Barton Transport Nottingham-Blackpool service X61 - Summer timetable 1968

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!)