This new book released in August 2010 takes the form of an autobiography of George Holmes and was actually written in 2002 eight years ago!
Extracts from this book with reference to the history of G & J Holmes Coaches Limited have been kindly permitted by the author for Transpire.
How did it all start?
George Holmes formerly worked at the New Hucknall Colliery at Huthwaite and in February 1962 bought his first bus, a non PSV 11 seater Bedford minibus.
At first the minibus was taking men to the pit and then on Saturdays it was commonly used to convey the Danesmoor miners Welfare football
team to away matches. It was not long before the pub darts and domino team started booking it and if George wasn't available to drive his
brother Joe would drive it.
After about nine months the brothers were getting too much work for one minibus so Joe also bought a similar Bedford non PSV minibus so they were
in it together.
On the 11th February 1964 the pair of Bedfords were traded in part exchange for two brand new Harrington bodied 12 seater petrol engined
Commer LBs 6706 / 6707 NU from Brocklehurst Motors at Whittington Moor. As these minibuses were PSV the brothers decided to start a
partnership in the name of G J Holmes ( Minibus Service) and each obtained a minibus driving licence.
Their first job as a PSV operator was to take a load from the Greyhound Pub in Danesmoor to Holmewood Hotel on the 12th February
1964 the hire cost was £1 5s 0d. Petrol was on a monthly account with Stoppard's Garage in Clay Cross whilst servicing was undertaken
by Kennings Kent Slater's Garage in Clay Cross.
As the brothers were still employed at the pit the first employee drivers to join G & J Holmes were George Bradley, Roy Plant & Pete
Millward to help cope with a busy workload which by 1968 included regular Saturday excursions in the summer to Skegness and Blackpool.
On the 1st August 1968 the Commer LBs were replaced with two brand new Rootes bodied 12 seater Commer LBs VMH 343G & VYM 513G which
were diesel engined.
In 1970 a 20 seater Plaxton Embassy bodied Bedford J2 was acquired from Timewell of Maghull via Moseley Coach sales at Loughborough and the
brothers went in for a full PSV licence and both were delighted to have passed first time with tests taken in Sheffield in a double
decker with only three gears!
At first the three buses were parked outside George Holmes residential address at Pennecroft Drive on the Coal Board Estate, Danesmoor so a
more suitable place to live with a yard for the coaches was sought after and in September 1971 George's wife Sheila came accross a big house
for sale on Market Street in Clay Cross with a large yard at the rear. This property was owned at that time by the Collings family who were
the local funeral directors and had big black horses pulling a dray which always looked immaculate and was stabled in the yard. The house
and yard was being sold by an estate agent called Tony Wilson (don't we know him from somewhere? ed) whose place was on Bradleys at Clay
Cross. He said that it would be an ideal place for the Holmes family coaching business so George and Sheila went along for a viewing.
What a shock! the yard was full of rubbish and the house was awful which was in two parts 124 Market street and 124a Market Street. If it
was purchased it would have to be the whole lot so at first it was turned down.
Then it happened, a call from Tony Wilson on New Year's Day 1972 at that time New Year's Day was a working day. Tony Said "go down and take
another look at the Colling's house I'm sure it will be good for you"?
However nothing had altered and George said to his wife "What do you think? Can you do anything with this house?" She said "YES!" so that
meant the deal was they were having it although it took until the 1st April 1972 until they finally got the keys. The price was £3,500-00
and a further 14 weeks before they could move in in which time Albert Buckland and his tipper lorry shifted 26 lorry loads of rubbish
out of the yard!
At that point in time G & J Holmes gained their first Derbyshire County Council contract which was into the Parkwood Learning
Centre in Alfreton.
Also not long after moving in a Plaxton Embassy 29 seater Bedford VAS RTB 331C was acquired from Kettlewells of Retford. Aubrey Kettlewell
said "You will have a good couple of years work from this coach". He was wrong G & J Holmes had a good eight years from it.
In 1973 a maintainence pit was dug out and Roy Plant was promoted to driver mechanic and in January 1975 George left the pit to concentrate
full time on the coaches gaining more contracts this time with the Area Education Department in Chesterfield.
In 1976 the companys first big coach was acquired a Plaxton Panorama 45 seater Bedford VAM KNL 116E from Bennetts in Gloucester sourced again
via Moseleys of Loughborough who went on to supply G & J Holmes with quite a few coaches.
It is at this point in the book that George goes on to comment on his personal life so just to summarise the company is now in the charge
of Joe Holmes son Nigel and Georges son Stewart but still maintains the G & J Holmes name with a fleet total of eleven buses or
coaches.
Andrew Bagshaw
Copies of My Life by George Holmes can be obtained by ordering from Andrew Bagshaw.
If you are interested in this book, please use the
CONTACT
page to send a message which will be passed on to Andrew.