| Henry Hulley was born and raised in Baslow. Having worked as a chauffeur for The Hydro, a magnificent Baslow hotel, Henry purchased his own 5 seat Ford T taxi in 1914 which was garaged at the rear of The Peacock Hotel (now The Cavendish).
In 1920, on the back of the success of the single taxi, two further Darracq cars were added to the fleet.
During the same year, with the introduction of the Road Traffic Act 1920, the Hulleys fleet was registered for the first time establishing the operating name still in use today.
1921 saw the introduction of the first bus into the Hulleys fleet, a one ton T Ford with solid tyres and centrally placed steering wheel. The purchase was apparently a ploy to prevent third son Lance from leaving the company. He had wanted to see Hulleys branch out further and was considering going to Australia to seek his fortune. A service between Bakewell and Chesterfield via Baslow was created, still in operation today as service 170.
A purpose built four bed roomed house and corrugated iron garage were built adjacent to Calver Road in early 1922 to house the now expanding fleet.
By the mid 1920’s the Bakewell to Chesterfield route had evolved into a daily service and a run from Bakewell to Youlgreave was established in 1925.
Fleet additions and the introduction of larger vehicles meant the recently constructed garage had to be completely rebuilt by the late 1920’s.
The prosperity of the Thirties experienced by bus companies nationwide meant Hulleys were able to expand both fleet and routes even further. Services now included Tideswell, Eyam, Wardlow, Litton, Calver, Stoney Middleton, Haddon and Middleton as well as regular summer excursions to destinations such as York, Skegness, Southport and Blackpool.
By 1934 the fleet totalled 7 vehicles, none more than five years old and several brand new. The acquisition of a piece of land on the opposite side of Calver Road for use as a petrol station, with three pumps dispensing fuel to passing motorists at 6.5p per gallon, enabled the company to develop the business further.
In January 1938 Henry Hulley & Sons was formed into a limited company with the members of the family holding all the shares.
One year later in 1939, local operator Maurice Kenyon was taken ill. Hulleys filled in on his service linking Baslow and Calver with Grindleford Railway Station, leading to the take over of Kenyon’s business some months later.
The outbreak of World War II led to the acquisition of three buses by the Ministry of Defence. The petrol station was taken over by the authorities and the rationing of fuel also led to a reduction in the number of journeys each service was permitted to make.
Surprisingly however, in the early years of the war, the Grindleford Station service saw increased patronage from people who moved out to the relative safety of the Derbyshire villages and commuted to work in Sheffield. |
