David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos with the keyword: Holt Bros

The May 1976 timetable for the former Yelloway London service now operated by National Travel (North West) Ltd. Whilst the pattern of these was primarily the same, it may be seen that the services were extended from their original terminal (the National Express Coach Station in Pentonville Road, Kings Cross) through to Victoria Coach Station. There was also an additional timing added to the timetable in the form of a 1200 noon Rochdale to London trip and a 1335 hrs London (Victoria Coach Station) to Rochdale trip. The timetable shows the allocation of National Express service numbers in the 820-825 series as well as the original Yelloway service letters.

May 1976 leaflet cover - In the Spring of 1976 Yelloway reached an agreement with National Travel to exchange various services, some of which had previously been jointly operated with different National Bus Company subsidiaries. Consequently the Yelloway London services passed to National Travel. In May 1976 this Yelloway format leaflet was published which superseded the leaflet produced the previous month which would imply that the required road service licence formalities and transfers had now been completed. On the April 1976 leaflet the words ‘air conditioned, reclining seat coach services’ was replaced with the words ‘Operating in conjunction with National Travel (North West) Ltd’. This May 1976 leaflet removed the words ‘Operating in conjunction with’. The masthead which previously carried the Yelloway sunrise logo was now replaced with the ‘National Express’ name and that of Yelloway somewhat secondary in smaller block letters.

By 1975 Yelloway had decided to rationalise its London services ceasing to serve the Blackpool-Preston sector of the original 'main line' service into Manchester. However, Bolton was still served but this was by a feeder service from Bacup to Manchester which now travelled westbound through the Rossendale Valley in the same way as the now withdrawn 1R motorway service had done. The night service followed a similar format however the two Rochdale-London 'flyer' services remained unchanged. Whitworth though was left without service.

April 1976 leaflet cover - In the Spring of 1976 Yelloway reached an agreement with National Travel to exchange various services, some of which had previously been jointly operated with different National Bus Company subsidiaries. Consequently the Yelloway London services passed to National Travel. In April 1976 this Yelloway format leaflet was published which saw the words ‘air conditioned, reclining seat coach services’ replaced with the words ‘Operating in conjunction with National Travel (North West) Ltd’. A further leaflet was produced the following month which removed the words ‘Operating in conjunction with’. The masthead which previously carried the Yelloway sunrise logo was replaced with the ‘National Express’ name and that of Yelloway somewhat secondary in smaller block letters. This would imply that the required road service licence formalities had now been completed.

The timetable for the 1973 Yelloway London services which operated between Easter and late October (also for a period over Christmas). The services comprised the ‘basic service’ as we referred to the Blackpool-Manchester-London day service (service M) and the Haslingden-Rochdale-Manchester feeder service (service X); and the Rochdale and Manchester to London motorway express ‘flyer’ down to London in the mornings returning from the capital at 1730 (service A). The overnight services were of a similar pattern to the day services M and X - although both night services lettered service N) - operating nightly during the main summer period but otherwise on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There were additional services during the main summer period on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays including an afternoon Rochdale-Manchester-London ‘flyer’ south (returning north the following days) (service C); and a Saturdays only ‘flyer’ (in both directions) between Blackpool/St Annes/Preston and London (service B). The newest addition was the Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays (in both directions) between Bacup/Bury/Bolton and London which started on 25 May that year (service 1R). Rather late in the scheme of things the overall London services became numbered service 1 supplemented with the appropriate service letter (1M, 1X etc) but ‘1R’ was the only one that seemed to get mentioned thus in the timetable.

The cover of the 1973 Yelloway London services timetable. The cover extolled ‘air conditioned, reclining seat coach services’ although the term ‘air conditioned’ was not as we know it today - back then it was forced air ventilation. Two versions of the timetable were produced, one for circulation in the north and one for circulation in the south. This one, circulated in the south, showed ‘to Lancashire’ with the note ‘London-Derbyshire-Lancashire’. For some reason there was more white rather than dark blue on the issue for the south. Inside the content on all the other pages was of an identical layout.

The cover of the 1973 Yelloway London services timetable. The cover extolled ‘air conditioned, reclining seat coach services’ although the term ‘air conditioned’ was not as we know it today - back then it was forced air ventilation. Two versions of the timetable were produced, one for circulation in the north and one for circulation in the south. This one, circulated in the north, showed ‘to London’ with the note ‘Lancashire-Derbyshire-London’. Inside the content on all the other pages was of an identical layout.

The Yelloway Lancashire-London service had its origins with Holt Brothers (Rochdale) Limited. By 1963 the M1 Motorway had been completed south of Leicester and Yelloway took advantage to supplement its original route via Northampton and Dunstable with a Motorway alternative. This involved running two coaches over the Manchester-Leicester section from where one went via the old route and the other via the M1 - a format which Hubert Allen once told me wasn't found to be the best idea. Separate quite distinctive motorway express services were subsequently introduced as was greater use of the motorway for the service south of Derby on the 'traditional' service. Around this time the Yelloway interests over the Derby-Northampton section became part of the joint Yelloway and Premier Travel service from Blackpool/Blackburn via Derby, Leicester and to Cambridge and Clacton-on-Sea.

One of the pioneering services between Lancashire and London commenced during the late 1920s operated by Holt Brothers (Rochdale) Limited, a company which formed the basis of the famous Yelloway Motor Services Limited. The service comprised a Blackpool-Manchester-London service with a feeder service into Manchester from Blackburn, Rochdale and Oldham. South of Manchester the service travelled through Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, etc. The geographical shape of the route lent itself quite suitably to make a bold 'Y' used on the timetable cover. The gap between Northampton and Dunstable on the diagram reflect the removal of stops at Newport Pagnell and Hockliffe. (A 1955 version of this cover featuring these two locations appears at: www.flickriver.com/photos/36844288@N00/7404090288 )

The timetable for the main route of Yelloway 'Devonian' service for the summer of 1971 which may be used to accompany the Traffic Sheets illustrated in the Yelloway Administrative Forms album. This service would later be assigned service number X5. The footnotes marked with an asterisk and a dagger may appear to be 'gobbledygook' seemingly stating the obvious if one reads the actual timetable columns ('available to passengers returning from ...... to ...... and points north thereof'). What the footnotes were actually meant to convey was the fact that these were conditions attached to the road service licence. The trips in question should only be used by passengers that had initially travelled south on their outward journey and were now making their return journey. (i.e. someone making their outward journey could not travel on the said journeys. However, they sometimes did just that!)

Originally passengers heading for the south west of England from Scotland could either travel to Liverpool and then take the Ribble coach services south or to travel to Manchester to take the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. (The Glasgow-Liverpool/Manchester services were jointly operated by Ribble and Western SMT). Ribble became a National Bus Company subsidiary and with the creation of National Travel their express services were then branded under the National name. This leaflet shows the direct service established in 1974 linking Glasgow with Cheltenham and Torbay which was licensed to National Travel (South West), Yelloway and Western SMT. National Travel assigned it with service number 735 whilst WSMT called it the 920. Gradually the service was expanded with a daily Glasgow-Cheltenham day service. Yelloway vehicles featured in the operation on a regular basis which saw their coaches regularly venturing north of the border on service work although the company's excursions and tours had done so for many years. This leaflet was marked 'Printed in Scotland', there was a different issue published by National Travel.

Originally passengers heading for the south west of England from Scotland could either travel to Liverpool and then take the Ribble coach services south or to travel to Manchester to take the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. (The Glasgow-Liverpool/Manchester services were jointly operated by Ribble and Western SMT). Ribble became a National Bus Company subsidiary and with the creation of National Travel their express services were then branded under the National name. This leaflet shows the direct service established in the early 1970s linking Glasgow with Cheltenham and Torbay. Gradually the service was expanded with regular day services established. Yelloway vehicles partcipated in the operation which saw their coaches regularly venturing north of the border on service work although the company's excursions and tours had done so for many years.

Originally passengers heading for the south west of England from the Burnley and Blackburn area had a choice of either travelling to Preston to then take the Ribble coach services south or to travel to Manchester to take the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. Ribble and Yelloway had had a close working relationship for many years working together on their pool services from Oldham and Rochdale to the Fylde Coast established in the 1950s. In the late 1960s Yelloway and Ribble established the X65 service from Colne to Torbay. Ribble became a National Bus Company subsidiary and with the creation of National Travel their express services were then branded under the National name. Under the agreement for Yelloway and National Travel to exchange services during 1976 service X65 became solely operated by Yelloway.

Originally passengers heading for the south west of England from the Burnley and Blackburn area had a choice of either travelling to Preston to then take the Ribble coach services south or to travel to Manchester to take the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. Ribble and Yelloway had had a close working relationship for many years working together on their pool services from Oldham and Rochdale to the Fylde Coast established in the 1950s. In the late 1960s Yelloway and Ribble established the X65 service from Colne to Torbay. Ribble became a National Bus Company subsidiary and with the creation of National Travel their express services were then branded under the National name. Under the agreement for Yelloway and National Travel to exchange services during 1976 service X65 became solely operated by Yelloway.

An audacious attempt by Lancashire United Transport for approval to operate a service to Cheltenham from their operating heartland naturally brought forth objection from Yelloway. The end result was the creation of a joint service numbered X35 that picked up in a number of towns from where passengers would have previously travelled by LUT bus into Manchester to then go south on the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. Revenue was apportioned accordingly with Yelloway taking either 94% or 96% to LUT's 6% or 4% - I can't exactly recall the actual numbers. (Leigh is approx 16 miles from Manchester and Swinton approx 7 miles. Manchester to Torbay is around 280 miles. An average of say 10 miles for the LUT portion out of the total of 290 miles equates to approx 3.5%)

An audacious attempt by Lancashire United Transport for approval to operate a service to Cheltenham from their operating heartland naturally brought forth objection from Yelloway. The end result was the creation of a joint service numbered X35 that picked up in a number of towns from where passengers would have previously travelled by LUT bus into Manchester to then go south on the Yelloway 'Devonian' service. Revenue was apportioned accordingly with Yelloway taking either 94% or 96% to LUT's 6% or 4% - I can't exactly recall the actual numbers. (Leigh is approx 16 miles from Manchester and Swinton approx 7 miles. Manchester to Torbay is around 280 miles. An average of say 10 miles for the LUT portion out of the total of 290 miles equates to approx 3.5%)

Hebble Motor Services Limited of Halifax held a road service licence for an express service from Bradford and Halifax to Rochdale operating on Fridays and Saturdays to connect with the 'Devonian' service of Yelloway - through running taking place across Rochdale. In future years this arrangement stood Yelloway in good stead to become a participant in the direct services from Yorkshire to Cheltenham and the South West known as the 'South West Clipper'. (Hebble also held another licence to connect with the North Wales service of the Yelloway subsidiary The Creams (Lancashire) Limited).

The timetable for the secondary route of the Yelloway 'Devonian' service for the summer of 1974. As a result of the short distance between the various pickup points on the Ashton-under-Lyne and Poynton section of route resulting in a 'stop start' nature, it acquired the name of the 'milk round' with drivers.