Bus and coach timetables/literature

The cover of the 1973 Yelloway London services timetable. The cover extolled ‘air conditioned, reclining seat coach services’ although the term ‘air conditioned’ was not as we know it today - back then it was forced air ventilation. Two versions of the timetable were produced, one for circulation in the north and one for circulation in the south. This one, circulated in the north, showed ‘to London’ with the note ‘Lancashire-Derbyshire-London’. Inside the content on all the other pages was of an identical layout.

Originally passengers heading for the south west of England from the Burnley and Blackburn area had a choice of either travelling to Preston to then take the Ribble coach services south or to travel to Manchester to take the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. Ribble and Yelloway had had a close working relationship for many years working together on their pool services from Oldham and Rochdale to the Fylde Coast established in the 1950s. In the late 1960s Yelloway and Ribble established the X65 service from Colne to Torbay. Ribble became a National Bus Company subsidiary and with the creation of National Travel their express services were then branded under the National name. Under the agreement for Yelloway and National Travel to exchange services during 1976 service X65 became solely operated by Yelloway.

An audacious attempt by Lancashire United Transport for approval to operate a service to Cheltenham from their operating heartland naturally brought forth objection from Yelloway. The end result was the creation of a joint service numbered X35 that picked up in a number of towns from where passengers would have previously travelled by LUT bus into Manchester to then go south on the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. Revenue was apportioned accordingly with Yelloway taking either 94% or 96% to LUT's 6% or 4% - I can't exactly recall the actual numbers. (Leigh is approx 16 miles from Manchester and Swinton approx 7 miles. Manchester to Torbay is around 280 miles. An average of say 10 miles for the LUT portion out of the total of 290 miles equates to approx 3.5%)

Over the years connections were offered at Kings Cross, London between the Yelloway Lancashire-London service with the London-Thanet service of Ewer Group subsidiary Grey Green Coaches. In the late 1960s a through holiday service was established. The Road Service Licence for this service imposed quite a restrictive quota of vehicles that could be operated during the particular season and, as a result, it was the only Yelloway service that required agents to contact the Chart Room to register a booking from the outset. All other services were on open sale until about about one week before departure.

A through service was established linking the North West with the Sussex coastal resorts of Brighton, Peacehaven, Newhaven, Seaford and Eastbourne operated by Yelloway, Grey Green and Associated Motorways. For many years it had been possible for passengers to either travel via Cheltenham (connecting to Associated Motorways) or via London (connecting to the services of the Ewer Group subsidiaries Orange Luxury Coaches or Grey Green Coaches). In the late 1960s a through holiday service was established and this was operated jointly by the three parties. (As an aside it is interesting to note that Southdown Motor Services was a member of Associated Motorways. Southdown, together with the North Western Road Car Company, also operated their own Manchester-Sussex holiday service very similar to that shown here. Therefore Southdown had interests in two different and competing Manchester-Sussex services).

Originally passengers heading for the south west of England from Scotland could either travel to Liverpool and then take the Ribble coach services south or to travel to Manchester to take the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. (The Glasgow-Liverpool/Manchester services were jointly operated by Ribble and Western SMT). Ribble became a National Bus Company subsidiary and with the creation of National Travel their express services were then branded under the National name. This leaflet shows the direct service established in the early 1970s linking Glasgow with Cheltenham and Torbay. Gradually the service was expanded with regular day services established. Yelloway vehicles partcipated in the operation which saw their coaches regularly venturing north of the border on service work although the company's excursions and tours had done so for many years.

On the left is the front cover of the leaflet issued by National Travel for the direct Glasgow-Paignton service established in 1974 jointly operated by National Travel (South West), Yelloway and Western SMT. National Travel assigned it with service number 735 whilst WSMT called it the 920. The timetable pages may be seen elsewhere in my collection. Gradually the links between Scotland and the South West of England were expanded with a daily Glasgow-Cheltenham service launched in 1976 and the tartan style leaflet on the right proclaims ‘New for Summer 76’. The latter departed Glasgow at 0700 and Hamilton at 0730 arriving in Cheltenham at 1400. The northbound service departed Cheltenham at 1430 arriving in Hamilton at 2100 and Glasgow at 2130. (The 1981 timetable had the same running times although the timings were 30 minutes later in all cases but Carlisle was also served at 0940 southbound and 1950 northbound). Yelloway vehicles featured in the operation on a regular basis which saw their coaches regularly venturing north of the border on service work although the company's excursions and tours had done so for many years.

Originally passengers heading for the south west of England from Scotland could either travel to Liverpool and then take the Ribble coach services south or to travel to Manchester to take the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. (The Glasgow-Liverpool/Manchester services were jointly operated by Ribble and Western SMT). Ribble became a National Bus Company subsidiary and with the creation of National Travel their express services were then branded under the National name. This leaflet shows the direct service established in 1974 linking Glasgow with Cheltenham and Torbay which was licensed to National Travel (South West), Yelloway and Western SMT. National Travel assigned it with service number 735 whilst WSMT called it the 920. Gradually the service was expanded with a daily Glasgow-Cheltenham day service. Yelloway vehicles featured in the operation on a regular basis which saw their coaches regularly venturing north of the border on service work although the company's excursions and tours had done so for many years. This leaflet was published by National Travel. There was a different leaflet issued by Western SMT which may be seen in my collection.

In the late 1960s Yelloway and Associated Motorways established formal direct through express holiday services from the North West to the holiday resorts on the South Coast (Bournemouth, Portsmouth/Southsea and Weymouth). Prior to this time passengers had to change from one company's service to the other at Cheltenham although at busy holiday times through coaches did operate running on hire to Associated Motorways south of Cheltenham. In 1971 a joint through service to Barry Island, South Wales was added to the portfolio.

The Yelloway 'Devonian' service had its origins in 1929 operated by Holt Bros (Rochdale) Limited as the 'Devon Express'. It became one of the most important services operated by the company and connections could be made at various places on route most notably at Cheltenham, with the services of Associated Motorways, and Exeter, with the services of Royal Blue. The map on the timetable cover shows just the main points of the coverage.

In the early 1960s Yelloway Motor Services and Premier Travel established through services from the North West of England to East Anglia via the East Midlands. One of the timings on this joint operation ran on Summer Saturdays from Bedford to Blackpool via Northampton, Market Harborough and Leicester from where it travelled via the M1 and M6 Motorways to Preston, St. Annes and Blackpool. In the latter part of the decade two other holiday services began which also originated in Bedford and these operated to the other main Lancashire seaside resorts of Morecambe and Southport. These services were also shared with Ribble Motor Services and Midland Red. Whilst the service to Morecambe ran for a number of years that to Southport was very short lived. The Morecambe service timetable for the Summer of 1972 is shown here. (The original leaflet was a single A5 white sheet printed in magenta on both sides). Between Bedford and Leicester all three services shared the same route and had common timings. The Premier Travel vehicle working the Blackpool service conveyed all passengers south of Leicester with Midland Red providing the vehicle(s) north thereof. (A disclaimer here regarding the Southport service. It wasn’t as successful as the others so was cancelled after a short time and, whilst only hearsay, I think that the few passengers that did use it may have been carried on the other coaches to either Charnock Richard or Preston to then complete their journey on a feeder vehicle to Southport). In the evening homeward passengers from the Morecambe and Southport services would be conveyed on their respective coaches as far as Leicester from where they would complete their journey on the Premier Travel coach that worked the Blackpool-Bedford service. The Yelloway and Premier Travel joint services carried service numbers allocated in the Premier Travel service numbering series. The Morecambe service was service 85 and the Southport service was service 86.

For a few years Yelloway published this style of leaflet in the early months of the year which outlined the range of destinations available on its different services during the forthcoming summer period. This was the cover of the 1970 issue. The leaflet also listed the many booking agents for the purchase of tickets. Yelloway was once a participant in a holiday exhibition held annually at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester in the early months of the year and this leaflet would be prepared in time to be available on the stand for visitors to the exhibition. (As an aside, there was usually a full size mock up of the front of a Harrington Cavalier coach in Yelloway livery in the foyer of the exhibition which bore an untrue registration number (from the HDK-E series I seem to recall). After each exhibition it was packed away but when no longer needed for that purpose the components and panels found their way onto damaged coaches passing through the repair shop).

The business of Robin Hood (Coaches) Limited was acquired by Barton Transport in the early 1960s and the Robin Hood Nottingham-Blackpool coach service became Barton's service X61. The winter schedule only operated on three days each week in each direction and this format continued under Barton.

The business of Robin Hood (Coaches) Limited was acquired by Barton Transport in 1961 and the Robin Hood Nottingham-Blackpool coach service became Barton's service X61. The summer schedule had two departures from each end each day. Stockport was the last licenced pick-up point for services heading north (for setting down at Preston and beyond) and likewise the first setting down point from same heading south. In addition to the two daily services there was a northbound service on Friday evening and a southbound service on Sunday evening. In the columns for these there is an asterisk at Bolton indicating that Bolton was the first setting down point going north and the last picking up point going south. Since Barton didn't pick up at Manchester travelling north nor set down at Manchester going south the Manchester timings on these two trips are superfluous! Like many express service timetables, the Barton summer service began on the Sunday prior to Easter (Palm Sunday). Easter Sunday was on April 14 in 1972. (Digressing, if you have ever wondered why Easter is never on the same date each year like Christmas etc, this is because Easter is determined as the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first full moon after the Spring Equinox (March 21). This can range between March 21 and April 18. The Paschal Full Moon does not correspond directly to an astronomical event but is determined from tables. It may differ from the date of the actual full moon by up to two days so the use of tables instead of actual observations is necessary because the full moon may occur on different dates depending on where one is in the world. So the date of Easter can range from anywhere between March 22 to April 25. Apparently it will be 2038 the next time Easter falls as late as it possibly can when Easter Sunday will be April 25!)

Friday 28 August 2015 – A West Yorkshire Road Car Company timetable on display in the Nidderdale Museum in Pateley Bridge. The company ran most of the bus services in the area and this timetable includes service 23 operated between Pateley Bridge and Harrogate via Ripley, Bishop Thornton and Burnt Yates. However, the main service between the two locations was service 24 via Hampsthwaite, Birstwith, Darley and Dacre which is now the only remaining service in 2015 operated by Harrogate and District. Both the 23 and 24 travelled the same route between Harrogate and Killinghall and between Summerbridge and Pateley Bridge.

Friday 28 August 2015 – A timetable dated 21 July 1930 on display in the Nidderdale Museum in Pateley Bridge showing the service between Pateley Bridge and Ripon operated by Longster Brothers. This was a family run business based in Pateley Bridge that closed sometime during the 1970s or 1980s.

Ribble Motor Services and West Yorkshire Road Car Company operated their joint service X192 during the summer months linking Liverpool and Scarborough by way of many Lancashire and Yorkshire towns and villages. This timetable was operational from 11 May to 30 September 1956. Between the start date and 29 June the service operated Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays only - each partner operating from their 'native end' on Fridays and Sundays returning home Saturdays and Mondays. From 30 June to 30 September the service ran daily with each partner working out one day and back the next. On Saturdays there was also a St. Helens-Scarborough-St. Helens round trip usually covered by Ribble. We lived in Rochdale and my paternal Grandparents (along with aunties, uncles and cousins) lived in Scarborough so we used the service on a regular basis.

Ribble Motor Services and West Yorkshire Road Car Company operated their joint service X192 during the summer months linking Liverpool and Scarborough by way of many intermediate towns and villages. We lived in Rochdale and my paternal Grandparents (along with aunties, uncles and cousins) lived in Scarborough so we used the service on a regular basis. Sometimes we travelled on a Ribble all-Leyland Royal Tiger and sometimes an it would be an EUG class Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol LS/MW of West Yorkshire. This timetable was operational from 15 May to 27 September 1964. Between the start date and 29 June the service operated Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays only - each partner operating from their 'native end' on Fridays and Sundays returning home Saturdays and Mondays. From 30 June to 30 September the service ran daily with each partner working out one day and back the next. On Saturdays there was also a St. Helens-Scarborough-St. Helens round trip usually covered by Ribble.