Roger Staines commenced operation in Clacton-on-Sea with, as far as I know it, 1208MG, an ex-Rickards central entrance AEC Reliance, and 8750HA a rare Harrington bodied Bedford VAL14. A Ford-R226 - Duple, MDX383G came from the absorbed business of MJ Goodall of Ipswich who traded as Crusader Coaches, resulting in the above fleetname and livery, with joint owners Mick Goodall and Roger Staines and offices in Pier Avenue, Clacton on Sea. Modernisation continued with the purchase of several Seddon Pennine VI - Plaxton coaches from new and a Bristol LHL. In the mid 1970s two second hand 12 metre Leyland Leopards were added to the fleet with reduced 50 seat Plaxton Panorama III bodies, MJH275/6L They had previously operated with Ebdon of Sidcup. The former is seen here in Chelmsford in 1978. Still based in Clacton on Sea, the present-day coaches of Crusader Holidays are somewhat different from the above..... www.crusader-holidays.co.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?ptabindex... Tours offered today included a 9-day holiday to Zakopane in Poland. But a bit more expensive than the bargain basement belt and braces 99GBP trips of New Millennium Tours of Solihull from the 1990s. Roger Staines the founder died in 2001. Hooks of Great Oakley and E.E. Pilbeam's Harwich & Dovercourt Coaches came under the Crusader Umbrella, with an intermediate Bordacoach subsidiary.

The communications mast stood atop the building of Marconi International Marine and welcomed coast-bound travellers to the traffic jams of the then Chelmsford bypass. Now the site is a car showroom and Chelmsford has a bypass bypass.