HISTORY OF
HEREFORD & WORCESTER COUNTY
SMALL OPERATORS BUS SERVICES

This section is planned to show all changes to smaller operators' routes in Hereford and Worcester from just pre-deregulation (Summer 1986) until the end of the County (March 1999).  I am slowly improving the format of the section by reformatting each alphabetical section.

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OPERATORS : LETTER P

Pattersons Coaches of Northfield : New service 617 (Rubery, Legion Road - Edgewood Road - Longbridge Station - "The Roundabout" - Hanging Lane - Test Park Road - Bristol Road - Northfield, Woodlands Hospital) commenced 13 July 1992, running half-hourly inter- peak. Pattersons Coaches : 617 (Rubery - Northfield) was varied from 12 October 1992, variation has already been reported. Pattersons Coaches : 617 (Rubery - Northfield) was completely revised from 6 April 1993, with the service being formed into a circular numbered 617A and 617C. This has already been reported. Registration change to 617 (Rubery - Northfield) from 1 September 1993, presumably reported by CENTRO. Pattersons Coaches of Selly Oak : 617 (Northfield - Rubery Circular) was diverted from 22 April 1994 to run via Beacon Hill, Fairway Drive and Valley Farm in Rubery. Patterson's Coachesof Selly Oak : 617C (Northfield - Rubery Circulars) were amended from 12 October 1994 because of road closures. The loop via Hanging Lane and Green Park Road was deleted. Pattersons Coachesof Selly Oak : 617A/C (Northfield - Rubery Circulars, NSu) were lost to Little Red Bus and City Buslines from 25 January 1995.

People Express (Salelink Ltd.) of West Bromwich : 49A (Shirley - Northfield via Maypole,West Heath, Rubery and Frankley, ESu) and 69E (Solihull - Maypole via Solihull and Shirley) were gained from 27 April 1997. 297 (Bridgnorth - Kidderminster via Alveley, Arley and Trimpley, NESu) was taken over from Midland Red West, on a commercial basis, from 27 April 1997. People Express (SaleLink Ltd.) of West Bromwich : 297 (Kidderminster - Bridgnorth, NSu) was deregistered after operation on 26 July 1997 (replacement operator to be confirmed). The Bridgnorth - Shrewsbury section continues.

Pershore Community Bus (Pershore and District Voluntary Help Centre t/a) started the first community bus services in Hereford and Worcester on 1 December 1991. Both run Fridays only as circular services from Pershore, 573 running in the morning via Wyre Piddle, Lower Moor, Throckmorton, Bishampton, Flyford Flavell, Upton Snodsbury, Peopleton and Drakes Broughton, with 574 running in the afternoon via Wyre Piddle, Upper Moor, Throckmorton, Bishampton, Flyford Flavell, Upton Snodsbury, Naunton Beauchamp and Pinvin. 574 (Pershore - Throckmorton - Upton Snodsbury - Naunton Beauchamp - Pershore, F) was with- drawn after 18 September 1992. Pershore Dial-a-Ride (Pershore Volunteer Centre) : 572 is a new service from 5 February 1993, a revised form of the service previously run by Astons Coaches. It runs on Fridays only as a circular from Pershore via Drakes Broughton, Kerswell Green (telephone request only), Pirton, Wadborough, Besford (telephone request only) and Ramsden to Pershore. 573 (Pesrhore - Flyford Flavell Circular, F) was revised from the same date to run via Pinvin, Peopleton, Upton Snodsbury, Naunton Beauchamp, Bishampton, Throckmorton, Lower Moor and Wyre Piddle to Pershore. Pershore Voluntary Help Centre : From 30 May 1994 this community bus runs the 383 (Pershore "PlumLine" Local Service) on Bank Holiday Mondays.

Phillips Coachways of Hereford : 117 (Hereford - Newton Farm, NSu) added further compe- tition to this Midland Red West / Yeomans Canyon Travel route from 1 August 1991. A 30 minute service is operated except at school starting/closing times, evenly spaced with the Yeomans service. 117 (Newton Farm - Hereford, NSu) was improved from 18 November 1991, services being provided at a regular half-hourly frequency all day without the previous breaks at school peak times. 501 (Leominster - Ivington - Canon Pyon - Hereford, NSu) and 801 (Leominster - Ivington Circular, Sch) were won from Primrose Motors from 21 April 1992. One journey towards Hereford operates as service 502 via Dilwyn. 801 (Leominster - Ivington School, Sch) was diverted via Burley from 5 May 1992. Apparently the Primrose service always ran this way, although this was not stated on the registration. Phillips of Her- eford : 37 (Hereford - Little Dewchurch - Ross-on-Wye, NSu) was won from Yeomans Can- yon Travel and Blue Line Coaches from 10 April 1993. The off-peak service now runs NSu. Some journeys on the same contract run as 38 between Ross-on-Wye and Hereford via St Owens Cross and Kingsthorne, some of which replace Red and White journeys. Phillips Coachways of Hereford : The withdrawal of 117 (Hereford - Hampton Park, NSu) from 5 No- vember 1993 has been previously reported under Yeomans, who took over the relevant tim- ings. Phillips Coachways of Hereford : 501 (Hereford - Ivington - Leominster, NSu), 502 (Leominster - Dilwyn - Hereford, M-F) and 801 (Ivington School Circular, Sch) passed toPrimrose Motors from 3 January 1995 under an emergency contract, Phillips having ceased the contract prematurely.

Phillips Coachways of Hereford : 37 (Ross - Hoarwithy - Hereford, NSu) and the supple- mentary journeys on 38 (Ross - Much Birch - Hereford) were taken over by Bromyard Omni- bus Company from 2 September 1995.

Primrose Motors (Leominster) Ltd. :

Kington - Leominster - Hereford - Ledbury - Cirencester - London (S)

2 November 1985 : Morning jny diverted via Hereford & Ledbury, also Gloucester & Cirencester. Section from Knighton, Presteigne & Kington for pre-booked passengers only.

Summer 1986 : Passed to Woodside Ranger Coaches

24 November 1986 : Acquired from Woodside Ranger Coaches.

Hereford - Newton Farm (Su)

Hereford - Madley (Su) :

15 February 1987 : Gained by Lugg Valley Motors.

Hereford - Redhill (Su)

15 February 1987 : Discontinued.

Leominster - Leintwardine (F) :

11 September 1987 : 1410 journey from Leominster diverts via Shobdon on request

Leominster - Pembridge - Shobdon (NSu) :

20 February 1987 : Friday evening bingo service withdrawn.

16 April 1988 : Timetables revised with minor improvements.

31 July 1989 : Reduced. Peak service now runs Monday to Friday only, with off-peak with- drawn on Mondays and Thursdays. Only one afternoon round trip remains on Saturdays.

Leominster - Pembridge - Kington (FS) :

16 April 1988 : Timetables revised with minor improvements.

Richards Castle - Orleton - Leominster (Sch Hols) :

1 August 1986 : Was Bircher - Leominster until this date. Extended as shown above, with afternoon jny returning via Brimfield to Leominster.

25 July 1988 : Morning journey revised. Now starts at Orleton at 0755 and omits Cockgate. The return journey at 1750 which also serves Brimfield and Richards Castle now only runs as required by passengers.

31 July 1989 : Withdrawn

1 West Street - Barons Cross and Westgate Circular via Broad Street, Green Lane, Pierrepoint Road, Buckfield Road, Barons Cross Estate, Barons Croft Road, Westfield Walk, Ryelands Road, High Street : Hourly Monday to Saturday between 0735 and 1805. Addi- tional early journey on Monday to Friday running to the Industrial Estate from Westfields Es- tate.

2 December l988 : Commenced, with the assistance of a grant from the RTDF:

2 West Street - Ridgemoor Estate via Broad Street, Bridge Street : Hourly Monday to Satur- day between 0735 and 1805, Additional early journey on Monday to Friday

2 December l988 : Commenced, with the assistance of a grant from the RTDF:

28 March 1989 : Diverted via Meadows Estate and Green Lane on its return trip.

3 West Street - Caradoc Drive and Newlands Circular via Etnam Street, Worcester Road, Caswell Crescent, Caswell Terrace, Caswell Road, Waterworks Lane, loop via Caradoc Drive, return via Waterworks Lane, Worcester Road, Industrial Estate, South Street, Croft Street, Mortimer Street, Ryelands Road, Newlands Road, Westcroft, Westfield Walk, Rye- lands Road, High Street : Hourly Monday to Saturday between 0735 and 1805. Additional early journey on Monday to Friday, running direct to the Industrial Estate

2 December l988 : Commenced, with the assistance of a grant from the RTDF:

28 March 1989 : Revised, now runs direct via South Street on its return journey.

4 June 1990 : Combined with service 4

4 Leominster Town Service via Westfield Walk and Ryelands, Newlands and Westcroft.

28 March 1989 : Commenced

4 June 1990 : Combined with service 3

Leominster - Hereford via Wellington (NSu)

9 February 1987 : Sunday service withdrawn.

3 January 1989 : Timetable amended, with the 1921 (Fri) journey from Hereford running via College Green.

Leominster - (Steensbridge pm only) - Brockmanton - Whyle - Pudleston - Hatfield - Grendon Bishop - Docklow -Steensbridge - Leominster

23 January 1989 : school contract made available to the public.

Leintwardine - Walford - Adforton - Wigmore - Leintahll Earles - Aymestrey - Kingsland - Leominster (F)

3 August 1987 : Gained from Teme Valley Motors

493/494 (Leominster - Presteigne) (WFS)

7 August 1987 : Wednesday service added, via 496 route to Shobdon, thence via Byton and Combe

8 September 1987 : Leominster - Yarpole - Shobdon Schoolday journey extended to dou- ble-run to/from Orleton and Richards Castle

31 July 1989 : Most of service passed to Midland Red West, although the Wednesday ser- vice and one Friday afternoon journey were commercial and remained with Primrose.

28 September 1990 : Withdrawn after this date. The through journeys to/from Presteigne op- erated Wednesdays only, with one afternoon school-time journey from Leominster to Shobdon via Yarpole (493). Positioning journeys remain on 494 between Shobdon and Leominster via Kingsland.

Leominster - Pembridge - Titley - Kington (T)

31 July 1989 : Diverted via Shobdon.

501 (Leominster - Upperhill - Canon Pyon - Hereford, NSu)

30 October 1989 : Acquired from Lugg Valley Motors after tendering.

21 April 1990 : Late Saturday evening journeys withdrawn after operation on this date.

801 (Leominster - Barons Cross - Ivington - Upperhill - Bush Bank - Knapton - Hyde Ash - Ivington School -Leominster)(Sch)

9 January 1990 : Acquired from Lugg Valley Motors, interworking with service 501(Leominster - Hereford).

Leominster - Monkland - Weobley - Credenhill - Hereford (Sun Valley Works)

2 March 1987 : Made available to the public

Primrose Motors of Leominster : The Friday service on 493 (Presteigne - Leominster, FS) was diverted from 6 September 1996 to run from Cock Gate via Yarpole, Bircher, Bircher Common and Luston, replacing part of Lugg Valley 491. 499 (Leominster - Leintwardine, F) was diverted to omit Leinthall Earles from the same date.Service 498 (Leominster - Pembridge - Shobdon - Kington, TF) was slightly reduced and renumbered as an extension of 496 (Leominster - Pembridge - Shobdon, NSu) from 31 August 1996. The late-night ser- vice 990 (Leominster - Ludlow) was cancelled with effect from 11 October 1996. Primrose Motors of Leominster : X1 (Leominster - London, NSu) ceased after operation on 11 January 1997, as 897 (Leominster School Services, Sch) did after 10 January 1997. It is understood that both these cancellations followed the gain of a number of school contracts from January. The award of school contracts also resulted in the registration of schoolday journeys or ser- vices on 496 (Leominster-Eardisland), 888 (Ashton - Leominster) and 800 (Hundred Lane - Leysters - Kimbolton - Leominster) with effect from February 1997. Leominster Town Ser- vices 1 (Barons Cross/Westgate), 2 (Ridgemoor/The Meadows) and 3 (Southern Ave- nue/Newlands) were all reduced to hourly from 27 December 1996, 3 being withdrawn atpeaks and a half-hourly services operated on 1 and 2 at these times. The services are now subsidised by the County Council. Primrose Motors of Leominster : The last Saturday round-trip on 495 (Leominster - Kington, TFS) was curtailed to operate as a 496 to/from Shobdon only from 7 June 1997. Primrose Motors of Leominster : 492 (Ludlow - Leominster via Richards Castle, Orleton, Woofferton, Brimfield, Ashton, Moreton and Luston, M-F) is a new service from 29 September 1997. Primrose Motors of Leominster : 292 (Leominster - Hereford, NSu) was revised from 6 January 1998 to reflect the elimination of competition from Lugg Valley, with the calls at Wellington village changed. A late-night ser- vices on this route, numbered 092, started on 16 January 1998, from Leominster at 2000 and 0130, from Hereford at 2030 and 0200 Friday and Saturday nights (SSu mornings) only.

The 1200 journey from Leominster on Wednesdays on 496 (Leominster - Shobdon, NSu) was extended to/from Presteigne from 22 April 1992. 501 (Leominster - Ivington - Hereford, NSu) and 801 (Leominster - Ivington Circular, Sch) were lost to Phillips Coachways from 21 April 1992. Primrose Motors of Leominster : A school contract between Leominster (Barons Cross Estate) and Wigmore School via Leominster, Ridgemore and Luston, which principally carried non-entitled school-children, was registered as commercial bus service 893 from 8 September 1992. 951 (Leominster - Weobley -Hereford, Sun Valley Works) was withdrawn after 28 August 1992, with no direct replacement. Primrose Motors of Leominster : 1 (Leominster - Barons Cross) was revised from 25 August 1992 to run via Safeway Supermar- ket at Barons Cross. Westgate Estate is now served after Barons Cross Estate rather than before. Primrose Motors of Leominster : The Wednesdays only extension of certain jour- neys to Presteigne on 494/496 (Leominster - Shobdon -Presteigne, NSu) was withdrawn af- ter 30 December 1992, leaving the services running to Shobdon only. Primrose Motors of Leominster : Omitted from the report of replacement services for Morris's Coaches services to and from Hereford Hospitals was the introduction of a TTh service between Leominster and Steens Bridge via Stoke Prior from 30 March 1993. 482 (Leominster - Stoke Prior - Steensbridge, TTh) was amended to operate MWTh from 28 August 1993. Lugg Valley runs the T service, with Morris's Coaches continuing the Friday service to/from Bromyard. 493/4 (Leominster - Presteigne, FS) were won from Midland Red West from 28 August 1993. 493 now runs via Green Lane in Yarpole. The timetables of services 495,496 and 497 serving the area north-west of Leominster were revised with a slight improvement off-setting the losses of recent years. 495 (Leominster - Kington, FS) gains Tuesday journeys, the off-peak service on 496 (Leominster - Shobdon,NSu) now runs MWThF (with other services providing off-peak journeys on TS), 497 (Leominster -Kington, T) is diverted via Nextend and Lyonshall between Titley and Kington, and 498 is a new Tuesday service between Leominster and Kington via Kingsland, Eardisland, Shobdon, Marston and Lyonshall. 499 (Leintwardine - Leominster, F) is diverted via Monkland between Mortimer's Cross and Baron's Cross, from 3 September 1993, partially replacing Lugg Valley 507. Primrose Motors of Leominster: 497 (Leominster - Titley - Kington, T) was diverted away from Lyonshall, reverting to its previous main road route, from 231 May 1994. Primrose Motors of Leominster : 499 (Leintwardine - Leominster, F) was diverted away from Monkland village from 31 October 1994, due to lack of use. Leominster local minibus services 1,2 and 3 were amended from 21 November 1994 to run to and from the Bus Station rather than West Street. X5 (Leominster - London, S) was withdrawn after operation on 29 October 1994, being replaced by service X1 between the same points commenced on a Daily basis from 31 October. X1 runs via Bodenham, Trum-pet, Ledbury, Newent, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Cirencester and Heathrow once a day in each direction, and partially replaces Yeomans Canyon Travel X1 (Hereford - London). Primrose Motors of Leominster : 501 (Hereford - Ivington - Leominster, NSu), 502 (Leominster - Dilwyn - Hereford, M-F) and 801 (Ivington School Circular, Sch) were acquired from Phillips Coachways from 3 January 1995 under an emergency contract. Primrose Mo- tors of Leominster : 827 (Eastham - Broadheath - Stoke Bliss - Kyre - Tenbury Wells Schools, Sch) was gained from Yarrantons from 27 February 1995. Primrose Motors of Leominster : 482 (Bromyard - Leominster, F) was gained from Morris's from 28 April 1995. 500 (Tenbury - Leominster,F) was gained from Go Whittle from the same date, with 503 (Leominster - Eardisland -Pembridge - Dilwyn - Canon Pyon - Hereford, S) being gained from Yeomans Canyon Travel from 22 April 1995, although with only one round trip. Primrose Motors of Leominster : 756 (Menithwood - Eardiston - Mamble - Eastham - Tenbury, T) was gained from Yarranton Bros. from 5 September 1995. Primrose Motors of Leominster : 482 (Bromyard - Leominster, F) runs to Turning Ways at Risbury on the return journey on request with effect from 13 October 1995. Primrose Motors of Leominster : The latest late-night service in the County of Hereford and Worcester is now surprisingly operated between Lud- low and Leominster (Euphoria Night Club) on a Friday night/Saturday morning, with a return from Leominster at 0110. Service 990 starts on 15 March 1996. Primrose Motors of Leominster : 1 (Leominster Town Service) was increased to every 30 minutes, although with early morning and late afternoon journeys lost to Midland Red West, with effect from 26 August 1997. 292 (Leominster - Hereford, NSu) was increased to hourly from the same date, although the evening service was reduced to S only. The other Leominster town services 2/3 were also lost to Midland Red West, although a Schooldays peak service is reinstated on 2 (Ridgemoor), operated by Primrose. Primrose Travel of Leominster : 20 Oct 1997 :282 (Hereford - Hope-under-Dinmore - Bodenham - Risbury - Stoke Prior - Leominster) regis- tered, the extension of an existing school contract which fills a gap in the Hereford to Leominster service. The afternoon journey (from Leominster) is not registered. Primrose Travel of Leominster : 21 February 1998 : 503 (Hereford - Leominster via Canon Pyon, Dilwyn and Pembridge, S) and most of 501 (Hereford - Leominster via Canon Pyon and Ivington, NSu) were lost to First Midland Red. The afternoon Sch journey on 402 (Leominster - Ridgemoor) also lost to First Midland Red.

Pulhams of Bourton-on-the-Water : 612 (Stow-on-the-Wold - Evesham, S), which ran a large loop from Stow via the Cotswold villages before returning to Stow and continuing to Evesham, was curtailed from 22 May 1992 so that the loop was omitted and the service started at Stow.