MEMORIES OF THE NORTHERN CIRCULAR

Well after James Long prompting, I thought I'd better include the Northern Circular, introduced in July 1981
, this was a clockwise and anti clockwise service which took in the Northern section of Ipswich as well as linking the Eastern area of Ipswich, and Gainsborough to the Railway Station, personally i can't remember too much about the route, apart from one Sunday one I ventured out must of been around 1985, when instead of taking home the 4 to Broke Hall I used the Anti Clockwise 21 to get home on recent purchase Leyland Olympian/East Lancs 45 B45 NDX, now I always did like this bus and was disappointed a few years later when it was sold along with 3 Atlanteans 96-98 for 3 horrid Dodge Minibuses from Eastbourne 211-13 D471-73 UHC.

 Seen here heading around the old Cranes Factory in an area which now has a large retail park is AEC Regent V 65 DPV 65D still in it's original livery was finally repainted in the then current livery the following year, to a young enthusiast the remaining 3 in the IBT fleet 63-65 ADX63/64B, DPV 65D were an exciting prospect as they offered up something of a bygone area, even in Winter I would avoid the staple fare of Atlanteans on the 4 for these magnificent buses, fortunately for me they seemed to spend most of there remaining days on the 2/4/6 routes.

Seen here in 1984 heading down Bixley Road is Atlantean 29 SDX 29R on the Clockwise 20 service this was prior to the route being diverted into Broke Hall the following day, my memory consists of one of the ex Leeds Atlanteans being frequently used in the early morning on a school days only service complete with one of the remaining conductors although it could have been the 43 school service, memory hasn't been too kind on that front. Photo's come from Stuart Ray, who no doubt will pick me up on anything I missed and who's notes have jogged my memory no end.