In 1924 George York after leaving school equipped himself with a horse and cart and undertook general carrying work from his family home in Station Road, Cogenhoe.

Like many 18 year olds today, he decided he needed a better set of wheels and so he persuaded his father, Anderson to provide the finance for a Ford T truck. George used the truck to carry parcels and general freight between his home village of Cogenhoe, the villages in the area and Northampton especially on market days: Wednesdays & Saturdays.

George soon saw another opportunity and became involved in conveying coal, delivered by rail to Billing Station, which he hawked in the locality on days when he was not busy carrying other merchandise.

It wasn’t too long before he started carrying passengers as well – obviously not at the same time as the coal!

In the photograph the truck body has been removed so that the bus body could be fitted.

In response to demand, on 30th May 1925 a Ford T 14 seater saloon bus was delivered. The service increased to operate Mondays to Saturdays inclusive, using the original truck, while the new Ford T was used for private hire commissions when the need arose. These journeys were usually over a short distance – e.g. darts, football team transport, flower shows, and longer journeys occurred during summer months.

1926 saw the establishment of a regular Northampton to Great Yarmouth service.

In the same year Frederick York joined in partnership with his brother and the Yorks Bros. partnership was established, using

“EASY” MOTOR COACH CO” as its brand name.

In 1935 an enquiry and general office opened at No 1 Derngate.

No. 1 Derngate

On 7th January 1939 the Easy Motor Coach Company trading name was abandoned in favour of “Yorks Bros. (Northampton) Ltd.”

A pioneer of the Northampton to Yarmouth Service

The company had garages in Cogenhoe and West Bridge and also South Bridge and a fleet of 14 coaches.

The coal and coke business was sold to Ernie Tysoe (husband of their sister Francis) in order to concentrate on bus and coach operations.

Following the outbreak of war, on 11th May 1940 the Yarmouth service and excursions were cancelled, replaced by contracts transporting workers to munitions factories in Coventry and distributing children evacuated from London to Northamptonshire villages.

By September 1940 9 front-line coaches had been commandeered by the Military Authorities.

The York Bros (Northampton) Ltd coaching fleet became famous for being named after the naval Fleet , the name being displayed in illuminated panels. Possibly it is due to a sense of national pride, as Fred’s eldest son served in the Royal Navy. Another theory is that the practice developed as a result of Northampton adopting HMS Laffery during the war.

On 31st December 1945 George York resigned to take up farming and, following his demobilization, his nephew, (Frederick) Alfred York (Fred Jnr) joined York Bros (Northampton) Ltd.

On the 7th June 1946 the Great Yarmouth service resumed and the booking office in Derngate was packed the day after this was announced with prospective travellers

Queue outside No. 1 Derngate in February 1946

Robert York (Frederick’s youngest son) joined the company as a mechanic on 1st August 1948 and soon after this the company opened a booking office at 13 Market Street in Kettering.

The company continued to expand, during the 1950s with a travel shop in Rushden, and a new larger travel shop at No 5 Derngate.

In 1959 the company was awarded the Concours d’Elegance prize. The winning coach bore a livery of light blue and even lighter blue replacing the old dark and light blue colours. This colour scheme was phased in across the fleet.

The company ventured into the travel agency business in the early 1970s – some 14 – across the area, offering coach holidays and a full leisure and business travel service, joining ABTA and acquiring an ATOL licence.

In the late 1980s the company acquired Wesleys Tours and, thanks to relaxation of the rules regarding leisure travel, was able to offer a more extensive touring programme.

In 1997 the majority of the share holdings in the business were sold to Bowen Travel, although Ken York (son of cofounder George) is still a shareholder in the business.