Vintage Large Enamel Advertising Sign For Eastern Counties Omnibus / Antique

The Eastern Counties Omnibus Company Ltd was formed in July 1931 by the amalgamation of four, pre-existing public transport operators. These were : the Ipswich firm of Eastern Counties Road Car Company Ltd, Ortona Motor Company Ltd of Cambridge, the Peterborough Electric Traction Company Ltd and United Automobile Service Ltd. The networks of the four operators covered Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, the Isle of Ely and the Soke of Peterborough.

Throughout the 1930s E.C.O.C. expanded its operation, mainly by acquiring the businesses of over 50 other operators, one of which was the Norwich Electric Tramways Company Ltd. This company had been established by Act of Parliament 1898, and by 1933, when E.C.O.C. gained control, was running as many motorbus as tramway services in Norwich. By December 1935 N.E.T.C. had shed its remaining trams and switched entirely to operating motor-buses, a move which was paralleled by the changing of its name to that of the Norwich Omnibus Company Ltd. It was managed by a joint committee formed by representatives of E.C.O.C. and of the Corporation of Norwich, although real control rested firmly in the hands of E.C.O.C. In 1955 the semi-independence of N.O.C. ended with the final winding-up of its operation and total absorption into E.C.O.C.

E.C.O.C. itself, originally owned by the Tilling Group, passed into state ownership in 1948 its assets having been purchased by the British Transport Commission. On the abolition of the Commission in 1962, control passed to the Transport Holding Company and then, in 1969, to the National Bus Company.

43cm X 46cm 

Condition - Good with just minor wear to around the edges and hang holes. Nice vibrant colour still with no weather resulting fade.  

Item No. 3256

Please do not hesitate to contact us via the ‘ask seller a question’ link if you require any further information about this item or have any queries that we can assist you with. 

Please read before purchase: 

Due to the nature of our business many on the items for sale on the eBay store are also for sale across the country in one of our many antique cabinets. In the very unlikely event of an item being purchased simultaneous we will immediately contact you with our upmost sincere apologies and issue you with a full refund. 

In the interest of both parties its important to remember that many of the items stocked are very old. The item purchased is always given with the most honest description and images to help you decide if the condition is appropriate for what you are looking for.  If you are unsure or are looking for a perfect item we strongly advise you to contact us before purchase or visit a antique store so you can personally inspect the items you wish to buy. 

Payment must be paid immediately after purchase. Anyone wishing to purchase an item but can not pay straight away must contact us via the ‘send seller a message’ link before purchase. 

All item pictures are taken under bright white product photography lighting. Although we always try to show the products colours to the best of ability, on occasions it is possible that the colours in the picture might slightly differ from the actual. 

Condition Guide 

The condition is always described taking into account the age of the item. For example, is the item in a certain condition considering its ‘x’ amount of years old.

Mint - No damage, like new. 

Excellent - No damage. Possibly some very light fading or light crazing. 

Very good - No damage. Some fading,  heavy crazing, foxing, etc. 

Good - There may be some damage. However this will be either very small, difficult to see,  hidden from sight or repaired.

Poor - Damaged. There will be something wrong with the item which may significantly effect the item use. 

Very poor - Item is more or less unusable. Scrap. 

Delivery 

IMPORTANT

All breakable items are sent via a 24 hour courier and the postage costs include insurance for your item. The postage and packing may seem high, however we do not make any profit on the cost of postage. We just want your item to arrive safely and be in transit for the shortage possible time. 

Delivery costs are always calculated on the weight and size of the item when packaged. The cost of postage also includes packaging for the item such as bubblewrap and boxing when required. 

We do ship internationally, however anyone wishing to purchase from outside the UK Mainland should contact us prior to buying to arrange delivery cost.

In the unlikely event of your item arriving damaged, you must contact us within 24 hours of receiving your item. All items are sent the next working day after purchase and we will contact you to let you know its on its way. 

Returns  

We guarantee this item is exactly as described. However we do operate a money back return policy if you are not 100% satisfied. The Buyer is responsible for the cost in retuning the item. The item will be inspected to ensure it is returned in the same condition it was sent. A full refund will be issued within 24 hours of receiving the item back. It is advised that the seller retains as much as the original packaging to return the item back to us in and send via the same courier you received it via.