Or Skegness to give the town its full title.
It started raining the moment we arrived and it didn’t stop until we were well on our way home.
That as we all know is life in the UK !
A statue of the Jolly Fisherman for long the image of Skegness stands outside the railway station which itself is located at the side of the bus station.
Based on a poster drawing done in 1908 by John Hassall for the Great Northern Railway to promote Skegness and the GNR’s services to the town.
It is one of the best and most famous holiday advertisements ever drawn. Usually paired with the line “Skegness is so bracing”.
John Hassall was paid the sum of 12 guineas for his work and died in 1948, penniless!
Skeggy has always been known for its open top bus services. and new to the fleet this year is.
YJ04 FZE
A Volvo B7TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork that was new to ‘First Chester and Wirral’ (FC&W) as its 32457.
‘Stagecoach (SC) took over the ‘FC&W’ in 2012/13 and the bus moved to Scotland with ‘Stagecoach Fife’ before moving South (losing its roof in the process) and coming to ‘Stagecoach East Midlands (SEM).
One of five that have joined the fleet and they are as far as I know the first Wright Gemini bodies to be converted to part open top in the country.
I believe there is another Wright bodied Volvo B7TL on open top duties in Skegness with three more scattered across Lincolnshire. The rest of the ‘SEM’ open top fleet I saw were all Alexander ALX 400 bodied Dennis Trident 2’s which were originally with the Grimsby Cleethorpes Transport operation (part of Stagecoach) and were,
PIW 4456 formerly T376 FUG named Sandy. Seen navigating its way round Skegness’s famous Clock Tower.
BLZ 1423 formerly T373 FUG named Candy.
WOI 3002 formerly T377 FUG named Shelley.
Less exotic ‘SEM’ were was provided by
MX53 FML
A Transbus Trident 2 with Plaxton President bodywork.
A trio of ‘SEM’ double deckers in ‘interconnect’ livery were
FX54 AOD
A Volvo B7TL with East Lancs Vyking bodywork came into the fleet when Stagecoach took over Road Car (previously Lincolnshire Road Car Co.) in 2005.
I have included this image for its interest despite it being pouring down with rain when I took it.
FX06 AOB
Another Volvo B7TL this time with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork.
FX12 BBV
A Scania 230UD with Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 400 bodywork.
FX61 HGL
A Dennis Dart SLF with ‘ADL’ Enviro 300 bodywork that was formerly part of the ‘Stagecoach in Hull’ fleet was the only other Stagecoach fleet liveried vehicle I saw.
V126 LGC
‘Hunt’s of Alford’ were represented by this Alexander ALX 400 bodied Volvo B7TL which first saw life in London as AVL 126 with ‘London Central’.
JFZ 8629
This Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork is operated by local Skegness operator ‘Red Bus’ who seem to run between the town centre, Fantasy Island (an entertainment complex near Ingoldmells) and Butlins camp.
JFZ 8626
A Volvo B6BLE with Alexander ALX 200 bodywork which was new to ‘Stagecoach Greater Manchester South’.
The coach park had a few visitors, the pick of which was this
TIL 8275
A Hestair Duple 425 working for ‘Whitehead of Conisborough’.
Originally G631 CRL with ‘Jennings’ of Bude’, it must be one of the last Duple bodies in regular service.
Built with running units supplied by Dennis which at that time were also part of the Hestair group.
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