This picture portrays the classic lines of the purpose built Nottingham body designed for the original Atlanteans and Fleetlines of the mid sixties. This retired example was brought by Len Wright Travel, a company then specialising in band buses - later expanding into London Buslines and Alder Valley. The vehicle was kitted out as a mobile exhibition unit and named 'SHOWBUS'. As such it attended a Hillingdon Showbus and was appropriately used as Rally Control.
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Glimpsed rounding the "blue leanie" roundabout is one of a pair of ex Nottingham Northern Counties bodied Olympians which left that fleet for Southend after relatively short service. From there they went to Buffalo Travel and one was used as Rally Control at SHOWBUS, Woburn Abbey, during that time. They passed to The Shires with Buffalo Travel's bus services and were initially despatched to Wycombe for the Chesham services, but were too tall to negotiate Amersham Railway Bridge. They then whiled their time away on school runs in Aylesbury, which is what this one is doing.
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Olympian 5079 (A699EAU) is clearly identified on layover from Halton Camp runs in Aylesbury Bus Station.
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A long running Guide Friday tour was that in Oxford City - a natural follow on from Guide Friday's pioneering nearby Stratford-upon-Avon operation. This is another former Nottingham vehicle.
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The highly successful Guide Friday tour operation concentrated on using retired distinctive Nottingham City Leyland Atlanteans converted to open top and adorned with suitable detailed paintings. Former Nottingham 593 (GTO333N) is seen on the Windsor tour in 1996, opposite the Castle. It is being overtaken by a Toyota Coaster/Caetano used on the town's Park & Ride service. Both Oxford and Windsor tours latre passed to City Sightseeing who absorbed the Guide Friday operations.
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