David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos

Sunday 31 October 1971 – TDK 687J swings out of Lymington Road Coach Station, Torquay at 0847 on the last northbound trip of the 1971 summer season of the Torquay to Rochdale ‘Devonian’ service. A bright sunny morning after heavy dew. The coach would clock 289 miles today and arrive in Rochdale at 1852. The timetabled departure time from Torquay was 0845 with an arrival in Rochdale shown as 1926.

Sunday 31 October 1971 - Tower Street Coach Station in Taunton at 1041 – our scheduled departure time was 1040. As well as TDK 687J, coaches operating Associated Motorways services stand in the background. The obvious one is a Black and White Motorways Plaxton bodied Leyland Leopard but there are also two Eastern Coachworks bodied Bristol RE coaches (which look like Red and White vehicles). The Plaxton coach behind the group of people could also be a Black and White vehicle. Taunton was used as a connecting point for Yelloway passengers travelling to and from North Devon.

Sunday 31 October 1971 - Marlborough Street Coach Station in Bristol was used as the northbound lunch stop on the Torquay-Rochdale service timetabled between 1210 and 1305. We arrived at 1200 and left again at 1307. TDK 687J stands alongside a Plaxton bodied Leyland Leopard of Black and White working southbound on the 1100 Cheltenham-Paignton service. To the right of the Yelloway coach were three Eastern Coachworks bodied vehicles on Bristol chassis. The double decker was operated by Bristol Omnibus who owned this combined garage and bus/coach station. The two coaches, both on the RE chassis model, were operated by Royal Blue (on the Cardiff-Bournemouth service?) and Red and White (on the Aberdare-Portsmouth service?).

Sunday 31 October 1971 - Marlborough Street Coach Station, Bristol. Having had lunch the coach was moved across to the departure stand to take on 8 passengers travelling with us - although 9 were ‘charted’ from Bristol. The drivers always had a dig that the charts were ‘never right’ but in reality the system was second to few for its accuracy with full details of ticket numbers, to and from points, agent name etc all being fully recorded. Many companies simply recorded the passenger totals between respective points without any other details. If a Yelloway service ‘burst’ there was usually a post mortem as to whose fault it may have been. Today we had 44 passengers boarding south of Cheltenham and when we passed through Cheltenham we managed to get topped up with a further 6 making 50 on board the 49 seat coach! I suspect a child may have shared a seat.

Sunday 31 October 1971 - With the moon shining above, Derek looks back to see if everyone is on board after making a refreshment and toilet stop at the Potteries Motor Traction (PMT) owned ‘Four in Hand’ café in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. This café was very popular as a coach stop before the days of the M6 motorway with various services of different companies calling there on their way to the south-west or London. We had departed Cheltenham at 1431, the scheduled time 1430. Having no passengers to set down at Stafford we were able to arrive at the coach stop in School Street, Newcastle at 1610 instead of 1642. The PMT café was reached just four minutes later at 1614. We were there for 31 minutes leaving again at 1645.

Sunday 31 October 1971 - Yelloway Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance TDK 687J back home at Rochdale after two days and 579 miles. We covered the journey in less time shaving off about 40 minutes each way. Derek poses on the unloading stand before running the coach round the block to be fuelled. The coach took 53 gallons of diesel which gave an impressive return of 10.9 miles per gallon. The closing mileage of the coach tonight was 40809. (If you like statistics that is about 150 days old averaging 272 miles per day!). At the time there was not very much motorway south of Cheltenham. The recently opened Cullompton by-pass was in use which in due course was to become part of the M5 linking the Midlands and the South West.

Nov 1971 – Jack Noon(e) was the yardman at Weir Street for a number of years keeping the place generally tidy during the afternoon and then as the coaches began arriving home in the evening he would refuel them. TDK 687J had just arrived back from Cheltenham and was being fuelled by Jack. A 1971 Plaxton Panorama Elie bodied AEC Reliance.

December 1971 - John Hartley at the wheel of TDK 687J, a 1971 Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance, at Central Railway Station Forecourt in Manchester bound for Cheltenham. Some of the Yelloway duties, particularly in winter, were on a four day cycle with three nights away. The pattern was: Day 1 - Rochdale to Cheltenham. Day 2 - Cheltenham to Burnley/Colne or Cheltenham to a Yorkshire town on the 'South West Clipper'. Day 3 - the reverse of day 2. Day 4 - Cheltenham to Rochdale. John lived in the Calder Valley (Todmorden or Hebden Bridge area) so was well placed to minimise his nights out because his wife would meet him with their car at Burnley/Colne or Bradford/Halifax and he could then spend the extra night at home. His overnight expenses helping pay for the petrol!

November 1972 - Yelloway TDK 689J, a 1971 Plaxton Panorama bodied AEC Reliance, back at Rochdale after returning from a stint working the Alfreton-Derby-London 'Derbyshire Express' service MX4. Yelloway worked this service jointly with Trent, Midland General and United Counties. When it was time for Yelloway to cover the service a coach would be despatched for about 5 or 6 days. Each day it would work the round trip from Alfreton to London (Victoria) and back spending each overnight at the Midland General garage in Alfreton where it was fuelled and cleaned.

Friday 26 January 1973 - Yelloway TDK 689J, a 1971 Plaxton Panorama bodied AEC Reliance, seen at Victoria Coach Station in London during the turnround period between the southbound and northbound trips of the Alfreton-Derby-London 'Derbyshire Express' service MX4. Yelloway worked this service jointly with Trent, Midland General and United Counties and due to this fact was the only way Yelloway gained entry into Victoria Coach Station. When it was Yelloway's turn to cover the service a coach would be despatched from Rochdale for about 5 or 6 days. Each day it would work the round trip from Alfreton to London (Victoria) and back spending each overnight at the Midland General garage in Alfreton where it was fuelled and cleaned.

Date unknown (Period 1972-1974) - Yelloway TDK 689J seen leaving Rochdale on the 1600 motorway express (‘flyer’) service to London. It was one of the 1972 intake of six Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliances. Driver Nigel Tordoff at the wheel as he approaches the junction of Penn Street and Smith Street.

Sept 1972 – WDK 649K, a 1972 Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance. What I believe was the first continental trip of a Yelloway coach (according to hearsay at the time) was made when ‘The Rochdale Band’ visited France and Germany. The coach, seen under the spectacular garage nameboard at Weir Street, Rochdale, had been prepared for the trip.

Sept 1972 – WDK 649K, a 1972 Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance. What I believe was the first continental trip of a Yelloway coach (according to hearsay at the time) was made when ‘The Rochdale Band’ visited France and Germany. The coach had 'GB' stickers applied which were removed upon the return to Rochdale.

Sept 1972 – WDK 649K, a 1972 Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance. What I believe was the first continental trip of a Yelloway coach (according to hearsay at the time) was made when ‘The Rochdale Band’ visited France and Germany. At the time I didn’t take notice of the logistics of this operation and this photograph has always puzzled me. The band’s instruments were delivered to Weir Street coach station during the afternoon of the departure for advance loading. Jack White, who was responsible for the private hire quotations and administration, did all the route planning etc and is seen on the right. So my quandary has always been that if the instruments went in the boot where did all the luggage go! I think a van may have accompanied to coach on the tour!! Adhesive ‘GB’ stickers had been applied either side of the illuminated ‘Travel Yelloway’ panel. These were non-standard and were removed upon the return of the coach to England.

Sept 1972 - WDK 649K, a 1972 Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance. What I believe was the first continental trip of a Yelloway coach (according to hearsay at the time) was made when ‘The Rochdale Band’ visited France and Germany. Edith Kershaw (nee Bentley), a typist in the general office at Weir Street and her husband, were both band members and she took this photograph for me whilst the coach was abroad.

Sept 1972 - What I believe was the first continental trip of a Yelloway coach (according to hearsay at the time) was made when ‘The Rochdale Band’ visited France and Germany. Edith Kershaw (nee Bentley), a typist in the general office at Weir Street and her husband, were both band members and she took this photograph for me whilst the coach, WDK 649K - a 1972 Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliance, was abroad. It is seen amidst various types of European coaches.

November 1973 - Yelloway WDK 649K, a 1972 Plaxton Panorama bodied AEC Reliance, seen on the fuel pumps at the Rochdale garage after returning from a stint working on the Alfreton-Derby-London 'Derbyshire Express' service. Yelloway worked this service jointly with Trent, Midland General and United Counties and due to this fact was the only way Yelloway gained entry into Victoria Coach Station. When it was the time for Yelloway to cover the service a coach would be despatched for about 5 or 6 days. Each day it would work the round trip from Alfreton to London (Victoria) and back spending each overnight at the Midland General garage in Alfreton where it was fuelled and cleaned. Originally the service carried service number 'MX4' in a series applied by United Counties but the National Bus Company had by now brought their coach operations under the umbrella that became National Express. The service number was now '554' which can be seen on the yellow label in the upper part of the nearside windscreen. This label had also included the NBC double N logo and the word 'National' although these had been cut off by Yelloway on the basis that the service was also one of their own and it did not want it to be thought the label implied ‘on hire’ or such like. (This was the coach which travelled to France and Germany with the Rochdale Band in September 1972).

Sept 1973 – CDK 171L, one of the 1973 Plaxton Panorama Elite bodied AEC Reliances sets out from the Rochdale garage on a private hire job connected with Orient Football Club (Leyton, London). I drew up the large label with their name on it – although it isn’t overly bold. I am not sure how this hire came about but I have a feeling it was a last minute job maybe to help out the Ewer Group (Grey-Green or Orange Luxury etc). Driven here by Kenny Harrison. I seem to recall that Kenny was in rather a hurry to get away and was not overjoyed about having this picture taken.