TWO MORE EX LOTHIAN DARTS DARTS FOR IPSWICH BUSES AND 65579 IN CORNWALL

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cuthbus/ Copyright Chris Cuthill

Ipswich Buses have recieved two further Transbus Super Pointer Darts in 93 SN53 AVG seen above in Edinburgh in the former Harlequin livery while below is sister 94 SN53 AVK seen in Edinburgh last year in the later Madder Rose livery that it's been delivered in to Ipswich Buses.

65579 FINALLY GETS TO SEE SERVICE IN  CORNWALL

Ex Ipswich Scania L94UB 65579 T579 JNG has finally entered service in Cornwall operating out of Cambourne depot, which is also the host of ex First Essex Solo 53801 which of course spent some time operating out of Kings Lynn before going to Essex.

EASTERN COUNTIES IPSWICH ALLOCATION JULY 1999

An Eastern Counties import from Bristol three years previously this Leyland National 2 611 AAE 655V is seen heading back to Ipswich on the 97, copyright Peter Horrex.

Looking back to 1999, is all a bit hazy for me at the time i was working for Outdoors part of the Shout Shops chain, and we moved right over the road to where on a boring Winter morning i could sit upstairs and watch everything, approaching Tower Ramparts or the Old Cattle Market, this was the year that a certain Mr Chris Speed started his career at Great Yarmouth as a Driver, and the Number one in the Charts was ATB Nine AM till i come and Ricky Martin Livin le Vida Loca, the BIG Film was The Blair Witch Project, and The Soprano's launched on TV.

Heading towards Ipswich Railway Station was one of a new batch of Scanias for Ipswich which would soon leave when the V Reg Scanias arrived heading out on a 98 towards Shotley is 573 S573 TPW.Picture Copyright Peter Horrex.

Very shortly this Career at Ipswich Bristol VR 242 JAH 242V this last of a batch of 4 would finish it's days at Norwich seen in Trimley heading into Felixstowe.Copyright Peter Horrex.

Not one of my Favourite buses nor those of the Drivers, is 396 L103 PWR a Volvo B6 with Alexander Dash body which would soon leave the Eastern Counties replaced by more of the same from Glasgow.Copyright Peter Horrex.

Seen here heading back from Bawdsey on a 71 is an Ex Thamesway Leyland Olympian XHK 235X which were as slow as anything, top speed i believe was in the early forties .Copyright Peter Horrex.
Included below is the actual allocation for the whole of the fleet for July 1999.

THE OTHER MERCEDES BENZ DEMONSTRATORS

Just a quick blog tonight to illustrate the two other Mercedes Benz demonstrators both are from Colin Humphries Flickr page and can be reached here https://www.flickr.com/groups/1014762@N22/, the first one was on loan in July/August 2007, currently this bus is with Bennetts Coaches

The Citario above was on loan during July 2011 and is seen on the 1 to Ravenswood, soon to be amalgamated with the X1, BF60 OEZ is now a member of the Your Bus fleet of Nottingham.

300TH BLOG AND FINALLY WHAT IPSWICH BUSES ARE BUYING

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/welshpete2007
Welcome to the 300th Blog, as can be seen from the above headline Ipswich Buses have finally let us know that 3 Mercedes Benz Citario's are on order believed to be used on the current X5 service although this has not been confirmed so take it with a pinch of salt, Ipswich Buses have already trialled a Citario this year on the Park and Ride service as seen below BG63 VVE, seen above is an Cardiff Bus example which entered service at the tail end of last year 104 CE63 NYX, but it's not the only Citario that's around at the moment as Galloway's have been trialling one around Stowmarket seen below is a photograph from Mark Smith, who's copyright it remains is BP14 FYZ.

300TH BLOG SPECIAL BONUS PHOTO

As it's the 300th Blog today, I have raided my archive of slides and negatives for this rather colourful Eastern Counties Leyland National LN 771 XNG 771S with a Glasswells of Norwich all over ad, taken at the old Norwich Bus Station probably in the late 1980's as we can just about see to the right is a Series 2 VR still in NBC red livery and at the top you can just about make out VR 204 XNG 204S.

IB ATLANTEAN 9 OUT IN THE SUN ON THE 5

Just a quick blog today,with a picture of Open Top Leyland Atlantean 9 MRT 9P out on the 5, caught this purely by accident as it was in the lay by, but got pressed into action due to the delays caused by the delays caused by the closure of Foxhall Road, such was the strength of the sun didn't allow for many great pictures so to finish we have First Ipswich Volvo B7RLE 69426 AU58 FNN.

IB ROUTE DIVERSION

Due to a Burst Water Main on Foxhall Road this has meant buses on route 5/X5/11 have been diverted from Foxhall Rd Bridge via Derby Road, Felixstowe Road and Bixley Road, as seen above by Ipswich Buses AD Enviro 200 80 YX63 ZVV on Bixley Road, this has been in effect from last Thursday until Thursday this week, this has caused no end of difficulties with most buses I have seen running late

Heading the other way down Bixley Road and displaying the wrong blind is IB Dennis Trident 12 LG02 FDC.

MONDAY FLASHBACK

Something i know my good friend over in Norwich Kieran will probably enjoy so as he has done such a wonderful revamp of the blog especially for you a classic shot from my archive of a Leyland National 2 LN 626 UVF 626X in an all over advert for Norwich COOP of cause that's all changed now with all the regions of the COOP under the one name East of England.

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.