Primrose Coaches (Tyneside, UK)

Tuesday 8 July 1975 (approx 1130) - Kirby Stephen. The Primrose Coaches name was shared between R & M Bisset Limited of Ryton-on-Tyne and Graham Bros of Winlaton Mill for the operation of a service between Tyneside and the Fylde Coast which commenced in May 1928, the predecessors of the latter day partners each providing one coach so that a daily service could be operated in each direction. This arrangement existed until Bisset acquired Graham Bros in the late 1970s or early 1980s (certainly by 1983). Nearest the camera in this view is Graham Bros CUP 107L, a Duple Dominant bodied Bedford YRQ, operating the southbound service from Newcastle to St. Annes. In the background is Bisset's KUP 384N, a Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance, working the northbound service.

Tuesday 8 July 1975 (approx 1130) - Kirby Stephen. The Primrose Coaches name was shared between R & M Bisset Limited of Ryton-on-Tyne and Graham Bros of Winlaton Mill for the operation of a service between Tyneside and the Fylde Coast which commenced in May 1928, the predecessors of the latter day partners each providing one coach so that a daily service could be operated in each direction. This arrangement existed until Bisset acquired Graham Bros in the late 1970s or early 1980s (certainly by 1983). Nearest the camera in this view is Graham Bros CUP 107L, a Duple Dominant bodied Bedford YRQ, operating the southbound service from Newcastle to St. Annes. In the background is Bisset's KUP 384N, a Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance, working the northbound service.

Tuesday 8 July 1975 (approx 1130) - Kirby Stephen Market Place. The Primrose Coaches name was shared between R & M Bisset Limited of Ryton-on-Tyne and Graham Bros of Winlaton Mill for the operation of a service between Tyneside and the Fylde Coast which commenced in May 1928, the predecessors of the latter day partners each providing one coach so that a daily service could be operated in each direction. This arrangement existed until Bisset acquired Graham Bros in the late 1970s or early 1980s (certainly by 1983). This view, taken from an upper floor cafe overlooking the Market Place in Kirby Stephen, shows Graham Bros CUP 107L, a Duple Dominant bodied Bedford YRQ was operating the southbound service from Newcastle to St. Annes. In the background is Bisset's KUP 384N, a Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance, which was working the northbound service.

Saturday 16 September 1974 (approx 1520) - R & M Bisset Limited was one of two partners sharing the name Primrose Coaches. OUP 611D, a Plaxton Panorama bodied AEC Reliance new in June 1966, was seen in Preston bus station when working the 1430 service from Ainsdale (Pontins) and Southport (1440) back to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This service was the result of the determination of Primrose to maintain its share of holiday traffic between Tyneside and the Lancashire coastal resorts. Primrose began working regular daily services from Tyneside to the Fylde Coast in May 1928. Ribble and Northern General also operated services between the two areas from the early days of coaching. In the the early 1970s (by which time both Ribble and Northern General were part of the National Bus Company) they sought to introduce a holiday service from Tyneside to Southport to which Primrose objected. After ongoing debates in the Traffic Courts the result was that Ribble and Northern General commenced a Newcastle-Southport-Ainsdale holiday service as National Express service number 353. Primrose was granted a licence to operate a parallel service which was, as the timetable leaflet noted, 'operated in conjunction with Ribble Motor Services'. Basically Primrose operated all the mileage on their service but had to pay a percentage of the revenue to Ribble and also pay for the use of the Ribble bus stations in Preston and Southport. On 2 June 1973 this new Tyneside-Southport/Ainsdale holiday service commenced operating on Summer Saturdays until 29 September.

Saturday 16 September 1974 (approx 1520) - R & M Bisset Limited was one of two partners sharing the name Primrose Coaches. OUP 611D, a Plaxton Panorama bodied AEC Reliance new in June 1966, was seen in Preston bus station when working the 1430 service from Ainsdale (Pontins) and Southport (1440) back to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This service was the result of the determination of Primrose to maintain its share of holiday traffic between Tyneside and the Lancashire coastal resorts. Primrose began working regular daily services from Tyneside to the Fylde Coast in May 1928. Ribble and Northern General also operated services between the two areas from the early days of coaching. In the the early 1970s (by which time both Ribble and Northern Genral were part of the National Bus Company) they sought to introduce a holiday service from Tyneside to Southport to which Primrose objected. After ongoing debates in the Traffic Courts the result was that Ribble and Northern General commenced a Newcastle-Southport-Ainsdale holiday service as National Express service number 353. Primrose was granted a licence to operate a parallel service which was, as the timetable leaflet noted, 'operated in conjunction with Ribble Motor Services'. Basically Primrose operated all the mileage on their service but had to pay a percentage of the revenue to Ribble and also pay for the use of the Ribble bus stations in Preston and Southport. On 2 June 1973 this new Tyneside-Southport/Ainsdale holiday service commenced operating on Summer Saturdays until 29 September.

Letterhead of R and M Bisset Limited. The directors are Rita Ebdon and Joyce Grant, daughters of Robert and Margaret Bisset who registered the limited liability company in their names in 1945. It was Margaret's father, John Patterson and his then prospective son-in-law Robert Bisset, that commenced operations as Primrose Coaches in May 1928. Below is a photocopy of a Primrose Coaches ticket for a journey I made from St Annes to Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 8 July 1975. The passenger receipt part in the lower section is original.

During the summer months Primrose Coaches operated its own independent service between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Blackpool. Ribble and Northern General operated their own joint service over the same route. Try as they might Primrose had wanted its own winter service for many years but the Traffic Commissioners would not grant this and so they had to work jointly with Ribble and Northern General during the winter months. This is the cover of the timetable leaflet covering the winter period 1970/1971. The winter service featured one journey each way per day unchanged for many years.

During the summer months Primrose Coaches operated its own independent service between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Blackpool. Ribble and Northern General operated their own joint service over the same route. Try as they might Primrose had wanted its own winter service for many years but the Traffic Commissioners would not grant this and so they had to work jointly with Ribble and Northern General during the winter months. This is the cover of the timetable leaflet covering the winter period 1970/1971. The winter service featured one journey each way per day unchanged for many years.

The format of the services operated by Primrose Coaches between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Blackpool remained the same for a number of years. The summer 1971 timetable is typical of the journeys operated until the introduction of additional holiday services a couple or so years later.

During the summer months Primrose Coaches operated its own independent service between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Blackpool. Ribble and Northern General operated their own joint service over the same route. Try as they might Primrose had wanted its own winter service for many years but the Traffic Commissioners would not grant this and so they had to work jointly with Ribble and Northern General during the winter months. This is the cover of the timetable leaflet covering the winter period 1971/1972. Ribble and Northern General were by now part of the National Bus Company and the 'double N' logo of NBC is featured on the cover. The winter service featured one journey each way per day unchanged for many years (as shown in the timetable for 1975 visible later in this album).

The Primrose Coaches timetable was printed on 'quarto' sized paper long after A4 became standard and the summer issue was made up of a coloured paper cover with eight white pages within (the inside covers were left blank). The service to Southport began in 1973 and is shown on the map.

The Primrose Coaches timetable was printed on 'quarto' sized paper long after A4 became standard and the summer issue was made up of a coloured paper cover with eight white pages within (the inside covers were left blank). Page 1 contained an index.

The summer 1974 timetable for the Primrose Coaches Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Blackpool/St Annes service. For the summer of 1972 additional holiday services were introduced to serve the Pontin's holiday camps at Morecambe (Middleton Tower) and Blackpool (South Shore) followed by Southport (Ainsdale) for the summer of 1973. These timetables are shown on the next pages in this album.

Primrose Coaches summer 1974 timetables for the additional holiday services to serve the Pontin's holiday camps at Morecambe (Middleton Tower) and Blackpool (South Shore). These services had been introduced two years previously and supplemented the Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Blackpool/St Annes services shown on the previous page 2.