FOR Roland Brown, it was a journey tinged with sadness.

As the bus trundled along the country road out to Acaster Malbis from York, the 79-year-old reflected on the changing world which has forced the scrapping of the family-run bus service run by GE Sykes and Son.

Mr Brown, who lives in Acaster Malbis, said he had used the service for many years.

He said: "It isn't young people who use the service on a regular basis, it's the older folk who don't have cars.

"I have relied on this service and I am very sad that it is having to end."It was the end of an era for more than just Mr Brown yesterday.

After nearly eighty years, the bus service from Bolton Percy, Appleton Roebuck and Acaster Malbis into Skeldergate, York, has carried its last passengers.

John Sykes, the grandson who now runs the company, said it was a hard decision, and one forced by declining passenger numbers.

He said: "For the last ten years I have had to subsidise this bus service. Nobody uses the service any more. People in the villages think it's degrading to ride on a bus. Most people use their cars, so country bus services have nearly all finished."Noel Daniels, the driver on the last run, said: "I'm privileged to do this last trip for Sykes. I've been working for them for 27 years and shall continue to in the private hire side of the business, but today is particularly sad. It's the end of an era for village buses."

Tony Quartermaine, another driver who turned up for the final emotional trip, added: "The bus service has been part of the lives of a lot of people for a long time.

I have worked for them as a driver since the 1970s, this is a very sad day."

Since 1920 the bus has not only carried passengers, but also daily copies of the Evening Press and parcels. Paul Stabler, operations director at Browns, said: "We used to bring customer parcels down to this bus every day. The people who used this bus would do their shopping at Browns and then we would carry it down to the bus stop for them.

"Those days are long gone and it's a shame."

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