Saturday 20 July 2024 (0946) – H V Richmond Limited of Barley, Hertfordshire 403 NMM on the A11 at Fiveways, Barton Mills when heading for Cromer. It is a Van Hool TX27 Astromega new in June 2015 with this registration.

This was the second of two such Richmond Astromega coaches that passed through heading for the Norfolk seaside resort. (648 EAU had passed through at 0928).

Richmond’s advertise a varied excursion programme on their detailed website. I am presuming these coaches were on excursions but since past dates disappear from the site immediately the date passes I am unable to exactly tell.

There is to be another Cromer excursion on 1 September 2024 with two lines of route advertised. One from Stevenage (0715) picking up at Hitchin, Letchworth, Baldock, Royston (2) and Melbourn (0845). The second line starts in Bishops Stortford (0745) picking up at Stansted Mountfitchet, Newport, Saffron Walden and Sawston (0840). The final pick-ups are at the Cambridge Park & Ride sites - Trumpington at 0900 and Milton at 0915. Possibly, if it is required, any load rationalisation could take place at Trumpington.

(It is about 21.5 miles from Milton to Barton Mills with a running time of a little under 30 minutes)

Check out the reflection in the coach windscreen. A minor collision had recently occurred. The orange van had coasted to a halt having broken down (it came to a stop right in front of where I was taking my photos) and was then blocking one of the traffic lanes. A car travelling from the Mildenhall road, having got a green light, began to move but then the driver saw his path was blocked and stopped. Unfortunately, the car behind him didn’t and hit his rear. A third car was also involved in a minor way but due to the slow speeds no injuries occurred. The police were soon on the scene to administer the proceedings. I had to move to a new spot, one I hadn’t tried before.