Fond memories of GRINDLES coaches (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Saturday, September 21, 2013, 23:42 (4082 days ago) @ peteressex

During my 60s-70s childhood in Cinderford both companies were in business.
Percy Grindles' black & white "Forest Greyhound" coaches operated from their garage in Woodside Street, only a couple of coaches which were preferred for our trips from Bilson School.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24467251@N02/6599261975/
Both my sisters booked Percy's wedding car around 1976, a beautiful grey Austin Princesses limousine (not the later Leyland wedge thing !) the driver was an elderly family member, Percy I think ?.
http://www.premiercarriage.co.uk/images/car55_b.gif

Roy's gold, white and black "Grindles" coaches operated from their garage and yard at bottom of Dockham Road, we caught one of their half-dozen? fleet to RFDGS everyday from there. I was fascinated by the Bedford Vals with twin steering axles, I built a bare chassis of one with working steering from Meccano. In those days several coaches from firms all across the Forest served the school, we thought our single Grindles was the best: newest, unusual, "posh", including this Val which is still running to preservation rallies.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/fod_variety_1/mediafiles/l78.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MVtI02PubI

Their yard was behind their booking office which is still there, this schoolboy was always impressed with the big posters advertising their tours of the Austrian Tyrol & Lakes, beautiful scenes.
http://www.grindlescoaches.co.uk/history.htm

Here's some more history from their own website.
http://www.grindlescoaches.co.uk/history.htm

I think one of the reasons they lasted was a small modern fleet with an emphasis on quality and their extensive holiday touring programme, unlike my father's firm Edwards of Lydbrook they wern't reliant on service routes which suffered with the growth of car ownership. During the 80s my retired parent's took several European tours with all the local firms; Dad knew all the owners personally and always took-up their invites to look over the coaches beforehand, I think he took almost as much pleasure investigating the hi-tek new hardware and chatting with the drivers as he did the holiday itself ! It was very touching that senior representatives of all the firms attended his funeral, including the "Bennett's" brothers from Gloucester.