David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos with the keyword: Holt Brothers (Rochdale) Limited

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 In May 1976 this Yelloway format leaflet was published which superseded the leaflet produced the previous month which would imply that the required road service licence formalities and transfers had now been completed.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service from Bacup to Manchester which now travelled westbound through the Rossendale Valley in the same way as the now withdrawn 1R motorway service had done.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 )

Holt Brothers (Rochdale) Limited had commenced a service from the industrial towns in the Oldham, Rochdale and Rossendale areas to Blackpool in the 1920s. When Yelloway Motor Services Limited was created from the failed Holts business in April 1932 the services to Blackpool went from strength to strength and the services became a signifcant part of the Yelloway business. In the mid 1950s Yelloway entered pooling arrangements with Ribble, Standerwick, North Western and Lancashire United under the 'Fylde Coast Services' pool.