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Enviro400 33806 YX63 LJL has been removed from the Great Yarmouth fleet whilst ADL Enviro 200 44599 YX08 HJF has been withdrawn at Lowestoft.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.