For a family-run company, the support given by each generation to each other is a crucial factor in delivering business success. Step forward North Yorkshire-based Thornes Independent
It’s hard to know where to look first!
Is it the two gleaming 73-plate Plaxton Leopards taking pride of place in the yard, or is it the smiles and a very visible pride showing on the faces of the Thornes family there to welcome me as I arrive at their offices at Hemingbrough, North Yorkshire?
This year sees the family-run company celebrate its 75th anniversary. Established by John Thornes in 1949, the company is now two further generations down the road. John, and his wife Lucinda (Lucy), handed over to Philip and his wife Christine. Today, it’s Jane Thornes and sister Zoe Thornes who are taking the business forward.
But as with any family company, it’s not as straightforward as that. Philip is still Managing Director on paper, but has handed over the day-to-day to Jane, supported by Zoe.
It’s a relationship that father, mother and the two daughters agree is working well.
“For many years after Zoe and I got involved in the business, it was the two of us who were supporting mum and dad,” says Jane. “Today, the roles are reversed with mum and dad, and especially dad, supporting us. The whole team here works well together.”
Independent heritage
Today, the business operates a mix of home to school work, some contracted bus services, and a significant amount of private hire. One bus service, a single morning journey to Selby, and a balancing working at teatime, is a remnant of a route Thornes has been operating since 1952.
The story of Thornes Independent would take this entire issue of routeone to tell. Indeed, a magnificent book ‘The Coachmans Way’, the title a nod to a housing development on the original site in the nearby village of Bubwith, takes 140 pages to reveal all. Details are on the website at www.thornes.info. But for a company established and run by the Thornes family for three-quarters of a century, it’s worth mentioning the Independent bit.
Philip explains.
“Independent Coachways was a successful coach and bus operator based in Horsforth in Leeds,” he says. “In 1987, following the death of owner Tony Edwards, the company was put up for sale. We weren’t the only Yorkshire operator to express interest, but we ended up the successful buyer. We felt the business was a natural fit, giving us a presence in both North and West Yorkshire. Both the Thornes and Independent names were strong in their respective areas and we kept the separate branding. In 1999 we brought the two parts together as Thornes Independent. In 2002 we moved from our original Bubwith site that had been established by my father and moved into the premises we have today in Hemingbrough. Horsforth closed in 2011.”
A liking for Volvos
Philip notes that Independent’s penchant for Volvos influenced his vehicle-buying policy.
“My father favoured Leylands,” he explains. “I liked AECs. Indeed, look closely at the registrations of our two new Leopards and you’ll spot the reference. Tony Edwards at Independent had always liked Volvos, and I was soon a convert too. Our first B10M was B385 JVY, a Plaxton Paramount 3500. We had her for 32 years, and was probably the best vehicle we ever had. We named her ‘Derwent Explorer’, partly because the river Derwent ran behind our yard, and partly because that coach ended up travelling to more countries in continental Europe than any other. We’ve been very satisfied with Volvos, so why change? We also have a good relationship with our local Volvo dealer, Crossroads Truck and Bus. These things matter.”
The current fleet stands at 12, of which 11 are Volvos and eight are Plaxtons.
Jane picks up the story.
“Of our two new Leopards, one is a 53-seater, the other a 70-seater,” she says. “We have a 2022-plate MCV Evora that we use on our bus services. It has seat belts and can also be used for schools work. The rest of the full-size fleet comprises a mix of Plaxton Panthers and Paragons, an East Lancs-bodied Myllennium Viking double-decker and a Volvo B7 Plaxton Centro. A vehicle that stands out among the Volvos and Plaxtons is a 33-seat Iveco Ferqui bought new in 2017. We also have a 2009-plate Van Hool Alizee.”
Countess’ and Duchess’
The Van Hool is sitting in the yard and is looking resplendent. Jane notes my interest.
“The Alizee was involved in an accident at the end of July 2023,” she says. “There was significant damage to the side panels, but as it was a vehicle we’d had from new, and was in good condition, we decided to have it repaired. She carries the name ‘The Duchess of Hemingbrough’ joining three other vehicles at the time with the names ‘The Countess of Hemingbrough’, ‘The Duchess of Horsforth’ and ‘The Countess of Horsforth’.”
Thornes Independent is well known for its heritage fleet, its 1959 Seddon (VHO 200) and 1952 Beadle (OKP 980) regularly attending rallies and other events. From 1999 to 2019 the company ran ‘Thornes Heritage Transport Tours’, using these and other members of the fleet. But since COVID-19 that has stopped.
“In the early days our passengers on our heritage tours were very appreciative,” says Philip. “It was satisfying to many people who appreciated the spirit of what we were trying to do. It was a passion for all of us. I feel that time may have gone now so there are no plans to restart the tours.”
Sisterly involvement
Sisters Jane and Zoe have been part of the business practically all their lives. In Jane’s case, mum Christine remembers taking her on trips in a carrycot. Once she was old enough, Jane helped out during school holidays and was a hostess on tours at weekends.
“Mum and dad tried to deter me from coming into the business,” she says. “But for me, the pull to help the family was strong. I had a good knowledge of the business. Everyone seemed so busy so I remember stepping in immediately, taking private hire enquiries, holiday bookings, as well as cleaning the buses. We used to operate on the York Park and Ride and I checked driver allocation, as well as monitoring service quality. I passed my test soon after I was 18 in 1999. I did some regular Saturday driving on some York service work. I got involved in the business first, then went to college.”
Zoe took a more traditional route, going to college and then coming into the business in 2007 aged 18. “I remember it was still fun in those days,” she notes. “Doing this is who I am. It’s my family. It’s always been there. Growing up it’s what I wanted to do.”
Picking up on the description of fun, Jane says: “There’s so much to comply with now. So much administration. There isn’t the time to simply enjoy things. I enjoy driving. Now there’s added responsibility, compliance, hours, completing requests from the Department for Transport, all of that.
I don’t think people realise what’s involved being a driver. There’s quite a check list even before you take the handbrake off. You’re always trying to do the right thing. The financial pressures of meeting all these requirements are significant.
“We’ve all put a lot into the last 15 years, and we’re still going strong. I think, like many operators, we’re very modest by nature. We simply get on with what we do, but with huge pride in what we’ve achieved.”
Philip perhaps sums things up.
“Jane and Zoe wanted to get involved in the business,” he says. “That’s a different approach to my generation. I felt press-ganged into it by my father. But you know, there are significant moments in time when you feel proud of what we’ve achieved, and continue to achieve. Picking up the new Leopards from Plaxton at Scarborough was one. A few years ago we had seven coaches all heading to Bruges in Belgium. Watching them as they all trooped off the ferry made me so proud. I think we all feel that if my father could see us now, he’d be equally proud.”
