SINGER songwriter Mike McGrother travelled to Craven last week to pay his respects to the 33 people - mainly women - who lost their lives 45 years ago when the coach they were travelling in crashed through the parapet of Dibbles Bridge, near Hebden.

The mainly middle-aged women from Thornaby-on-Tees were on a mystery coach trip on May 27, 1975, and had enjoyed stops in Ripon and Knaresborough before heading for tea in Grassington. But disaster struck just before they reached their destination.

The yellow coach failed to negotiate a sharp right hand bend at the bottom of the one-in-six gradient Fan Carl Hill, tore through a three-foot high stone parapet of Dibbles Bridge and landed on its fibreglass roof in a garden, 17 feet below. The sides of the coach buckled on impact.

Thirty three people died - including the stand-in coach driver Roger Marriott - and 14 others were hurt, some critically. Most suffered major chest injuries. It was - and remains - the worst coach crash in British motoring history.

Jim Metcalfe, who lives in Skipton and will next week celebrate his 85th birthday, was acting sergeant at Skipton Police Station on the day, and in sole charge of the control room. Due to finish his shift at 5pm, he stayed on into the night to direct operations, field calls from newspapers and emergency services, and to arrange for relatives to identify their loved ones.

With one hand on the phone, his other hand was engaged in noting down details of every call received and the actions he took in four pages of A4 paper, titled ‘fatal accident’.

The first of the calls was from a Mr Fox of Cleckheaton who called 999 at 3.37pm to report that a ‘coach had crashed through the bridge’ to the question ‘do you require an ambulance’, the reply came: “I don’t know, but I would think so.”

Mr Metcalfe then proceeded to direct ambulances, police officers and heavy lifting gear to the site, to inform pathologists and to liaise with Airedale, Raikeswood and Skipton hospital to take the bodies.

Many people in Thornaby believe that the disaster has never been given the prominence it deserved and that it remains largely unknown outside of the town where so many families were affected. Sadly, a planned memorial to those who lost their lives was to have been installed outside the fully restored town hall on the 45th anniversary, but has had to be postponed because of the coronavirus crisis.

In addition songwriter and entertainer, Mike McGrother wrote a song based on the disaster and had planned to do a series of shows at different venues before walking to Dibbles Bridge to bring attention to the tragedy and as a tribute to all those who died.

Even though he had to cancel his shows, he walked to Dibbles Bridge from Pateley Bridge on the exact day of the 45th anniversary to lay a bouquet of 33 white roses - one for every one of the people who died - and to sing his song.

“I wanted to mark the 1975 anniversary and so me and one friend drove to Pateley Bridge, separately, on Wednesday before walking to Dibble’s Bridge where I left a floral tribute, sung my song and then headed back home. I also made a very basic film of that little adventure and will use it to stimulate memories and reflections. Thornaby residents were and are proud Yorkshire stock and so the tribute will be white rose based. There will be 33 roses.”

Councillor Steve Walmsley, mayor of Thornaby on Tees, and chairman of its town council, said they were keen to get across how little had been done over the years to improve safety at the bridge, which as recently as April saw the death of a 66 year old cyclist.

Filmmaker and producer, Derek Smith, made a film about the coach disaster, speaking to survivors and families of those who lost their lives. It received another screening on May 30 on Freeview channels.

Cllr Walmsley said: “The latest death toll now stands at 43 following the death of another cyclist as recently as April 22 this year close to where Derek filmed. Incredibly, this same bridge where so many non fatal crashes and near misses occur on a regular basis is not even considered an accident black-spot. Meanwhile locals are convinced that it’s only a matter of time before another tragic accident occurs.”

At the inquest, held just weeks later, the jury took just 50 minutes to reach a unanimous verdict that the 33 victims had died as a result of an accident.

The jury said the accident was caused by the inability of the driver to negotiate the bend at the bridge owning to deficient brakes, due a possible lack of care in the maintenance of the braking system.

The inquest heard that several major defects had been found and one of the expert investigators said it was an “astounding coincidence” that all had happened at once.