This month celebrates 65 years of Eastern Counties and the now First Eastern Counties operation of an bus service between Ipswich and Felixstowe Dock then numbered 201 now the 77 operating every hour from December 1951. This would be the company's last Suffolk Independent operator purchased from V.T and J.Faiers trading as Clarkes Services of Felixstowe who operated the service from Felixstowe Docks to Felixstowe, along with tours and excursions. Apart from one bus which wasn't purchased the whole fleet came to Eastern Counties including some unusual Buses and coaches which included KS 904 GH 3818 an AEC Regal which had originated with Green Line, London in 1930 as T196 before joining London Transport with the same number in 1933, it gained a new Duple body in 1940 whilst with Valiant Direct Coaches, London and was withdrawn the following year, of the two Double Deckers one of which was not operated but allocated a fleet number, KD 29 ARR 832 and KD 28 ARR 831 both were AEC Regent/Park Royal new in 1934 came originally from West Bridgford UDC. The coaches which had fairly successful lives considering they were in a fairly standardised Tilling fleet, were FS 998 JBJ 833 a Foden PVSC 6/Plaxton withdrawn in 1959 and LRT 263 an Dennis Lancet/Mann Egerton DS 984 LRT 263.Seen below taken from the timetable book from 1952 shows that the service Eastern Counties had inherited from Clarkes Services was now incorporated into the 201 service.
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