Grey Cars HOD 38E in Rochdale - Summer 1969

Summer 1969 – Grey Cars, the coach business of the Devon General Omnibus & Touring Company Limited, provided regular duplication of the Yelloway ‘Devonian’ service. HOD 38E, a Duple Commander bodied AEC Reliance new in May 1967, was parked on the Baillie Street edge of the Rochdale Corporation Transport parking ground having duplicated the Friday night northbound service from Devon to Rochdale and spent the day parked up before duplicating the Saturday night southbound service. Sometimes the Friday night north coaches would turn round and duplicate the Saturday day south service back to Devon. Alongside was a Harrington coach of Greenslades Tours which was working the same duplicates. Seaside resort coach operators did not tend to put on any day trips on Saturdays because holidaymakers were either arriving or departing their holidays which made the potential loadings lighter. The coaches could be better utilised helping to move these passenger loads in and out of the holiday area. The vehicles pictured here were usually employed on Devon tours on Friday and Sunday covering the additional 600 miles round trip in between working for Yelloway. On the Saturday day south service (at least) the Grey Cars coach drivers took the coach all the way down to Exeter from the north west (approx 280 miles) but were then relieved at Exeter by a local (bus) driver who took the coach the final 20 odd miles down to Torquay. This potentially ‘robbed’ the coach drivers of the opportunity to receive passenger tips. Their (the coach drivers) trick was to carry a bundle of Grey Cars excursion leaflets and upon arrival in Exeter say something like ‘Well, I have to leave you now and hope you have a nice holiday. Whilst you are in Devon why not take a trip on one of our excursions’. As the leaflets were given out the passenger often responded with a few shillings tip!