Album Happy Christmas from David Slater (Spoddendale)

Father Christmas making an early call in Stanton (P1200478R)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:22 +0000

Friday 6 December 2024 (0953) – Father Christmas making an early call at the cottage near the bus stop at Stanton near Bury St. Edmunds.

Bus stop and service information in Stanton - 6 Dec 2024 (P1200478)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 22:59:56 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Friday 6 December 2024 (0953) – In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the services.

The bus timetable display in Stanton carries information about the revisions to the former Simonds services 304, 337 and 338 implemented from 1st September 2024. The main services through Stanton are the Bury St. Edmunds to Diss service now numbered 70 and the Bury St. Edmunds to Garboldisham service now numbered 73.

Father Christmas is making an early call at the cottage near the bus stop!

Simonds/Central Connect SN11 BTU in Stanton - 6 Dec 2024 (P1200486)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 22:59:58 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Friday 6 December 2024 (1000) – In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the services.

SN11 BTU, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400D, was seen in Stanton when working the 0930 service 70 from Bury St. Edmunds to Diss.

It had been new to First Capital (DN33655) in June 2011 to work Transport for London (TfL) contracted services. It was later operated by the London Borough of Redbridge in whose livery style it remains.

The bus timetable display carries information of the revisions to the former Simonds services 304, 337 and 338 implemented from 1st September 2024. The main services through Stanton are the Bury St. Edmunds to Diss service now numbered 70 and the Bury St. Edmunds to Garboldisham service now numbered 73.

Father Christmas is making an early call at the cottage near the bus stop!

Konectbus/Chambers 455 (AN61 LAN) in Bury St. Edmunds - 2 Dec 2024 (P1200458)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:23:57 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Monday 2 December 2024 (1310) - Go-Ahead owned Konectbus 455 (AN61 LAN) in the livery of H C Chambers and Son seen in St. Andrews Street, Bury St. Edmunds as it arrived on the 1205 service 753 from Sudbury.

It is a Scania K230UD OmniLink that had been new to Anglian Bus in October 2011. The registration number sort of spells out the Anglian name. Anglian Bus was acquired by Go-Ahead in 2012 and almost immediately merged with Konectbus which Go-Ahead had acquired two years earlier.

Belle Coaches BD18 TKO ('Turkey & Tinsel') on the A11 at Barton Mills - 29 Nov 2024 (P1200405)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:23:58 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Friday 29 November 2024 (1213) – Belle Coaches (Shreeve), Lowestoft BD18 TKO seen in busy Friday traffic on the A11 approaching Fiveways, Barton Mills. Heading towards home on a ‘Turkey & Tinsel’ Tour based at Folkestone and Canterbury. Plenty of tinsel on the dashboard!

It is a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo new to GHP Trading (Williams), Ancaster near Grantham in May 2028.

Belle Coaches BD18 TKO ('Turkey & Tinsel') on the A11 at Barton Mills - 29 Nov 2024 (P1200405)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:23:59 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Konectbus/Chambers 871 (PN09 ELU) in Bury St. Edmunds - 2 Dec 2024 (P1200450)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 17:29:17 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Monday 2 December 2024 (1213) - Go-Ahead owned Konectbus 871 (PN09 ELU) in the livery of H C Chambers and Son seen in St. Andrews Street, Bury St. Edmunds as it arrived on the 1105 service 753 from Sudbury.

It is an Optare Olympus bodied Scania N230UD that had been new to Metrobus (888) in June 2009 for operation on Transport for London contracts.

Konectbus/Chambers 871 (PN09 ELU) in Bury St. Edmunds - 2 Dec 2024 (P1200451)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 17:29:16 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Monday 2 December 2024 (1214) - Go-Ahead owned Konectbus 871 (PN09 ELU) in the livery of H C Chambers and Son seen in St. Andrews Street, Bury St. Edmunds as it arrived on the 1105 service 753 from Sudbury.

It is an Optare Olympus bodied Scania N230UD that had been new to Metrobus (888) in June 2009 for operation on Transport for London contracts.

Mulleys Motorways YJ57 YDB in Bury St. Edmunds - 2 Dec 2024 (P1200452)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 17:29:18 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Monday 2 December 2024 (1215) - Mulleys Motorways YJ57 YDB, a 10.2 metre long Optare Solo new to Peterborough City Council (#600) in December 2007, seen in St. Andrews Street, Bury St. Edmunds.

The Council began a small scale bus operation in 2007(?) in order to operate a number of regular bus services which could not be run viably by a commercial operator thus requiring Council subsidy. On July 1 2011 this operation was transferred to Enterprise Peterborough, a partnership created by the Council with outsourcing contractor Enterprise. In 2013 it was decided that these bus services, branded ‘Local Link’, would again be contracted out and Stagecoach in Peterborough became the chosen bidder.

Simonds/Central Connect SN12 EHC in Stanton - 6 Dec 2024 (P1200499)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 20:21:35 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Friday 6 December 2024 (1004) – In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the services.

SN12 EHC, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400D, was seen in Stanton when working the 0930 service 70 from Diss to Bury St. Edmunds.

It had been new to Centrewest (DN33787) in August 2012 to work Transport for London (TfL) contracted services. It was later operated by the London Borough of Redbridge in whose livery style it remains.

Father Christmas is making an early call at the cottage across the road!

Simonds/Central Connect SN11 BTU in Stanton - 6 Dec 2024 (P1200536)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:45:57 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Friday 6 December 2024 (1207) – In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the services.

SN11 BTU, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400D, was seen in Stanton when working the 1130 service 70 from Diss to Bury St. Edmunds.

It had been new to First Capital (DN33655) in June 2011 to work Transport for London (TfL) contracted services. It was later operated by the London Borough of Redbridge in whose livery style it remains.

Simonds/Central Connect 365 (YY24 HBJ) in Stanton - 6 Dec 2024 (P1200543)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:20:56 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Friday 6 December 2024 (1213) – Simonds/Central Connect 365 (YY24 HBJ), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new in August 2024, seen in Stanton when working the 1115 service 73 from Bury St. Edmunds to Garboldisham.

In April 2024 the business of Simonds of Botesdale Limited was acquired by Vectare Limited which applied their Central Connect name to the Simonds services.

Simonds/Central Connect 365 (YY24 HBJ) in Stanton - 6 Dec 2024 (P1200542)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:20:57 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Simonds/Central Connect SN11 BTU in Stanton - 6 Dec 2024 (P1200531)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:45:58 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Christmas characters in Mildenhall - 14 Dec 2024 (P1200585)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:23 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Saturday 14 December 2024 (1154) – A charming collection of knitted items displayed on top of the Royal Mail post box outside Heron Foods in Mildenhall.

The items include Father Christmas, a teddy bear in his sack, an elf, a penguin family and a Royal Mail post box.

Christmas characters in Mildenhall - 14 Dec 2024 (P1200588)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:40:24 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Saturday 14 December 2024 (1157) – A charming collection of knitted items displayed on top of the Royal Mail post box outside Heron Foods in Mildenhall. The items include Father Christmas, a teddy bear in his sack, an elf, a penguin family and a Royal Mail post box.

In the background standing in the bus station is a Coach Services Limited
Wright Eclipse bodied Volvo B7RLE single decker which had recently returned after working the 1117 West Row circular service 358) and a Mulleys Motorways Limited East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania N94UD working the 1120 service 355 from Bury St. Edmunds to Holywell Row and Beck Row.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Mulleys - Dec 2008 (DSCN2559)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 21:10:57 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Christmas 2008 - This rather charming Christmas card was sent to Mulleys (or Mullys as they spelt it!) by two of the boys that travelled on school contract service TN142.

The orange coloured card is pretty good match for the colour used by Mulleys Motorways and the drawing of the coach is a good representation of a tri-axle coach with lower deck seating at the rear. A very creative job and a most thoughtful gesture.

Cambus Limited 506 (B144 GSC) in Newmarket – 4 Dec 1993 (210-10)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 18:22:22 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Saturday 4 December 1993 - Cambus 506 (B144 GSC) was one of a pair of Alexander RLC bodied Leyland Olympians acquired from Eastern Scottish in 1993 that had operated on the Glasgow-Edinburgh Scottish Citylink service.

They were regular performers on the X11 service operated between Cambridge and Bury St. Edmunds. 506 was seen under the Christmas decorations in Newmarket High Street working to Cambridge.

Wiltshires Coaches B502 CBD in Mildenhall - 22 Dec 1990

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 06:35:48 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Saturday 22 December 1990 – Christmas and New Year greetings adorn the back window of B502 CBD, a Jonckheere bodied DAF of Wiltshires Coaches of Sea Palling, Norfolk. It was seen at King Street, Mildenhall duplicating Premier Travel Services 372 (G372 REG) which was operating the 0820 Lowestoft to National Express service 747. The cluster of signs on the left remained from time when the car park entrance was located to the left of them. The large rectangular sign would no longer be read by any motorists, the ‘Buses and Coaches prohibited’ sign now looks rather odd in a bus and coach lay-by and the sign facing into the car park was the original ‘No Entry’ sign now guarding a brick wall!

Whippet Coaches H303 CAV in Mildenhall - 3 Dec 1995 (294-21)

nobody@ipernity.com (David Slater (Spoddendale)) — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:32:09 +0000

David Slater (Spoddendale) has posted:

Sunday 3 December 1995 (1155) – Whippet Coaches H303 CAV seen in High Street, Mildenhall passing the volunteers putting up the Christmas lights when working the 1102 Cambridge-Great Yarmouth Suffolk County Council ‘Suffolk Sundaybus’ service 200.

It is a Northern Counties bodied Volvo B10M Citybus new in September 1990 and was fitted with high backed coach type seating like two similar vehicles bought the previous year.