IPSWICH IN THE NINTIES

One of the original route 66 buses DP75 latterly 46375 M375 YEX outside of what was originally the infamous Blue Coat Boy pub now used as a Fish and Chip Bar, the stop has long disappeared and used to host in the main Bickers country services.

The nineties was probably a good time to follow what began as a Independent Eastern Counties to latter on become a massive group owned First Group company, for some reason by this time i wasn't as interested in Buses as i should have been, as my career took precedence, during the first part of the nineties in came all All Leyland Olympians, National Greenways, Dennis Javelins, plenty of Mercedes Benz mini buses and Dennis Darts while the end was nigh for the Leyland Nationals and the Bristol VR's . From the time First  Group took over Low Floor Buses began to appear the first a batch of ten Scania 541-550 P541-50 RNG for another Super route the 88 while all manner of curio's came in and out Iveco Minibuses from Leicester, Olympians from Glasgow and London, Darts from Leeds and even 2 Leyland Lynx's which didn't last five mins, if anyone out has any memories from this time and would like to add there own please contact me.

One of the ex West Yorkshire by then Yorkshire Rider VR's WWY 122S which saw little action in Ipswich, to be fair they were over 20 years old by this point!

EASTERN COUNTIES BUS COMPENDIUM

The new livery carried by AY56 BJU a  coach which i couldn't identify the make of  in the new Suffolk Norse livery

Not a lot to report this week so i will do a bit of self publicising with a item i have on sale on e bay which is a data cd containing all the buses First have bought in the eastern counties since August 1996, as well as a current fleet list and all current preserved Eastern Counties buses with their current owners, cd with case is available for only £1.50 plus postage all you need is to look under Eastern Counties bus compendium in the search facility and you will find it. In other news seemingly First have problems with their Volvo B7TLS as all manner of buses have been used from Volvo B7RLES to scraping the bottom of the barrel a Scania L113CRL 65544 P544 RNG  on 66s yesterday, hardly surprising considering the mileage they have covered in nearly 10 years now, perhaps time for some new ones.

IB Scania Omnidekka 60 PJ54 YZV on the 17 to Broke Hall  and Bixley last week.

TRAVEL IPSWICH RE ROUTING

TRAVEL IPSWICH WORKS TAKE EFFECT

First repaint for one of Ipswich Buses Scania Omnicities 70 YN56 NVB  into the new livery the third livery it's carried in only six years.

From the 4th February Travel Ipswich's works will now start within the town centre when Falcon Street closes for around Eight Weeks, this means of cause many diversions of routes for Ipswich Buses, First and most other country routes  as follows First's country routes will divert at Princess Street to Franciscan Way to Star Lane and Turret Lane this mostly only effects inbound Routes only, town routes 55/56/60/61/70  IB service 1 and 38 will also use use this method on outbound journeys only, while all other country routes while follow this diversion. IB routes 3,X3,4,6,6A will not serve the town loop and from Tower Ramparts will go direct via St Margaret's Green then Woodbridge Road, Argyle Street, Grimwade Street then back onto normal route at Star Lane, service 2,17  will also not serve town loop and use the previous routing mentioned. While service 7/8/8B,12,14,16  will divert at Princess Street to Civic Drive and Crown Street to Tower Ramparts. IBs Shotley routes 98 and 202 will terminate at Queen's Street.