(29 Nov 2017, 8:48 pm)Charles41 wrote It was around 1988 easyway used to be based on the waggonway industrial estate in Hebburn. They used nationals on the service. The metro centre bus station was still under construction so buses used to pick up at the car park outside marks and spencer. Big orange was used as a brand by Northern to counteract competition. At the time in Gateshead we had OK, derwent coaches, shaws, low fell coaches and north eastern all competing against northern. I think aline were also around at the time as well if my memory serves me right.

Charles

My memories of North Eastern or Easyway (can't remember which), were based on boarding just off Southend Road, and that the vehicles were filthy inside.
Sure the route went down Church Road, Kells Lane, Dryden Road etc.

A-Line were about. It will have been around that period they had what is now the 23. Can't remember if it was number the 23 then.
I think they had a depot over St Helen Auckland way. If not, there were vehicles parked up in a depot, wearing their 'livery'.

Edit: http://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showth...6&page=127 There's talk of Easyway, North Eastern and Big Orange in this thread and the preceding few pages.

I'm sure there's more discussion elsewhere on the forum.