THE BEST OPERATOR OF THE YEAR POLL

Above is Scania Omnicity 75 YN56 NVG on a rare visit to the X1 early last month, seen here in Dogs Head Street, Ipswich.

Just a quick blog to announce the winner of the best operator of the year poll, which was won by Ipswich Buses on 59% with First Ipswich on 41% second, after finishing second to Ensign in the UK Bus awards top Independent operator, on the blog to the left at the moment is another poll on the Best Livery used by a operator in the last year, please vote on your favourite.

69428 INTO SERVICE

Photo copyright David Warren

Photo Copyright James Long

As can be seen from above 69428 AU58 FFP entered service on the 53 yesterday and today was on the 75, many thanks to James Long and David Warren for the photos, 69005 which also came back on Monday has by and large been kept in the depot, also managed to get out yesterday but is back in the depot again. Also due back next week is Volvo B7TL 32494 with Volvo B7RLE 69006 the last one due back.

Freddie the Frog was in Ipswich yesterday promoting the 53 to Pinewood and for once Mr Speed isn't in the photo, 'Shocker' but Steve Fountain and Cliff Hussey are.

66980 IN SERVICE AND 69005/69428 COME BACK

As seen above I managed to capture Volvo B7RLE 66980 KX05 MHJ purely by default as I walking back from Handford Road and thought which way should I go to Tower Ramparts or the OCM, fortunately I choose to go to the OCM, while I was that way I thought I would pop down to the Ipswich depot, where on the forecourt was Scania 65588 and Volvo B7RLE 69010 while in the depot was one of the E200's and the returning Volvo B7RLE'S 69005/69428 which were having vinyl's applied before going back in service, both arrived yesterday, thanks to Joe Thorpe for the news. This now only leaves Volvo B7RLE 69006 and Volvo B7TL 32494 to come back next week hopefully when both Scania 65670 and Volvo B7RLE 69433 will transfer to Colchester and Scanias 65579/88 will be withdrawn.

Both First Volvo B12M/Plaxton Paragons together 20514/14 WV02 EUP/R

Fareline's VDL Jonckheere F94 CBD on the usual Tuesday only 121 one must wonder how they can get away with a Non Low Floor bus/coach in today's climate.

A SPEEDY SWIFT

A bit out of the area this one but i have to congratulate my good friend Chris Speed and Danny Beales First's Operation Manager in Great Yarmouth on their recent purchase of ex Great Yarmouth AEC Swift 85 WEX 685M i have been itching to let people know as i was there when he took a phone call to express an interest in it, another loose connection is that for a time in the 1986 IBT had on loan a number of their earlier ones when they suffered from a vehicle shortage, below is Willowbrook bodied 59 LEX 859H and two of Ipswich's very unpopular ones East Lancs, 90/93 DDX 90/93L photos once again from Stuart Ray's collection.

IPSWICH UPDATE

 First Ipswich 69010 AU05 DMY on the 4 to Ravenswood last Sunday.

Not an awful lot to report this week, however we had the 2 Volvo B12M/Plaxton Paragon Coaches 20514/15 arrival back again for Rail Replacement duties on Friday driven by Mr Speed and Mr Howe from Norwich for duties replacing trains on the Ipswich to Cambridge and Ipswich to Ely lines.
I can also confirm thanks to Chris Speed again that the three remaining Scania L94's 65579/88/89 will not be heading to the West Country as reported elsewhere, one may be preserved with the others going for scrap. Slightly further afield is that Lowestoft/ Great Yarmouth's Volvo B7TL's will be upgraded to take in the new DDA requirement's as well as being refurbished they will be repainted into current livery, one ex Ipswich Loan 30888 will be repainted in the Lowestoft Corporation livery.























Hopefully it will be a close approximation of this livery applied to a 1965 Leyland Titan 9 BRT 668C seen back in 1974.

A YEAR IN PHOTOS PART 4 OCTOBER TO DECEMBER

October to December saw a lot of changes on was the removal of some of the younger Scanias to Colchester, seen here back in October shortly before it's transfer was 65675 SN51 UYJ and below we we have a further refurbished Volvo B7RLE in 66957 WX55 TZU.

At the end of the month the first of the 05 Reg Volvo B7TL'S returned in 32655 AU05 MUY.

Now the last of it's kind at Ipswich is 65670 SN51 UYC seen here on the 61 back in November.

An unusual visitor to the 9 back in December was IB's ex BT contract bus Trident 14 LG02 FDJ

As December is still fairly recent to call i have only picked 2 photos catching me out one Friday morning when it was off for it Refurbishment was 69006 AU05 DMF when it did a few 60/61s that Morning.

A YEAR IN PHOTOS PART 3 JULY-SEPTEMBER

Early July saw IB repaint 3 of their East Lancs Darts 85-87 with 84 as a spare for the newly extended route 4 to Martlesham Tesco.

The First Ipswich refurbishments started in July the first one being Volvo B7RLE 69008 AU05 DMY.

The first ex Midlands Volvo B7RLE to be refurbished was 66981 KX05 MHK.

Followed by another one in 66850 MX05 CHD also in July.

Repainted into Fleet livery in July was Ipswich Buses Optare Solo 243 YN04 LWJ.

August saw the first of the First Ipswich E200's being refurbished seen here is 44519 YX09 ADO.

32479 AU53 HJV finely came out in the month of August into the beautiful old Eastern Counties livery just when my good friend Chris Speed was on holiday.

Routemaster day was on the 17th of the month freshly arrived from Norwich was 39623 NML 623E

One of the first Deckers to emerge in September after Refurbishment was 32490 AU53 HKH.

Showbus was one of my highlights of the year, one of the most outstanding buses was an old one not only that it was the first MCW Metrobus from the Ensign collection THX 101S.

To round up September the first picture taken with my new camera 32486 AU53 HKD at the end of the month on it's usual haunt the 66.