WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE DOUBLE DECKER PART ONE

With credit to Syd Eade, we see Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka LKD 175 UNG 175 in the pre NBC classic Red and Cream with Gold fleet name in the early 1970's with the typical service blind for Norwich service 511, awaiting passengers in Castle Meadow.

The whole exercise is to eventually see what exactly was the most classic double decker pre 1980's was obviously if i listed every one on one poll that wouldn't work so each week i will split the poll into parts involving the different manufacturers so to me the most obvious one to start with is Bristol with the VR, Lodekka and the K series, i haven't split them up to include the different types ie VR series 1, 2 or 3 as that just complicates things, next week i will tackle AEC/Leyland to include the Regent 3 and 5, Atlantean, Routemaster, RT.

 Now preserved by Viv Carter with Carters is Eastern Counties Bristol VR 294 VEX 294X.

FIRST ESSEX BRAINTREE DEPOT TO CLOSE

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fwc439h/16942906867/in/photolist Copyright Steven Hughes.
First Essex use this rather attractive version of the Olympia livery for Volvo B7RLE's in Colchester and other depots in Essex this particular one started out with First Manchester before being used temporarily by First Ipswich for Park and Ride in late 2008.

While not quite in this area news reached me on Tuesday officially that First Essex are to close Braintree depot now i knew of this sometime back but i have held back from releasing it until it was officially announced, Braintree will know only have an outstation with work being transferred to Chelmsford and Colchester Depots from the 1st November, there will be no forced redundancies, this comes when First Essex will open there new £3.3 million depot in September.

BEESTONS REPAINT AND IB/FIRST NEWS

Well It certainly has taken me long enough to photo this recent Beeston's repaint of Optare Solo KX54 NLC which has been in dealer white along with it's sister for a few years know, what it will be used on after they lose the 30/39 routes is anyone's guess. Ipswich Buses Trident 22 is now back at Constantine Road Depot after completion of the new livery. First Ipswich should have there two refurbished Enviro 200's back from Rotherham this time next week, thanks Chris,and talking of Enviro 200's 44519 YX09 ADO which is usually on the 53 was on the 60/61 Greenwich/Gainsborough routes, while IB had ALX 200 Dart 139 on the 98 Shotley service while an X3 Dart was on the X1 and 142 was parked up in Crown Street Lay-by.

WEDNESDAY FLASHBACK VARIETY.

 Time for another Wednesday Flashback, and a quick reminder to people that the majority of photos are my own and when i do source them from Flickr i properly link them to that persons stream, this is in accordance to Flickr rules, if people wish to use my photos from my stream you may do so as long as you credit me, unfortunately i can no longer use certain peoples photos, which is a shame but there we go. Top and bottom pictures are my own and retain my copyright, first one shows a series 2 Bristol VR VR 147 GNG 713N in Norwich Bus Station in Deregulation Post Office Red, below we see ICT AEC Regent V SDX 58 on the 3 to Rushmere Heath, slightly spoilt by a car in the foreground by the look of the young girls outrageous flares we can pin it down to the later part of the 1970's

FIRST IPSWICH BUSES PREVIOUS COLOURS

All Photo's Copyright Unknown.If these belong to anyone please contact me and i will withdraw them from view.

Volvo B7TL 32486 AU53 HKD seen here back when new in 2004 on Blue Line 25 to Costessey Park And Ride, in the day when Overground was the catchphrase.

When new Ipswich's Volvo B7RLE'S  were used on Norwich's Park and Ride service's here we see 69008 AUO5 DMV heading out of Castle Meadow.

Again in Castle Meadow we see another Volvo B7TL in 32656 AU05 MVA originally destined for 

Park and Ride they were replaced by some of the earlier Volvo B7TL's

Well it did work in Ipswich for a time usually with a paper label fixed over the number blind originally from First in Leeds, 47202 M202 VWW was a Plaxton Bodied Dart new in 1994 before arriving a few years later in Suffolk,by 2005 it had emigrated up to Norwich.

MY SCHOOL DAY BUSES

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiptree-jon/16246589492/in/photolist-d8uDHm-d4jVcf-mPE2yg-dDMiWd-4han7M-r6qnxc-qKE22W Copyright Jonathan Greenwood.

IBT East Lancs Leyland Atlantean 36 RBJ 36W when new inside Constantine Road Depot on 3rd October 1981.

What peaked my interest in Buses i don't really know was it in 1981 when i was bought a Matchbox Royal Wedding Londoner bus or when my Primary School hired an Ipswich bus to go to the Wolsey Theatre, or was it watching Eastern Counties Bristol Lodekka Open Top OT2 VDV 753 heading along the cliffs in the Summer.
Initially my primary school hired Suffolk County Council buses which were in a hideous Brown and Orange livery well it was the early 1980's and usually it an ex Edinburgh/Lothian Bedford GSX 112N which seemed to gather an impressive amount of moss on the window sills in the winters. For longer hires the school after a time would hire in Ipswich Borough Transport Atlanteans my first ride would of been one of the 73-76 batch of ECW body's LDX 73-76G, then lucky me one of the very first East Lancs Atlanteans 36 RBJ 36W on a trip to Stowmarket.  By the time i went to Copleston i had elevated myself to becoming a bus enthusiast.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rossendalian2013/11426789793/in/photolist

My chosen bus for trips to the Swimming Pool was GSX 112N seen here with Lothian in 1976.

From the Stuart Ray collection we see one of the magnificent Ipswich ECW bodied Atlanteans 74 LDX 74G in 1970 i always thought how majestic and stylish these were.

IPSWICH BUSES TO DIVERT 6/A THROUGH BROKE HALL ON EVENINGS AND SUNDAYS

Ipswich Buses East Lancs Dart 93 X93 LBJ typical fare for Sunday routes is seen on the X3 last month.

Just a quick blog tonight to inform people that Ipswich Buses service 6/A Tower Ramparts-Hospital-Tower Ramparts service will now serve Broke Hall from Sunday and Evenings from the 4th October, this will take over the current Council subsided 4/A Ipswich Rail Station-Broke Hall-Ravenswood-Ipswich Rail Station/Ipswich Rail Station-Ravenswood-Broke Hall-Ipswich Rail Station service operated by First Ipswich who for the first time in 16 years won't operate onto Broke Hall. Times for the 6/A will depart on Monday to Saturday evenings and Sundays at 22 past each hour for the 6 and 42 past the hour for the 6/A reaching Broke Hall at 48 past the hour(6) and 02 past the hour for the 6A.

Not commonly used now on the 6/11 routes are the Alexander 200 bodied Darts for which Double Deckers are the usual choice.