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.

Percy Grindle and his brother Roy started one of the first transport businesses in the Forest during the 1920s.

Their success evolved into 2 distinctly separate business enterprises, covering coach travel, furniture removals, wedding and funeral cars.

You mention a Lillian Robbins (who was my aunt) who married Stanley Best. Does anyone have information about Lillian's death and the whereabouts of their only daughter in the US. The daughter married in Gloucester in 1957. I do have a bit more information but don't want to put it on a public website but would very much like to contact Lillian and Stan's daughter and the grandchildren.

M

BEST Albert Ernest
PAYNE Jennie
Gloucester All Saints
1906 23 No 3 225

1911 93 Barton St, Gloucester
Albert Ernest Best 31 Gloucester Postman
Jane Best 33 Tipton
Alfred Jenkins 60 Newent

Name:Hubert S Best
Mother's Maiden Name:Payne
Date of Registration:Oct-Nov-Dec 1911
Registration District:Gloucester
Inferred County:Gloucestershire
Volume:6a
Page:555

Name:Hubert S Best
Birth Date:abt 1912
Date of Registration:Oct-Nov-Dec 1964
Age at Death:52
Registration District:Weston-super-Mare
Inferred County:Somerset
Volume:7c
Page:366

Name:Hubert Stanley Best of 300 Southside WSM
Probate Date:8 Jan 1965
Death Date:17 Nov 1964 in Royal Hospital WSM
Death Place:Weston-Super-Mare
Registry:Bristol

Estate £3055 left to widow Lillian Florence Best

M

I believe we were in contact some time ago.

Vellyse Thurlow (nee Robbins) was my mother. Zoe Bishop (nee Robbins) was from Albert's second marriage and therefore my mother's half sister.

M

Albert ROBBINS married, first, Rhoda COOPER, 9.4.1898 at Cinderford, St. Stephen's Church. Rhoda ROBBINS died 1900, burial 3.12.1900 at Cinderford, Baptist Church. Albert ROBBINS married, secondly, Florence Caroline BARTON (mother of Lilian Florence) at Flaxley, 5.4.1902. Florence Caroline ROBBINS died 1914, burial 26.10.1914, at Cinderford, St. John's Churchyard. Albert ROBBINS believed to have married, thirdly, Emma JEFFERIES 1915 Q4, Westbury on Severn Dist. This marriage produced no daughters (tree on Ancestry).

Therefore there is apparently no contemporary (female) ROBBINS/GRINDLE marriage.

Marriages Jun 1934
Bishop Walter M Robbins Portsmouth 2b 1391
Robbins Zoe V Bishop Portsmouth 2b 1391

Marriages Sep 1921
Robbins Vellys M Thurlow Kingston 2a 1278
Thurlow Sidney F Robbins Kingston 2a 1278

I believe that Percy Grindle married a Robbins who was my fathers Sister who was Cyril Robbins born in Cinderford in 1905

Are you referring to Alfred Percy son of Harry Grindle / brother of Roy ?
http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=812

The closest I can find in the time frame is :-

GRINDLE Percy Alfred
MORSE Eva Irene
Forest of Dean Cinderford St John the Evangelist
1927 4 20

<><><><>

ROBBINS Albert
JEFFERIES Emma
Forest of Dean Westbury-on-Severn (FoD) Register Office
1915 16 165

1911 Church Rd Cinderford
Albert Robbins 37
Florence Robbins 34
Vellys Robbins 11
Toe Robbins 8
Cyril Robbins 6
Austin Robbins 4
Julia Tyler 59

ROBBINS Albert
BARTON Florence Caroline
Forest of Dean Flaxley St Mary the Virgin
1902 1 358

1901 Flaxley Rd Cinderford
Albert Robbins abt 1874Cinderford, Gloucestershire, EnglandHead East Dean, Gloucestershire
Vellys M Robbins abt 1900 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Daughter
Mary Ann Robbins abt 1836 Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England Mother

ROBBINS Albert
COOPER Rhoda
Forest of Dean
Cinderford Woodside St Stephen
1898 1 94

there is a more recent Grindle/ Robbins marriage