David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos

Mid 1950s at Blackpool - What is possibly the same coach as in the previous picture. If so then GDK 727, a Trans-United bodied AEC Regal new in 1949, loading for Rochdale. The houses in the background are located on Bloomfield Road itself.

Mid 1950s at Blackpool - GDK 727, a Trans-United bodied AEC Regal new in 1949, about to load for Rochdale. Note the canopy over the engine has a curved supporting pillar - a form of modernisation.

Mid 1950s at Blackpool - GDK 303, a Burlingham bodied Leyland Tiger PS1 new in 1948, loading for Oldham. The famous Blackpool Tower can be seen beyond the modern houses in Palmer Avenue from where the coaches entered the coach station property.

Mid 1950s - This atmospheric shot of the passenger concourse at the Yelloway Coach Station in Bloomfield Road, Blackpool shows passengers milling around waiting for coaches to take them home perhaps after a Wakes Week holiday. Toilets, buffet and ice cream facilities were all available plus a left luggage outbuilding across from the coach loading area. The edge of ticket office is just visible on the extreme right where there are some boards propped up. Note the destination boards slotted in to the overhead brackets. The queues would be sorted according to traffic volumes to enable duplicate coaches to operate with direct full loads. In this view stand 1 was for passengers up to and including Rossendale and Rochdale with stand 2 for passengers between Firgrove and Oldham.

Early 1950s (1953?) - In 1952 the stylish Burlingham Seagull entered the fleet and continued to do so until Burlingham was acquired by Duple at the end of the 1950s. This impressive line up shows eight of the type parked on the ground owned by Rochdale Corporation Transport for town centre bus parking (Duncan Street is in the foreground and Baillie Street along the rear of the coaches). On the left is KDK 61 new in 1953 whereas all the others, in numerical order, are JDK 320 to JDK 326 bought in 1952. Close examination of the chassis manufacturer badges will reveal that the coaches at each end of the line-up are Leyland Royal Tigers whereas the six others are AEC Regals.

1959 or early 1960s - In 1959 the last Burlingham bodied coaches entered the fleet which were of a ‘tarted up’ Seagull featuring greater use of fibreglass panels and longer length panoramic windows. Four were bought registered UDK 311-314 and all passed to Premier Travel of Cambridge between 1963 and 1965. Directly behind the front of the coach were some cottages which were subsequently demolished to provide more garage space. Note too the covered bridge which linked the warehouses owned by the Co-operative Society.

Mid 1960s (14 May 1964?) - Hubert Allen ‘launches’ the first run of the Rochdale-London Motorway Express service operated by 7071 DK, one of the 1964 intake of Harrington Cavalier bodied AEC Reliances.

Early 1960s - Hubert Allen ‘launches’ another new service worked by 2924 DK, one of the first 36 feet long Harrington Cavalier bodied AEC Reliances delivered in 1962. This may have been the joint 74/75 service to Clacton-on-Sea worked jointly with Premier Travel. A number of drivers look on - including what looks like ‘Paddy’ Crookes (H V Crookes?) under the ‘T’ of the Waiting Room sign. The Jaguar car was Mr. Allen’s. The large doors behind Mr Allen were those to the lower workshop.

Late 1950s or early 1960s - Framed posters hung on the bars of the Yelloway garage along the passenger walkway. A poster for the Creams North Wales service positioned with one extolling the virtues of ‘Sunny Rhyl’, one of the main holiday resorts on the route.

Mid 1950s - The Creams (Lancashire) Limited was acquired by Yelloway in 1947 and remained a separate subsidiary until 1970. From 1960 to 1970 the policy was to employ lightweight coaches in the Creams fleet replacing them after one or two summer seasons but during the earlier years heavyweight vehicles transferred from the main Yelloway fleet. LDK 382, a Burlingham Seagull bodied AEC Regal, had been delivered to Yelloway in 1954 and in 1957 was transferred to Creams. It remained in the Creams fleet until sold in 1964. The garter scroll on the rear door comprised a ‘C’ in an old English text surrounded by an orange belt. This garter differed from that carried on Yelloway vehicles. The transfer (decal) for the latter was gold lining on clear film and so when applied to the coach the main body colour showed through. Thus the belt was the same colour as the body.

Mid 1950s - The ‘Creams’ fleetname as carried on LDK 382, a Burlingham Seagull bodied AEC Regal, which was delivered to the main Yelloway fleet in 1954. Transferred to Creams in 1957 it remained as a Creams coach until sold in 1964. The Creams (Lancashire) Limited was acquired by Yelloway in 1947 and remained a separate subsidiary until 1970. From 1960 to 1970 the policy was to employ lightweight coaches in the Creams fleet replacing them after one or two summer seasons but during the earlier years heavyweight vehicles transferred from the main Yelloway fleet.

Summer 1969? - Premier Travel and Yelloway enjoyed a close working relationship for many years. This undated photograph shows 195 (LJE 991G), one the first 12 metre long coaches which entered the Premier Travel fleet in May 1969, leaving the Yelloway garage and coach station at Weir Street, Rochdale on a southbound service 77. It was an Alexander ‘Y’ type bodied AEC Reliance. I am not sure but I think it was Harry Law at the wheel. Harry, a charming and imposing man, was one of Premier’s senior drivers (if not the senior driver) and regularly drove on these joint services.

Saturday 19 June 1970 - Premier Travel Services 196 (LJE 992G) seen rumbling along the setts of Milton Street in Rochdale towards the rear entrance of the Yelloway coach station and garage. It was one of a pair (with LJE 991G) of Alexander ‘Y’ type bodied AEC Reliances built to the newly authorised length of 12 metres allowed from 1969 and was working the joint Yelloway/Premier Travel service 77 from Blackburn to Clacton-on-Sea. The destination blind layout was unique to Premier in that it showed the service number in red on a white background - in this case the two service numbers employed on the North West to East Anglia services - 77 from Blackburn and 78 from Blackpool and also two white on black blinds for the destination and intermediate points.

August 1972 – Premier Travel 222 (FMK 129B), a Harrington Cavalier bodied AEC Reliance purchased secondhand, stands inside the Yelloway garage and coach station at Rochdale ready to leave for Felixstowe on a through linking of service 77 from Rochdale to Haverhill (on the joint Yelloway-Premier service) and Premier’s own service 66 from Haverhill to Felixstowe. The slope down which coaches entered the property and the windows and wall of the workshops can be seen in the background. The coach was new to Valiant, London in May 1964.

December 1971 – Premier Travel 196 (LJE 992G) in the darkness of the Weir Street garage and coach station ready to set out on the day south service 77 to Clacton-on-Sea. Service 77 originated at Blackburn and service 78 in Blackpool, both meeting up at Manchester. Premier destination blinds showed the two route numbers on the blind.

April 1972 – Yelloway and Premier Travel had a close working relationship spanning many years notably on the joint services between the North-west and Cambridge/Clacton-on-Sea via the East Midlands. Two Premier Travel coaches, both on AEC Reliance chassis, are seen on the parking area between Weir Street and Penn Street close to the Yelloway garage in Rochdale. On the left was 217 (NMU 7) with Harrington Cavalier body (new to Valiant, London in April 1963) and on the right 209 (OVE 232J) with Alexander ‘Y’ type body (new to Premier Travel in October 1970). Having two Premier Travel coaches parked at Weir Street like this in the month of April leads me to believe it would have been very close to the Easter weekend when service duplication took place more than usual.

Saturday x August 1974 - Premier Travel Services 240 (BVO 3C) was a Harrington Grenadier bodied AEC Reliance purchased secondhand from Barton Transport. It was seen in the morning sunshine parked on the former Rochdale Corporation (now SELNEC) bus park near the Yelloway garage in Rochdale. Baillie Street runs behind the coach. The previous day it had duplicated the northbound joint Yelloway/Premier Travel service from East Anglia. It would return south in a few hours time

Saturday x August 1973 - Premier Travel Services 240 (BVO 3C), a Harrington Grenadier bodied AEC Reliance purchased secondhand from Barton Transport, pulls out of the Yelloway departure bay of Chorlton Street coach station in Manchester heading south on the joint Yelloway/Premier Travel North West-East Midlands-East Anglia service. Summer Saturday mornings always brought forward a very fine array of Premier Travel coaches, particularly at Manchester where the two different services met (the 77 from Blackburn and the 78 from Blackpool) - the latter swollen by the passenger numbers from the famous coastal resort along with the many travellers between Bolton and Leicester). The Saturday southbound services were covered by Premier Travel who worked the northbound service Friday/southbound Saturday and the northbound service Sunday/southbound Monday. This coach had worked a northbound duplicate to Rochdale the previous day.