Wesley coaches

Wesley Coaches began business in 1925 and served successfully for the next sixty years, until they joined businesses with York's Transport of Northampton in the mid 1980s.

Wesley's coaches were renowned for their trademark relief of cream and blue and often their keenness to innovate. Many of the employees of Wesley's were family members, working in all ranks, from drivers to conductors to engineers. The famous Wesley's slogan; “Travel the Wesley Way” was popular wherever the coaches travelled.

In 1925, Thomas Wesley began operations in a Ford Model T bus, built and modified by Wesley's of Newport Pagnell, an uncle of the family. The vehicles featured a sliding door on the side, an innovation of the period, something the Wesley's gained recgonition for. The Model T buses served a route between Newport Pagnell and Northampton, among other places such as Olney railway station. Other services being run back then included excursions to places as far away as Skegness. Wesley's owned a fleet of vehicles at this time, including a 14 seat 1910 Daimler, as well as the all important 20 seater Crossley bus. As time moved past, buses became a more reliable form of transport, gaining in popularity.

In the 1930s, Wesley's Coach Services took delivery of a De Dion-Bouton 24-seater, one of the best and most advanced touring coaches of the period. The Wesley's De Dion was believed to be the first in the area to feature such fittings as a long bonnet, radio and heater. Further additions to the ever increasing fleet included a B.A.T. 20-seater and a series of Guildfords, some featuring a separate cockpit on the front for the driver.

From then on, a sort of standardisation became apparent, and Wesley's began using Crossley coaches with a variety of bodies. One of these was a thirty by eight feet example built by Yeates of Loughborough, which achieved a transport milestone by being the first coach with no partition between the driver and his passengers, which nowadays is normal practice.

Wesley's services at this time extended far and wide across England, to places such as Devon and Cornwall, as well as tours starting up across the continent.

Between 1955 and 1963, Wesley's purchased Commer vehicles, which formed the mainstay of the fleet for many years. They have performed well in all types of duty, including touring in Scotland, the West Country, Spain, the French Riviera, Venice, Switzerland, Germany, Holland and Belgium, and about 18 of these vehicles are still in service today.

Public services were run by one survivor of a fleet of double deckers, all of which were purchased second hand, along with the coaches. Around this time, Wesley's purchased two coach firms, one at Newport and one at North Crawley, bringing their public service route mileage to well over 1000 miles each week.

Expansion and improvement was achieved where ever possible, including the transfer of the firm's Northampton office to St. Giles' Street, which is more central for the town. The head office has also been moved from Stoke Goldington, where the vehicles are stabled, to Newport Pagnell.

During the prime years of the 1960s and 1970s the fleet strength averaged between 25 and 30 vehicles. On occasions vehicles had to be hired from other operators (but not from local rivals) for standby duty, in case a Wesley vehicle broke down or be involved in an accident. Considering the millions of miles travelled both lines of events were very, very infrequent.

During the 1970s the Wesley family business continued to grow and excel further thanks to its partners, management and staff.

Wesley's Coach Services engaged in negotiations with York Brothers (Northampton) Ltd of Short Lane, Cogenhoe, Northampton. The negotiations were finalised in May 1979, and York's took over Wesley's interests.