The city of York stands at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss on
flat arable land called the Vale of York, which is bordered to the west
by the Pennines, to the northeast by the North York Moors and to the
east by the rolling Yorkshire Wolds. Outside the city are many beautiful
small country villages and bus operators were needed to provide services
linking these local villages and towns with York, especially on market
days. Consequently, routes were very rural, and besides catering for the
traditional market day shoppers, they often carried a considerable
volume of passengers to work in York. This book, the follow-on to York
Independent: Eastern Stage Bus Operators, tells the story of stage bus
companies, including Hopes Motor Services, Hutchinson Brothers, Reliance
Motor Services, G E Sykes & Son and Majestic of Cawood, who operated
from the west of York. Including over 150 photographs, many in color, it
shows how most of the companies covered started out as family-based
operators running a service to the nearest local market town before
expanding to offer excursions and private hires. It also shows how
changes to the way of life, including the growth of car ownership,
eventually killed off the majority of them.
