BUS COMPANIES

PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE EVENWOOD & RAMSHAW AREA

The following account is, by no means, meant to be exhaustive and will only scratch the surface of the industry. There are many specialist publications available. A valuable source of information is, “A History of OK Motor Services” (2007) written by David Holding.

Below:

Evenwood Church Magazine reports on the Annual Choir Outing to Whitby. Mr. Willan’s char-a-banc set off at 6.30am reaching Whitby at 11.30am, returning at 6.15pm and arriving back home in Evenwood by 11.30pm.

We do not know exactly how long Mr. Willan provided his char-a-banc service – it was probably for special outings only.

Evenwood is synonymous with 2 bus companies – those associated with Wade Emmerson (OK Motor Services) and Thomas & Harry Anderson (The Blue Belle). In the heyday of bus operators, Lockeys from West Auckland and Stephensons from Toft Hill also provided regular services from Bishop via West to Evenwood and at specific times to Ramshaw. Buses came up to Evenwood every 15 minutes.

The Bishop Auckland terminus was initially at Chester Street, at the top end of Newgate Street and a walk down Newgate Street to the Market Place was necessary to catch onward services. Public transport was then organised into and out of the Market Place prior to the bus station being laid out when the Newgate Centre was built in the late 1970s, early 1980s.

Below: A Stephensons double decker JXN368 leaving the Chester Street bus stop

Below: Lockeys AEG double decker PFN858 pulling out onto Newgate Street heading for Evenwood.

Below: The OK leaving the Market Place for Evenwood.

The United brought 2 services into Evenwood, No.8 Bishop Auckland to Barnard Castle and No.12 Bishop Auckland to Darlington (the rural route).

Below: United No.12 Service to Darlington at Bank Top, Evenwood

THE OK MOTOR SERVICES

1912: Wade Emmerson (Senior) bought the “Invincible 3HP Bradbury” to operate a service from Evenwood to Bishop Auckland. A garage was built behind the family home at Brookside, Evenwood.

1912-14: Emmerson & Rycroft and the Gaunless Valley Motor Service were established.

1916 – 1919: Emmerson continued the business through the war years with Tom Hope and Joe Walker.

1929: OK Motor Services established at Evenwood.

1938: North Bondgate premises at Bishop Auckland purchased. At this time the company had 27 vehicles, 90 employees, 1.5M passengers and covered 750,000 route miles.

1948: Wade (Junior) took over the day to day control of the business.

1953: Wade (Junior) became a partner.

1959: OK Motor Services Ltd. was established and Wade (Junior) became a Director.

1959: Blue Belle Motor Services acquired.

1969: Wade (Senior) died aged 79.

1970: Charles Marshall joined the company.

1970: Stephenson Bros. acquired.

1971: a subsidiary company OK Motor Services (Travel) Ltd. was established.

1974: Charles Marshall appointed a Director.

1983: F. Lockey & Sons Ltd. acquired.

1994: Wade Emmerson [Junior] died aged 70.

22 March 1995: his son Wade Emmerson [Young Wade] sold the business to Go Ahead for £5.35M. There were 212 vehicles in the fleet and depots at Bishop Auckland, Gateshead, Peterlee, Evenwood and Copley.

Below:

OK double decker at the Co-op Bus Stop, Evenwood.

Below: about 1985, an OK Motor Services Denis Dominator parked up.

BLUE BELLE MOTOR SERVICES

Proprietors

Thomas & Harry Anderson, began the Blue Belle Motor Services in 1926 and provided a service between Bishop Auckland and Evenwood until the company was sold in 1959. The Swan Street bus garage was located opposite the family shop.

Business Premises/Garage Swan Street, Evenwood

Length of Service: 24 December 1926 to 31 December 1959.

Staff

Over the years included the following:

Drivers included: Bob Ellerker, Bob Dowson, Talbot Vart, George Simpson, Dick Andrews, Fred and Arthur Oldfield snr., George Eales, Billy Maughan, Bob Howard, Alan Glasper
Chief Mechanic: Harry Baker
Conductresses included: Alice Moses, Mira Maughan, Maud and Betty Carrick, Lizzie Wilson, Joan Hannon, Pat Hannon, Ivy [nee Teasdale] Dobson, Miss Nora Welsh, Madge Truman, Sheila [nee Danby] Cotteral

Below: A variety of photos showing Blue Belle buses.

Below: BLUE BELLE NHN 326 was one of a pair of Mulliner bodies, new in 1950

Below: KGU222 Outside the Swan Street Garage

Below: FA Amateur Cup game in the 1950s, Harry Anderson, his granddaughter Ann Reid with Jack Kilcran pinning a good luck charm to the front of the team bus.