Les Bywater HIL 3469 and L998 CRY at the Rochdale garage – 16 Apr 1995 (261-09)

Easter Sunday 16 April 1995 – Les Bywater and Sons Limited of Rochdale started as a taxi and mini-bus operator in the late 1960s expanding to full sized coaches from the early 1970s.

The garage was located in Sparth Bottoms Road where two of the coaches are seen. The coach on the left has Duple Laser bodywork, a model produced between 1983 and 1986. I am aware of Bywater’s operating two such coaches which were delivered new in June 1984 registered A892/3 RCJ. The registration on this one looks like HIL 3469.

The coach on the right is L998 CRY, a Jonckheere Deauville bodied Volvo B10M that was delivered new in July 1994. This may have been the last new coach the company bought.

My good friend the late Gerard Duffy drove part time for Bywater’s for a number of years. Gerard was actually the cashier at Yelloway and had a passion for PSV driving but Hubert Allen would not sanction him to drive Yelloway coaches. Gerard told me of a statement Mr. Allen made to him, ‘You are my cashier Gerard not one of my drivers’.