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End of the Mayne line

Simon Thacker
24/ 1/2008

THE end of an era was heralded this week with the arrival of wrecking crews in Clayton to demolish the depot of the one the last family-owned bus companies with its roots in East Manchester.

Last year, bosses at A Mayne & Son announced they had sold the firm to transport giants Stagecoach.

And this week work began to demolish the firm's HQ in Ashton New Road, Clayton, which has been a familiar part of the town's landscape since 1939.

The company began life more than 80 years ago when Arthur Mayne used a horse and cart to deliver furniture from his shop in Bradford before the First World War.

His son, also called Arthur, then bought a lorry which he converted into a bus in 123 to run weekend trips to the seaside, football matches and race meetings.

The business grew and two years later he bought his first purpose-built coach - and the Mayne bus company began.

It has carried on in the family ever since, with Arthur's wife Olive working as company secretary until she died last year.

Her son, managing director Stephen Mayne, decided to put the company up for sale as his own children are not interested in entering the business.

Mayne's Coaches, based at Warrington, is not affected.