Saturday 2 April 2016

The Old Order in Fleetwood and Cleveleys

Preston Bus Solo 20013 in the final weeks of service 75 in Fleetwood - Preston will retain a presence in the town as the new operator of service 74 (all Alan Hayward)

Stagecoach 47490 awaits departure from Fleetwood to Blackpool on the 74 - Preston Bus will take over a shortened route from 4 April
 
Stagecoach Solo 47655 loads at Cleveleys on service 86 to Fleetwood. This started in June 1995 as a Cleveleys to Knott End via Poulton service which lasted until January 2003 when it was cancelled by Stagecoach. A revised 86 from Fleetwood via Cleveleys to Knott End (but not via Poulton) was tendered by LCC and awarded to Hampsons. By 2004 it was in ACE Travel hands and Stagecoach took over around 2007
Solo 47487 works an 84 to Fleetwood at Cleveleys. Direct ancestry can be traced to February 1988 when service hourly F8 started from Cleveleys to Poulton via Thornton and Arundel Drive - replacing one of the half hourly journeys on the F6 which ran via Little Thornton. The F4 had operated as a Cleveleys-Thornton local from 1986 and was revised to run  every 30 minutes Fleetwood to Poulton in June 1991 replacing the F8. One journey per hour continued to Blackpool until April 1992. The F4 became every 20 minutes in March 2003 and became the 84 in May 2005. 

Stagecoach 47493 stands at Knott End - when the 86 ends and 89 passes to Kirkby Lonsdale minicoaches after service today, this will end the direct lineage of Ribble's provision to Knott End which dates back to 1927