Courtesy Coaches YCZ 4812 works the afternoon service from Blue Coat School in Oldham to Uppermill, which takes a circuitous route through Waterhead, Lees, Mossley, Roaches and Greenfield. It is almost at the end of the run, having passed through Greenfield and about to turn up Chapel Road to Uppermill.

The 803 is an odd service as it only works in one direction (in the afternoon). The morning working is as a 344. Both services run for the benefit of pupils at Mossley Hollins School and provide a link to top Mossley, Grotton and Lees. Stagecoach 16502 is seen at Mossley Brookbottom.

This morning view shows Ribble 1632 leaving Uppermill on its return to the Manchester depot having worked a school trip from Denshaw to Uppermill. The dead mileage on this working would have been greatly in excess of the revenue mileage.

Ribble Atlanteans in Saddleworth were a surprising consequence of deregulation. 1630 is between Delph and Denshaw, approaching New Tame on a school journey from Saddleworth School to Denshaw.

A closer view of Ribble 1630. This bus was originally Southdown 744.

Checkmate Travel's W575 JVV is on its way from the operator's base in Mossley to Uppermill, to work the afternoon trip to Denshaw.

Checkmate Travel have been running in Saddleworth for about twenty years now, but their current operation is limted to a Saddleworth School working to Bleak Hey Nook, Delph and Denshaw. It is regularly worked by this vehicle, which still carries the livery of Nu-Venture of Aylesford, Kent, whence it was purchased. Photo courtesy Mark Amis.

Checkmate's bus waits in Uppermill bus station for the pupils to finish school - very soon judging by the number of buses waiting. It clearly knows where it is headed and is facing the way it intends to leave, regardles of the other buses! Photo courtesy Eric Ogden.

Checkmate’s Iveco F361 FNB has just made a sharp left hand turn at Bleak Hey Nook in front of the old Horse and Jockey Inn. It will now drop down the A62 to Delph Lane and thence to Denshaw and Grains Bar. The rural area served by the 826 means that such a small vehicle is quite sufficient.

Checkmate’s N588 WND was new to Cheshire Bus and Coach and quite probably still on hire from them as that was their business. It is seen turning into Delph Lane at Castleshaw, having already served Bleak Hey Nook on its roundabout and scenic tour of Saddleworth.

Stagecoach Olympian 16760 is ready to take schoolchildren home from Saddleworth School on the circuitous 828 service mentioned in the text. Photo courtesy Mark Amis.

Stagecoach's principal contribution Saddleworth school services has been Alexander-bodied Olympians such as 16761, here waiting at temporary traffic lights on Oldham Road in Uppermill. The 828 turns down Chapel Road here and the bus is indicating that maneouvre.

This Leyland Leopard coach was destined to serve Mayne’s well. On this occasion it was returning to garage having worked the 828 service to Saddleworth School. This same coach can also be seen in the “Buses visiting Saddleworth” collection nearly twenty years later less than half a mile from this shot, by which time it had received a cherished registration.

Greater Manchester Transport Dennis Dominator 1438 passes the top of Station Brow in Greenfield whilst working the 828. This is the service from Saddleworth School through Dacres, Well-i-hole, Greenfield station and Grasscroft to Mossley. It would normally come up the hill (just to the left) but judging by the cone and the snow (implying the road was closed) it has come up Chapel Road and made the sharp left turn there.

At the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year First took over the afternoon contract for the 828 and 31950 is on one of the their first workings on Manchester Road in Greenfield.

From September 2006 Stagecoach's vehicles were these Volvo B10M single-deckers instead of the Olympians used previously. 20949 has gone over the hump back bridge on Well-i-hole on the 828, now the only service using this road.

The high level viewpoint shows that on 16504, at least, the colours are carried across the roof although that has not been true of all repaints. At the top of the hill at Greenfield station, the bus will continue to Mossley. In contrast to the previous picture, it will be seen that the 828 reverted to double-deck operation.

The Mayne’s red and cream livery suited the former GMT “Standards” very well. This one had originated as 7474 in that fleet before becoming Mayne’s 18. It is joining Oldham Road at the top of the hill at Greenfield station after working the afternoon 828 service.

The morning 828 is worked by Stott's of Oldham. On a glorious June day Metrobus LUI 5802 approaches Greenfield station.

Stagecoach 16508 passes along Mossley Road in Grasscroft on the last leg of its roundabout journey from Saddleworth school to Mossley.

Colne Valley High School had its own bus station to deal with the transport for pupils from a wide area. Stott's used to take two buses over each day and leave one there to avoid dead mileage and former St Helens AEC Regent V 160 is clearly in that role. The school is set well up the hillside and this location can be very exposed. As Stott's didn't use route numbers the indicators of each of the pair of these Regent Vs (HDJ 757 and 760) were set to show the registration numbers. Handy for identifying the bus but not where it was going! Photo courtesy Geoff Lumb.

The paintwork on the Wigan livery seems to have been recently touched-up on JJP 509, which is approaching Greenfield station. This bus had been 133 in the Wigan fleet, later renumbered 3251 by GMT. In the right foreground can be seen the site of the former bus shelter, removed about four years previously.

Taken on the same occasion as the previous shot, JJP 508 was working the other special from Colne Valley High School, which ran via Greenfield Clarence, Dacres and Well-i-hole, very much as the 828 does. The background to the right of this shot has changed enormously since redevlopment started and the Kingfisher pub now stands on that site.

Having completed its small tour of the valley, JJP 508 has reached the top of the hill at Greenfield station. Behind can be seen early preparatory work to reclaim the site (now used for dog training) between the river and the canal.

An offside view of JJP 508 at the same spot. This bus had been Wigan 132 and GMT 3250.

Stott's Tours acquired this Massey-bodied PD2 from Turner's of Brown Edge in Staffordshire and it still showed signs of its origin by showing "Leek" on the blind. Massey bodies were just not seen in the area at the time so this was a welcome and attractive addition. It is climbing Oldham Road in Grasscroft with a return working from Colne Valley High School.

I assume that this is a school working but the blind display does not give any clues. 5888 was a PD3/14 which was new to Stockport Corporation but spent most of its life working from Oldham garage. It is making its way carefully down Oldham Road in Grasscroft in the snowy winter of 1979.

Courtesy Coaches have resurrected the famous Yelloway brand. On this occasion A15 YEL was ferrying schoolchildren back to various schools in Saddleworth following a joint event in Oldham.

The previous shot showed this coach crossing the canal in Greenfield. In this shot it is seen from above and behind on Oldham Road, having just climbed the hill at the station.

The 121 is the school service run by Stott's from Uppermill to Hulme Grammar School. LUI 5816 is unloading in Uppermill Square following the afternoon return journey. This bus has a motley collection of ventilator styles and is missing one from the front upstairs!

Stott's Scania J610 VDW came from Cardiff and is shaded from the bright morning sun on the morning run to Hulme Grammar School.

Service 122 (as displayed on a card in the windscreen) is a similar service to the 121 but serves Greenfield instead of Uppermill. Metrobus F813 YLV is on Chew Valley Road on its way to the Clarence Hotel. The bus working this service then proceeds along Manchester Road to Robert Scott's to work the afternnon service from there (see the Other Works Services collection).

Ex-Cardiff Scanai J610 VDW is seen again, crossing the railway at Greenfield station. It is heading for Uppermill to work the morning 121 service, although showing 123 on the blinds - the 123 is the service from Broadbottom.

This Alexander-bodied Volvo B10M was new to Tayside. It is passing Greenfield station, probably on a working from Rishworth School. Photo courtesy Mark Amis.

Swan's FN55 EDV is an Iveco with French-built Vehixel bodywork, specifically equipped for school bus operation. It is working to Saddleworth Pool on this occasion and is seen on Station Road in Uppermill.

K Matt Coaches are from Failsworth and provide regular school transport. They have a double-decker, which is a Leyland Olympian new to Merseyside PTE. It has just turned off High Street in Uppermill up Smithy Lane towards Saddleworth Pool.

Courtesy Coaches currently operate school buses to Rishworth and Blue Coat schools. However, this one seen at Wade Lock in Uppermill, although masquerading as a Blue Coat working (558) is actually taking a party to Saddleworth Pool.

Swan's Iveco Scholarbus is seen again on Chew Valley Road, having dropped off a group of pupils at Shaw Street school.

There is plenty of variety in the bus station in Uppermill as pupils start to appear from Saddleworth School. The 365 in the foreground had a delayed departure from Huddersfield to ensure that it arrived at Uppermill at the appropriate time, providing additional capacity in the direction of Grasscroft and Oldham.

Even more variety in Uppermill bus station. To the right can just be seen a Checkmate Travel bus on the Bleak Hey Nook/Grains Bar run (826), whilst behind a Vale of Manchester Leopard waits to leave for Denshaw on the 352. In the foreground Pioneer work a 353 to Mossley and behind that is a Yorkshire Rider Olympian on the 365 headed for Oldham. Lost in the background are two GM Buses vehicles, a Metrobus and an Atlantean. Photo courtesy Eric Ogden.