The Derwent Valley provided another battleground between Go North East and Classic with other companies like Law Travel providing competition at other points after deregulation.

Although I didn't live in Rowlands Gill at the time, I do recall the following routes operating around the area in the early 90s.

75: Newcastle - Consett (Classic)

607/608: Newcastle - Blackhall Mill Circular (GNE)

611: Newcastle - Blackhall Mill (GNE)

736/738: Newcastle - Blackhall Mill Circular (Classic)

745: Newcastle - Consett (GNE)

B/C: Newcastle - Blackhall Mill Circular (A GNE Coach-based service)

Nine separate services with some operating half-hour frequencies. It's hard to believe now that Rowlands Gill once had somewhere in the region of 12 bph operating towards Newcastle.