Yelloway Motor Services

Yelloway Motor Services was a bus and coach company based in Rochdale.

In 1902, Robert Holt commenced a parcels delivery service in the Rochdale area using a pony and cart. In 1904, Holt went into partnership with his younger brother Ernest and they established themselves as carriers trading as Messrs Holt Brothers. Additional ponies and carts were purchased, later followed by steam and motor lorries.

In an attempt to earn additional revenue, when the lorries would otherwise be idle, interchangeable charabanc bodies to enable the lorries to be converted into passenger pleasure vehicles at weekends. In May 1913 the first purpose built charabanc entered service, a 28-seat Dennis painted in a yellow livery with burgundy upholstery. When it arrived at the offices of Holt Bros in Rochdale a member of staff shouted "The Yellow Car has arrived!" This remark was the birth of the trading name Holts Yellow Cars. In November 1915, the company was incorporated as Holt Bros (Rochdale) Limited.

The company extended its operations into Manchester and Oldham. It diversified into stage carriage services in 1921. On 1 October 1928, an express service linking Blackpool with London commenced. In 1930 the business was placed in administration. In March 1931, a consortium of Maurice Edwards, John Barlow and Herbert Allen purchased the business. On 9 April 1932, the company was officially renamed Yelloway Motor Services Limited.

Yelloway was granted operating licences for a service to Torquay, with other operators denied. By 1937, Yelloway was providing travel facilities for passengers from West Yorkshire to destinations in South West England, connecting services being provided by Ripponden & District through Halifax, Sowerby Bridge and Ripponden to Oldham where they joined the Devon bound coaches.

World War II caused the curtailment of a number of services, including the London express. In 1944, Maurice Edwards indicated his desire to sell his stake. In order that no additional borrowing was undertaken, which may have put the company into debt, the Manchester to Rochdale service was sold on 18 June 1944 to Manchester, Rochdale and Oldham Corporations.

In 1947, Yelloway acquired the operation of Brierley Brothers, Rochdale which included tour and excursion licences and an express route to North Wales from Rochdale and Oldham. In 1955, Holts of Oldham was purchased. This business had been set up by the original founders of Holt Brothers because of licensing difficulties in Oldham and, although at one time it had been planned to merge the two operations this had never been done and the Oldham company had continued to trade separately.

Blue Bird Tours, Hollinwood was also acquired, including excursions licences from the Oldham area and a number of express services, including a Hyde to Cleveleys route, which was retained, although the Oldham to Market Drayton service was sold to the North Western Road Car Company. In 1959, Yelloway acquired three more operators, taking over the businesses of the Rossendale Division Carriage Company, Johnston Bros (Middleton), and Merriway Tours.