EASTERN COUNTIES MINIBUSES:THE EARLY YEARS

Ford Transit/Robin Hood TH891 C891 BEX was one of five allocated to Felixstowe's minibus services.

You either loved them or hated them, sadly no Eastern Counties Minibuses are preserved although one does exist somewhere in Suffolk, no Eastern Counties services thankfully were converted to minibuses in Ipswich the nearest you could see the above was a network of services with Ford Transit's was Felixstowe, nowadays these services are tacked onto the 75-77 operated today by First Ipswich, come 1990 Ipswich had 3 more additional Ford Transit/Dormobile in MB 965/66/68 C965/66/68 YAH and the slightly larger Mercedes Benz 608D/Alexander with 20 seats which  originated from Norwich MB 711/24/54 C711/24/54 BEX. Meanwhile the dreaded Freight Rover Sherpa's allocated to Norwich and Lowestoft had literally burned themselves out were now parked up at Ipswich depot after just 3 years use out of 40 bought only 9 were in service by the beginning of 1990.

Freight Rover Sherpa/Dormobile SD 647 C647 BEX was one of only 4 left heading into 1990 seen here at Lowestoft Bus Station.

LOST INDEPENDENTS: BICKERS

Bickers Ford R192/Willowbrook was new in September 1970, in contrast behind is ex London Transport Guy Special MXX 356.

Bickers commenced services in 1925 with a 14 seat Model T Ford for use on services from Coddenham, business expanded through the 1940's with Lings of Brockford taken over in 1955, in 1968 they took over the Ipswich to Otley service from P & M Coaches and in 1974 the Ipswich to Debenham service from Eastern Counties. During 1981 they took over the Ipswich to Woodbridge services from JDW Transport, this was extended during 1982 when Eastern Counties withdrew from the Bawdsey service. In 1988 Bickers was sold jointly to Ipswich Buses and Eastern Counties.

Bristol LH/Plaxton GGV 47N had a relatively short career with Bickers from New passing to Laws of Killingworth, North Tyne Travel and later to TMS and then to United in 1992 and numbered 1902.

Freshly repainted into Eastern Counties livery ex Bickers Bedford YMT /Willowbrook SB 811 NBJ 842P lasted about a year after takeover before being withdrawn.

EASTERN COUNTIES BRISTOL RE PROFILE

The Bristol RES was introduced during 1964, with the first and only batch for Eastern Counties arriving during 1967, with a short body and low chassis ,much of the styling had been already been used on the MW particularly the curved frontal profile, from the first batch we have RS 652 KVF 652E seen in the early 1970's still in original Tillings livery at Bury St Edmunds, Cotton Lane Depot, it was repainted into NBC Livery during 1974.

Eastern Counties started buying the longer RELL from 1968 through to 1972 the initial body style used was much flatter at the front, 36 feet long with a low frame, fitted with an Gardner engine, the batch for this year were fitted for one man operation from new but weren't used as such until the end of 1968, seen here in Norwich Bus Station, during 1981 in the latter NBC livery with no centre band is RL 676 PPW 676F.

The last styling introduced in 1969 for the RELL series bought an curved BET group styled frontage seen here at Ipswich OCM is RL 737 AAH 737J this time with the white band applied.

IB FUEL COMPARISON WITH TWO MERCEDES BENZ CITARIO'S

Ipswich Busees Mercedes Benz Citario BF65 HWV seen today in the Buttermarket.

Just a quick blog tonight, Ipswich Buses have been having trouble with the fuel consumption of the 3 Buses, so to test the MPG of the Buses over a longer route ,155 usually works the 9Whitton and Castle Hill ,with a Demonstrator from Mercedes have been used on the route during the week. Try as i might i stood in the freezing cold for about an hour waiting for the demonstrator and all i saw was 155 BF65 HWV and 3 Optare Versa's, thankfully Stuart Ray also braved the cold and photographed BP14 FJZ it at Martlesham.

Copyright Stuart Ray.

LOST INDEPENDENTS 1:BLUEBIRD COACHES

Originating with Costin of Dunstable in 1957 this BedfordSB/Duple SMJ 950 is seen in the Cavendish Street Depot yard.

Bluebird Coaches was a trading name used by JDW Coaches which ceased trading in 1981, the depot in Cavendish Street was taken over by Bantams who in turn was bought out by Ipswich Buses in 1988, the name was used again by Ipswich Buses who operated the ITM Bedford OB in Bluebird livery for a time from 1991 for a Sunday service.

Again seen in the yard in Cavendish Street Ipswich is MLO 997D a Ford R126/Duple new in 1966 to Super, Upminster.

NON DDA SINGLE DECKERS

 Rounding up my feature of favourite step entry Buses with two single deckers representing the main vehicles seen around Ipswich during the 1970's and 1980's, i have no shame in admitting that my favourite Single Decker was the Bristol RE, sadly i missed Eastern Counties ones as just as i was old enough to travel on my own there was very few left, fortunately Ipswich Buses surprised a few people personally i remember 118 TRY 118H as i was there in 1987 to see it's last ever run out on the 8 to Whitehouse if my memory serves me well, above we see her sister 120 TRY 120H the livery suited them well and the distinctive engine whine never leaves my mind. Eastern Counties replaced there RE's with Leyland Nationals, this one was LN 587 WAH 587S seen here on the forecourt of Ipswich Depot in the mid 1980's, showing the changed number sequence bought in at the time, 587 came into Ipswich with a White with Red Stripe livery as a relief bus for the Eastline 792 to Cambridge before being repainted into NBC livery minus the white stripe, come the mid 1990's LN 587 was rebodied as a East Lancs Greenway and still exists today.

MEMORIES OF NON DDA DECKERS

Ipswich based VR 287 VEX 287X was one of the last VR's at Ipswich before heading to Cornwall, briefly in preservation it sadly resides in Italy now.

We often look back with fondness to the time before Accessible Low Floor Buses became the norm during the last 17 years ago, Low Floor Buses have their attractions to today's masses, but to me they don't have the appeal of what came before us, maybe that's me getting older but the attraction of an Bristol VR or a Leyland Atlantean wins me over every time.

Leyland Atlantean 35 SDX 35R at Tower Ramparts with it's 2 different style of seating, now going restoration with Leon Wells.

Growing up in the 1980's was a delightful time, particularly great fun was had by going on the Southern Circular on a Saturday not knowing what would turn up one particularly time i had one of the Bristol RE's, the key was always hoping it was an Atlantean, 35 SDX 35R was one of the rarities as it had been given seats upstairs in the style of 36-40, whilst the bottom remained in the Green/Black Leather, during the early 1990's many from the 21-35 batch received what was an updated saloon improvements to bring them up to DIPTAC standards which had been introduced on Dennis Lance 160.