Scarborough 1967-2012

Friday 6 July 2007 - Frodingham Coaches was acquired by East Yorkshire Motor Services Limited and this coach carries the Frodingham name. Number 92 (A20 EYC ex-??), is a Plaxton Prima bodied Volvo B7R new in 1999. It was seen near Scarborough railway station working a private hire charter with the most mouthy female organiser I have ever encountered. I really felt sorry for the driver who had to put up with her all day!

Saturday 13 August 1994 (approx. 0830) – East Yorkshire Motor Services is the larger operator in Scarborough and runs its local services under the Scarborough and District name. Plaxton Supreme V bodied Leyland Leopard number 199 (EGV 367Y) was one of the very late Supreme models delivered when the new Paramount models were starting to appear. It was new to Southdown in July 1982 as their 1365 registered HHC 365Y. It came to EYMS with the acquisition of Thornton-le-Dale Coaches in 1992. Other registrations carried by this coach have included RPN 11 and MIJ 999. It was seen at the Corner Café turning circle at the North Bay in Scarborough on a private hire working for a group of ramblers going out for the day. A bright sunny day although the sea was a bit choppy with the waves pounding over the sea wall. Unknown to me at the time, I didn’t find out until reaching home later in the day, was that just along the roadway where the sun is shining, a lady had drowned the previous evening as she tried to rescue her dog from the sea. The sad irony was that the dog got out of the water alive but after being recovered from the sea by a RAF helicopter the lady had died when they reached the hospital.

Thursday 11 August 1994 (approx. 0840) - East Yorkshire Motor Services is the larger operator in Scarborough and runs its local services under the Scarborough and District name. In 1987 EYMS acquired the business of Hardwick’s Services, a subsidiary of Wallace Arnold Tours, which operated a service between Scarborough and Ebberston for many years which in later times was extended to Pickering and Helmsley. 232 (PNW 332W) was seen near Scarborough Railway Station having arrived from Pickering on service 128. It was a Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Leopard that was originally new to the London based Wallace Arnold subsidiary Woburn Garage (Evan Evans Tours) in April 1981. A link to a photograph of this coach in Hardwick's livery: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/50684266

Friday 21 August 1987 – Hardwick’s Services was a subsidiary of Wallace Arnold Tours and for many years operated a service between Scarborough and Ebberston which after deregulation was extended further west to Pickering and Helmsley. PNW 332W, a Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Leopard originally new to the London based Wallace Arnold subsidiary Woburn Garage (Evan Evans Tours) in April 1981, was seen parked across the road from the Wallace Arnold garage in Columbus Ravine, Scarborough. Alongside is one of the open top double deckers which Wallace Arnold employed on Scarborough seafront services. A few weeks later, on 5 October 1987, Wallace Arnold sold the Hardwick’s business to East Yorkshire Motor Services/Scarborough and District and this coach passed to the new owners to continue working the service to Pickering etc. A link to a photograph of this coach in EYMS/S&D livery: www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/51211706

Friday 21 August 1987 – Hardwick’s Services was a subsidiary of Wallace Arnold Tours and for many years operated a service between Scarborough and Ebberston which after deregulation was extended further west to Pickering and Helmsley. PNW 332W, a Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Leopard originally new to the London based Wallace Arnold subsidiary Woburn Garage (Evan Evans Tours) in April 1981, was seen parked in the doorway of the Wallace Arnold garage in Columbus Ravine, Scarborough. A few weeks later, on 5 October 1987, Wallace Arnold sold the Hardwick’s business to East Yorkshire Motor Services/Scarborough and District and this coach passed to the new owners to continue working the service to Pickering etc. Note the framed map fixed to the pillar. This was always fascinating to me as a boy and was a three dimensional representation of North Yorkshire area served by Wallace Arnold excursions.

Friday 21 August 1987 – Hardwick’s Services was a subsidiary of Wallace Arnold Tours and for many years operated a service between Scarborough and Ebberston which after deregulation was extended further west to Pickering and Helmsley. NEN 952R, a Leyland National 1 which was new to Lancashire United (Greater Manchester Buses) in February 1977, seen in Columbus Ravine, Scarborough. The Wallace Arnold garage was across the road on the left and had by this time become the terminal point for the service. A few weeks later, on 5 October 1987, Wallace Arnold sold the Hardwick’s business to East Yorkshire Motor Services/Scarborough and District.

Wednesday 19 August 1987 – Wallace Arnold/Hardwick’s Services played a small part in operating open top seafront buses at Scarborough before selling their Scarborough operations to East Yorkshire Motor Services/Scarborough and District a few weeks after this photograph was taken. The sale took place on 5 October 1987. In this view we see CYC 658A travelling along Weydale Avenue on a dull evening passing the Norlands Hotel where we were staying for this visit. The bus is a Park Royal bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R that had been new as a standard covered top bus to the SELNEC PTE in September 1972 registered VNB 108L. It passed to EYMS with the sale of the business and continued to operate with them for a time.

Friday 21 August 1987 – The Wallace Arnold Tours garage at 77-79 Columbus Ravine, Scarborough had originally housed the Rawling’s Coaches business which, under Wallace Arnold ownership, had been re-built. In the centre doorway is one of the ten FUA registered Bova EL26/581 integrals new in the Spring of 1983 (FUA 395-404Y) (Could be either FUA 402Y or FUA 403Y) In the right hand doorway is Hardwick’s Services PNW 332W, a Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Leopard originally new to the London based Wallace Arnold subsidiary Woburn Garage (Evan Evans Tours) in April 1981. Wallace Arnold purchased the Hardwick’s business in 1952 operating it as a subsidiary until October 1987 when it was sold, along with this garage property, to East Yorkshire Motor Services. Note the framed map fixed to the pillar. This was always fascinating to me as a boy and was a three dimensional representation of North Yorkshire area served by Wallace Arnold excursions.

Friday 12 August 1994 – The former Wallace Arnold Tours garage at 77-79 Columbus Ravine, Scarborough became a car showroom for Arundales selling Proton and Lada cars. I see from Google Streetview that by August 2018 it had become the property of Co-operative Funeralcare. The garage had originally housed the Rawling’s Coaches business which, under Wallace Arnold ownership, had been re-built.

Circa 1967 – West Yorkshire Road Car Company garage and bus station at Northway, Scarborough. Despite being the focal point of my childhood holidays to Scarborough I am sorry to say that I took very few photographs at Northway Bus Station and it was just round the corner from my Grandparents and Uncles/Aunties. The coach is CUG44 (SLA 759), a Bristol LS which had been new to Tillings Travel, London in May 1957. It was transferred from Eastern National to West Yorkshire circa 1965 along with sister vehicle CUG45 (SLA 762). The bus is DX173 (840 DYG), a Bristol FS6B Lodekka new in February 1964. It shows service 84 which was the Harrogate-York-Malton-Scarborough service which shared the same route between York and Scarborough as the Bradford-Leeds-York-Malton-Scarborough service 43 which operated more frequently. In my younger days the Harrogate service was numbered 74. Both these vehicles were bodied by Eastern Coachworks of course.

Friday 12 August 1994 - Blazefield owned Yorkshire Coastliner Limited 404 (K4 YCL) seen on Seamer Road (at Queen Margaret’s Road) in Scarborough when working the 1235 (from Peasholm Park) service 843 to Leeds. It was one of six Northern Counties bodied Leyland Olympians new in September 1992 which were numbered numbered 402-407 (L2-7 YCL). Fitted with high backed seating these were the first new vehicles purchased by Blazefield for Yorkshire Coastliner. From its base in Malton the company operates services from Leeds via Tadcaster, York and Malton to the coastal resorts of Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and Bridlington.

Friday 12 August 1994 (0807) - Blazefield owned Yorkshire Coastliner Limited 481 (C481 YWY) setting down in Westborough across the road from Scarborough railway station arriving as the 0720 service 843 from Malton. It was an Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Olympian fitted with higher backed semi-coach seating that was new in October 1985 to the West Yorkshire Road Car Company. In September 1987 WYRCC was privatised and the services from Leeds to the Yorkshire Coast that had been branded were branded ‘Yorkshire Coastliner’ passed to a new company with that name - a name and a company which went from strength to strength after privatisation. From its base in Malton the company continues to operate services from Leeds via Tadcaster, York and Malton to the coastal resorts of Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and Bridlington. Standing behind is East Yorkshire/Scarborough & District 232 (PNW 332W) having arrived from Pickering on service 128. It was a Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Leopard that was originally new to the London based Wallace Arnold subsidiary Woburn Garage (Evan Evans Tours) in April 1981. It was later transferred to the WA subsidiary Hardwick’s Services which EYMS acquired in 1987.

Friday 12 August 1994 (0807) - Blazefield owned Yorkshire Coastliner Limited 481 (C481 YWY) setting down in Westborough across the road from Scarborough railway station arriving as the 0720 service 843 from Malton. It was an Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Olympian fitted with higher backed semi-coach seating that was new in October 1985 to the West Yorkshire Road Car Company. In September 1987 WYRCC was privatised and the services from Leeds to the Yorkshire Coast that had been branded were branded ‘Yorkshire Coastliner’ passed to a new company with that name - a name and a company which went from strength to strength after privatisation. From its base in Malton the company continues to operate services from Leeds via Tadcaster, York and Malton to the coastal resorts of Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and Bridlington. Rear end advertising for Flamingo Land, a family fun park at Kirkby Misperton on the Malton to Whitby service 843.

Friday 12 August 1994 (approx. 0820) - Blazefield owned Yorkshire Coastliner Limited 481 (C481 YWY) travelling out of service along Royal Albert Drive in Scarborough heading to Peasholm Park to work the 0855 service 843 to Leeds. The bus had worked in on the 0720 service from Malton arriving near the Railway Station about 0810. I suspect the bus had deposited all its passengers upon arrival in town and the driver was filling in the layover time with a bit of sightseeing along the seafront! It was an Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Olympian fitted with higher backed semi-coach seating that was new in October 1985 to the West Yorkshire Road Car Company. In September 1987 WYRCC was privatised and the services from Leeds to the Yorkshire Coast that had been branded were branded ‘Yorkshire Coastliner’ passed to a new company with that name - a name and a company which went from strength to strength after privatisation. From its base in Malton the company continues to operate services from Leeds via Tadcaster, York and Malton to the coastal resorts of Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and Bridlington. The sea was very choppy here today with the waves crashing in. This part of the seafront is quite notorious for such weather. In the late 1800s the North Bay Pier was built close to this spot but a heavy storm in January 1905 destroyed the whole structure and the pier was not rebuilt. Later this day a lady had drowned here as she tried to rescue her dog from the sea. The sad irony was that the dog got out of the water alive but after being recovered from the sea by a RAF helicopter the lady had died when they reached the hospital.

Friday 12 August 1994 (approx. 0820) - Blazefield owned Yorkshire Coastliner Limited 481 (C481 YWY) travelling out of service along Royal Albert Drive in Scarborough heading to Peasholm Park to work the 0855 service 843 to Leeds. The bus had worked in on the 0720 service from Malton arriving near the Railway Station about 0810. I suspect the bus had deposited all its passengers upon arrival in town and the driver was filling in the layover time with a bit of sightseeing along the seafront! It was an Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Olympian fitted with higher backed semi-coach seating that was new in October 1985 to the West Yorkshire Road Car Company. In September 1987 WYRCC was privatised and the services from Leeds to the Yorkshire Coast that had been branded were branded ‘Yorkshire Coastliner’ passed to a new company with that name - a name and a company which went from strength to strength after privatisation. From its base in Malton the company continues to operate services from Leeds via Tadcaster, York and Malton to the coastal resorts of Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and Bridlington. The sea was very choppy here today with the waves crashing in. This part of the seafront is quite notorious for such weather. In the late 1800s the North Bay Pier was built close to this spot but a heavy storm in January 1905 destroyed the whole structure and the pier was not rebuilt. Later this day a lady had drowned here as she tried to rescue her dog from the sea. The sad irony was that the dog got out of the water alive but after being recovered from the sea by a RAF helicopter the lady had died when they reached the hospital.

Friday 12 August 1994 (approx. 0857) - Blazefield owned Yorkshire Coastliner Limited 481 (C481 YWY) heading up Columbus Ravine in Scarborough when working the 0855 service 843 from Peasholm Park to Leeds. It was an Eastern Coachworks bodied Leyland Olympian fitted with higher backed semi-coach seating that was new in October 1985 to the West Yorkshire Road Car Company. In September 1987 WYRCC was privatised and the services from Leeds to the Yorkshire Coast that had been branded were branded ‘Yorkshire Coastliner’ passed to a new company with that name - a name and a company which went from strength to strength after privatisation. From its base in Malton the company continues to operate services from Leeds via Tadcaster, York and Malton to the coastal resorts of Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and Bridlington. During this visit we stayed at the Columbus Hotel, a family run establishment, visible on the left. The building was typical of a style to be found in various parts of the resort that were constructed around the early 1930s. Over the years the facilities had evolved and adapted to accommodate en-suite facilities from their original ‘H & C in all rooms’ format. ‘H & C in all rooms’ itself having been a selling point from what went before that. It signified that the room had a washbasin with hot and cold running water so no having to queue for a communal bathroom. Re-forming the layouts to maximise the number of available bedrooms whilst creating the enhanced facilities often meant the bedrooms got smaller and perhaps fewer.

Friday 12 August 1994 (approx. 1725) - Blazefield owned Yorkshire Coastliner Limited 408 (L8 YCL) seen setting down opposite Scarborough Railway Station as it arrived from Leeds on service 843. The vehicle, an Alexander Royale bodied Volvo Olympian new in October 1993, featured high backed coach seating and one-piece front windscreens. It had been displayed at the ‘Coach and Bus 93’ exhibition and was also used on a demonstration tour around Britain before entering service in January 1994. The lady with the large suitcase had just alighted for a stay at the Yorkshire coast.

Friday 12 August 1994 (approx. 1725) - Blazefield owned Yorkshire Coastliner Limited 408 (L8 YCL) seen setting down opposite Scarborough Railway Station as it arrived from Leeds on service 843. The vehicle, an Alexander Royale bodied Volvo Olympian new in October 1993, featured high backed coach seating and one-piece front windscreens. It had been displayed at the ‘Coach and Bus 93’ exhibition and was also used on a demonstration tour around Britain before entering service in January 1994. As a norm the rear panels of the Yorkshire Coastliner fleet display a large route map but this vehicle carries large ‘Royale’ lettering.