VA479 Follow Up Post

Following my post on the Norwich Running Day where I expressed surprise in my usual tactful and subtle way that no one else appeared to have twigged that VA479 was returning to her old stamping ground (see here if you missed it) I was delighted to be contacted by Grahame Bessey (Thing in one of the pics from that post) who sent me some pictures of her in the early Norwich days. Note the 25 in 2003 ran from Costessey Park & Ride to the Station, and a Norwich First Day ticket cost £2.80. It now costs £4.80.

The then fleet numbered 134 opposite Norwich Station in November 2003       pic (c) Grahame Bessey

.All but two of the Norwich B7tl's ended up at Colchester when the Gemini 2's arrived at Norwich to take over the 25's. Here is 139, now 32484, unbranded in the same location on the same day.

FEC 134 AU53 HKB opposite Norwich Station November 2003     pic (c) Grahame Bessey

Fast forward 4 years and here is the now 32479 in Castle Meadow, in an almost identical position to where rather a lot of cameras pointed at her a couple of weeks ago. Note in the background one of the 69005-11 batch of B7rle's also now at Ipswich, and sadly for Norwich passengers NOT coming back to start the Grey Line!

32479 in Castle Meadow minus Blue Line branding in October 2007      pic (c) Grahame Bessey

Fast forward another 7 and a half years to the same place...virtually

VA479 at Castle Meadow on the Norwich Running Day

Many thanks to Grahame for the pics, another example of fellow bloggers helping each other out and much appreciated.