This Stagecoach Midlands vehicle has been painted in Stratford Blue colours to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the company in 2017 and 70 years of the Omnibus Society’s Midland Branch. It is seen here waiting to depart from Trinity Street in Coventry on the X18 service that will take it to Stratford upon Avon via Leamington Spa. The vehicle is an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 bodied Scania N230UD. Stratford-upon-Avon Blue Motors, always known as Stratford Blue, ran local services around Stratford as well as longer-distance routes to neighbouring towns. From 1935 it was a subsidiary of the much larger Midland Red but remained operationally separate until 1971 when it was absorbed into the parent company.
The building that this mosaic SP3379 : Mosaic detail in Cov Centre. decorates was originally the Locarno ballroom, hence the jolly design. The artist was Fred Millet.