BP11 JWE



The buses are owned by Ensign and are being stored there until space is available at their Purfleet premises. There are various rumours about their subsequent destination which I have had no confirmation of.

Incidentally, the Reepham Road site has recently been removed as an operating centre by First Eastern Counties. My thanks to Ashley for his information and photos

Roy

Ipswich StreetDecks Work City Services

After their use on University of East Anglia Graduation Shuttles during the week, some of the First Ipswich Wright StreetDecks were noted on the City's public bus services earlier today.



'Ashleybus' provides photos, via X, of three of them with the first being 35927 MF72 WBE on St Stephen's Street working an X41 to Halesworth. It was on the 41/X41 route for most of the day.



The second features 35919 BN72 TVO on Rampant Horse Street being employed on the 21 between the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital and Old Catton



The last shows 35911 BN72 TVC outside the former Debenhams building on Red Lion Street on its way from the University of East Anglia to the Riverside.

My thanks to Ashley for the use of his photos.

Roy

Wherry Service 100 Returns

In our post of 28th June we mentioned that Our Bus was cancelling three of its routes from the end of August and would not be running the 100 Wherry bus service between Vauxhall Holiday Park and the town's seafront this year.

The service was supported by the Wherry Line Community Rail Partnership who have now managed to get the route reintroduced this year but with a different operator, Ambassador Travel. It will run between the dates of 23rd July and 30th August with the timetable able to viewed on the Ambassador Travel website here

My thanks to Steve Hewitt of the East Norfolk Transport Users Association for bringing this to our attention.

Roy

BorderBus Electric Demonstrator

On its second day out on the BorderBus 146 Norwich to Southwold service, I got a couple of photos of the Volvo BZL Electric Demonstrator BV72 KPF in south Lowestoft.



The photos were both taken at the 'Pakefield Morrisons Bus Stop', even though it’s outside the new Sainsbury's store!!



BV72 KPF was operating the 10:20 from Norwich which was running about ten minutes late.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 16th July 2025

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

Roy

First Great Yarmouth Latest

The latest news from First Great Yarmouth is that two deckers are on loan from Norwich to cover shortages and they are Volvo B9s 37525 YN58 ETT and 36180 BD11 CDZ



Similar 36190 BN12 JYP requires a new axle so will be off the road for a little while and 36186 BN12 JYJ is at Full Circle undergoing accident repairs.

My thanks to First for the information.

Roy

First Ipswich Deckers On Loan

With the help of of our Norwich correspondent Dan High, I am pleased to provide you with photos of some of the buses in use on University of East Anglia Graduation Shuttles earlier today.



As in previous years, double deckers have been borrowed from First Ipswich to undertake the work.



Dan noted at least six of the Wright StreetDecks in use which included BN72 TVK/O/P/U/Y and
MF72 WBE



I am grateful to Dan for the use of his photos



Roy

Seaside Special

Yesterday was the second day of the East Anglia Transport Museum's Seaside Special and I went along to see what was on offer.



As at previous events, First was providing park and ride services from Ashburnham Way to Carlton Colville which was worked by Wright StreetDeck 35179 SK16 GUW in the latest ultraviolet livery. On arrival situated close to the site entrance was another Lowestoft decker in the form of Volvo B9 36200 BN12 WOA complete with First Norwich branding - presumably on standby.



Apart from the usual local participants, former Hedingham Leyland Tiger L148 WPH 135Y was about to board its passengers for a trip out. The vehicle was new to London Country in August 1982 with an Eastern Coach Works body which was replaced in February1994 with an East Lancs version.



Two open toppers also graced the yard - Eastern Transport Collection's ex Eastern Counties Bristol VR OT3 JNG 50N and ex Eastern National Bristol KSW5G WNO 479 (pictured).

After paying the entrance fee, we entered the site and was immediately attracted to the Punch and Judy show in the picnic area. The adults seemed to be joining in and enjoying the attraction more than the children were!!



Whilst watching, I noticed out of the corner of my eye an unrestored double decker was on display on the road next to the railway. I managed to tear myself away from Mr Punch and his battle with the crocodile to see that the bus was Great Yarmouth Corporation Leyland PD2 EX 6566 currently under restoration.



After looking around the exhibitions we decided to have lunch at the café and enjoyed a freshly made cheese and pickle sandwich washed down with a strong cup of coffee. We then had a couple of Blackpool Tram rides comprising Terror Tram 634 and Marton VAMBACH 11.



Shortly after I caught up with an old friend who had recently jointly purchased former Maidstone & District HKL 826, a 1946 AEC Regal with a Beadle OB35F body. He said it should be out for a run soon so we took the opportunity to climb aboard before it started its first trip.



After a few circuits of the museum's roads, we alighted and made our way to the buses operating trips from the museum to Beccles and Gunton. Both were operated by open toppers and we elected to join former Eastern Counties JNG 50N on a trip to the former. We had an 'interesting' journey on the top deck and on arrival I got off to get a picture. We decided not to have an 'interesting' run back and opted for the lower deck instead! We returned in time to catch the Gunton bus with Bristol KSW5G WNO 479 in charge and we were concerned it was struggling to climb the new Gulf Wing bridge!

Before too long it was time to return to Ashburnham Way on the StreetDeck for the car after having an enjoyable day.

Roy