THE SHOWBUS UK ANGLIAN GALLERY
Premier Travel
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Premier Travel was primarily an independent coach operator based in Cambridge. It ran the usual mix of private hire, contract work and a few local, mainly rural, bus services up until deregulation in 1986. However it was unusual in operating a number of long distance coach services. These included a number of joint operations such as a service linking the two spa university cities with Percivals of Oxford and routes from Clacton to Blackpool and Blackburn with Yelloways of Rochdale. In its later years the service from Cambridge to Heathrow became a high profile operation. The company sold out to AJS Holdings, a group that later morphed into Transdev Blazefield, the bus operations becoming part of Julian Peddle's Huntingdon & District and the Premier name was used by Burtons of Haverhill, another of Julian's interests. The express coach operations remained with AJS under the Cambridge Coach Services banner. Eventually all of the former Premier operations passed one way or another to Stagecoach.
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 New to Valliants of Ealing, this Harrington Cavalier bodied AEC Reliance, 217 (NMU7) is seen in Aylesbury on the joint service between Oxford and Cambridge operated with Percivals of Oxford. The coach is seen in the seventies having just left Aylesbury's black hole, otherwise known as the Bus Station.
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 Seen in the centre of Haverhill, from the destination, probably on a local bus service, is another secondhand Harrington bodied AEC Reliance, this time with the Grenadier style body. Its fleet number is unknown, but it was Barton Transport 1007 (BVO7C).
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 This Harrington Grenadier bodied Reliance was restored in time for the 2020 SHOWBUSflyby. On this occasion the Premier Travel acquired the coach from Surrey Motors where it was their 52 (HLP10C) becoming Premier 247. With blinds set for the Eastlander, it is seen in Stokenchurch bound for Thame and Wheatley.
Picture courtesy of Gary Seamarks |
 Our Official Photographer caught up with 247 in Thame.
Picture ref 20-HLP10C |
 Premier Travel later settled on the Alexander Y type body, unusual for an English independent operator. This AEC Reliance, 209 (OVE232J), is seen on layover in the Gloucester Green Bus Station in Oxford awaiting return to Cambridge sometime in the late seventies.
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