THE M & D AND EAST KENT BUS CLUB

The Essex & Suffolk Explorer - 20th August 2005

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Tour report by Lee Crust. (first published in Invicta 639 October '05)

On a cool and dry day the final club tour of 2005 headed off to Essex and Suffolk.

First stop was Southend Bus Station where Darts of varying sizes and styles of First Group mixed with Arriva’ varied collection of Darts, ex-Merseyside and Manchester Dominators and former AKS vehicles, including F-BKK Olympians. Unusually these days, there were no low floor double deckers in sight. Highlights were First’s Dart in traditional Eastern National livery and its heritage VR in EN privatisation colours.

We moved to Arriva’s depot where former Southend coach-seated Olympians sat with Vario minibuses, Volvo B6 trainers and two redundant Lynx trainers. An Alexander bodied Olympian in Southend United advert colours and a Denbigh Village Link Mercedes minibus were also seen.

Next it was Stephenson’s of Rochford with its fleet of ex-London, Arriva and Stagecoach Olympians, Volvo/Plaxton coaches and a former Ribble open top Olympian in City Sightseeing colours.

NIBS at Wickford proved a revelation as its owner moved virtually every bus for members to photograph. Alexander bodied Scanias and ex-London Olympians form the bulk of this fleet but it also includes an ex-Southern Vectis VR and a new East Lancs bodied Scania double decker.

The tour moved to Kelvedon and Hedingham Omnibuses’ depot. Here VR’s, Olympians, Volvo/Plaxton coaches and Darts were seen. Again, employees of this smartly turned out fleet posed vehicles for photographs.

A short ride to Colchester followed where First, Network Colchester, Cedric’s and Chambers buses moved through the bus station with surprising frequency. Chambers produced ex-Dublin Olympians and an ex-London Alexander Royale specimen while First’s “new” double deckers from Glasgow and Stagecoach were noted plus more Darts and some Lances. Two former Colchester open top Atlanteans were seen on City Sightseeing work.

Hedingham’s Sudbury depot produced an East Lancs re-bodied Tiger bus, two elderly Tiger coaches plus more VR’s, Olympians and Volvo coaches. A brief stop in Sudbury itself saw Scania/Wright saloons of Beestons and Felix Taxis’ Mercedes minibus on the town service.

Final visit was Hedingham’s Sible Hedingham depot where further Darts, Lynx 2’s and ex-London Olympians sat with Hedingham’s well-known N-suffix Leopard/Willowbrook bus plus a preserved Great Yarmouth PD1 and an Eastern National KSW.

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