Mystery Seagull

Please can you help me to identify this coach.
The photo has some clues:
1. Birmingham registered
2. Operated by Flights of Birmingham
3. Hired to Aston Villa Football Club
The double decker behind might suggest some soccer activity in the making. Perhaps World Cup 1966?

Peter Smith

08/05/15 - 08:49

The coach mentioned is presently in private preservation in West Yorkshire - see Classic Connections.org.uk website.

Chris Youhill

08/05/15 - 17:37

The picture is much too late for the 1966 World Cup. The double-decker behind is a Leyland PD2 or PD3 in the colours of Guide Friday, and this firm was not in existence back then. I don't know when it started, but my hunch is that it would be the 1980s. If, as Chris says, this coach is now preserved, then this picture shows it in preservation, but the Guide Friday bus could be in active service or in preservation itself - maybe others will know. City Sightseeing (started 1998/99) took over Guide Friday in 2002.

Michael Hampton

09/05/15 - 07:06

Something from the back of my memory brings to mind that Guide Friday operated some ex Leicester City Transport Leyland PD3A deckers possibly containing registrations in one of the 'JF' series issued by Leicester. In its formative days Guide Friday began in Stratford-upon-Avon and I wonder if the photo was taken at their Stratford premises.

David Slater

09/05/15 - 07:07

This picture above was taken in the Aston Manor Museum in Witton - the Old Tram Sheds that were - the Museum has moved but the Seagull remains in their custody/care.

As a point of interest the Coach has been modelled by Gorgi as a limited edition (2200 produced) catalogue No OM 40301.

Nigel Edwards

10/05/15 - 07:17

The ex-Leicester open topper is 264 ERY.
This was Guide Friday's first bus and ran from 1978 until 2000. It is now preserved.

Dave Farrier

10/05/15 - 07:18

Veering a bit off-piste, the open-top decker parked alongside appears to be the ex_Leicester PD3 264 ERY, still in active preservation as part of the Leicester Transport Heritage Trust fleet, and it was active at the recent LTHT/GCR event at Quorn station. see www.ltht.org.uk/264ery.htm
The location in the picture looks to me like the old Aston Manor site.

Rob Hancock

12/05/15 - 06:54

The picture showing the Burlingham centre entrance coach, registration TOB 377, was new to Flights of Birmingham. WM TOB 377 AEC Reliance MU3RV 793 Burlingham 5928 C37C New 3/56 and may have been rebodied by Burlingham in 1958.
Flights coaches was a well known coach operator from Birmingham in their cream with black livery, which became Flights-Hallmark in 2005. Flights liked to have registration numbers ending with lucky number 7.
A list of vehicles can be found at www.buslistsontheweb and search owner flight.

Ron Mesure

31/05/15 - 07:05

Further to my comments earlier this month, I have found a website on the history and restoration of TOB 377 which was bought back by Flights for preservation in 1996 after a long life in Norfolk. Its football reference is valid as it claims it to have been the team coach for Aston Villa in 1957 for the Wembley Cup Final, beating Manchester United 2-1. This can be found on "classicconnections.org" under the fleetlist heading. It does seem to have been rebodied, new in 3/56 with body Burlingham Seagull Mk2 C37C body number 5928 on AEC Reliance MU3RV 793 and now is listed with body number 6569? This was new on Wallace Arnold 8340 U with a different styled Burlingham Seagull Mk3 C41F bodywork on Leyland PSUC1/2, (see flickr photos 8340 U to compare styles) can a change of body be verified as 8340 U is still current preserved with Tom Goodwin of Carlton?

Ron Mesure

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