FLIGHT's Coaches

[nickcc101]

My mate who worked for Marsh & Baxters s as a Salesman did part-time driving for Flights his name was Ronnie Allen in the 60s.

I remember a chap called Ronnie Allan when he worked for Allenways if I remember correctly, very dapper and often seen with a rolled up brolly. One Driver that worked for Stocklands had moved from Flights, a regular occurrence in those days, his name was Cliff Richards known as Mgeeve what a character he was.

 

[mw0njm.]

My PSV ran out in 1978 but I took my PCV in 1998 after I'd taken early retirement in 1996. Had my C+E by grandfather rights but both now gone as never took the medical when I reached 70. Sorry to hear about your Dad and Vic and your heart attack.

its a pain losing c1-e when you reach 70.and having a medical to have it back on your license. to drive a camper...then taking the crt for a 7.5 if you drive for someone,even with grandad rights

 

[Astoness]

Here are a few photo's of Flights coaches. Frank Flight set up his own
Taxi firm and service Garage in 1913.






View attachment 72715 View attachment 72716 View attachment 72717

The first photo was taken in Victoria Rd next to Franks House.


The second photo was taken in Berners St in 1961.



The third photo was taken in 1957 and were off to the FA cup at Wembley
and returned with Aston Villa and the cup.


Regards Stars

hi stars...do you know the location of the 3rd photo

lyn

 

[Radiorails]

Photo 1, Victoria Road seems either just before WW2 or just after to me. There is a tram stop outside the garage; the trams ceased running in 1950 on the 5 route in Victoria Road.
Good and interesting photos anyway.

 

[Sugar]

Was there a flights office in Aston by Miller street garage in the early mid 60s as I remember going on a flights coach on a day trip to Alton towers which by the way was no where near as big as the Alton towers today i only remember there being a few small rides.

 

[Edifi]

Ronnie Allen used to take holidaymakers who were going on the Continent down to Dover on Friday Nights and bring those coming back after their holidays back to Brum.He would have a few hours sleep in between .This was before Tackographs were introduced.

 

[nickcc101]

When I worked for Stocklands in the mid sixties we started at 9pm Friday night doing the local pick ups for all the overnight services, drove down to Paignton leaving Stockland green at 11pm arriving at About 7am refuelled cleaned the coach inside then left at 9am and returned to Bridgewater for 1pm Saturday where the relief driver took over. You then remained on the coach until you got to Birmingham and off loaded the passengers suitcases at the various drop off points often getting back around 3 to 4 pm. I liked to try and get back early as you could then get the job of driving the relief drivers back to Bridgewater in the company car. When you think back to the hours you were driving you really needed to be cab happy.

 

[Vivienne14]

It was reported in the Birmingham Post that the Historical Commercial Vehicles Club rally in 1973 included Flight’s coach that carried the Aston Villa team (last para). Viv.

 

[Villian64]

theres 3 sons..i worked for claribels in the 00's

 

[Villian64]

Re: coaches



When Ronnie Lees passed away Dave Watkis bought the trading name and the book(I dont think he bought any of the motors) and moved to a garage and service station on cov rd almost opposite the old bham airport, he then moved to a unit in bickenhill in the yard of what once was Geo Higginson plant hire when Allenways sold up he bought the Name and the Radley motors yard off the Weatherhog family who owned Allenways,superb,radleys,and Masons of darlaston. he ran it as Claribells and Allenways up until the 90s when he dropped the allenways name Dave passed away some time ago and the business is now run by his two sons they alllso own Birmingham International coaches.

3 brothers, Andy Matthew and Nigel

 

[Sarah melia]

My uncle Vic Sharlott was married to Ron Lee's daughter Janet, Vic and my dad Ken both drove for Claribels along with Mick Rattigan, Billy Essex and Sid Rose amongst others. Mick taught me to drive PSVs and later was my best man when I got married. Years later the yard and garage on Lichfield Rd was taken over by Endeavour where Dad, Vic, Mick and myself worked over the years. I think that it was going with Dad and Vic when I was younger that made me follow suit with PSV and HGV driving.

Royandrew do you have any photos of mick Rattigan? He was my partners dad and he only has a couple of pictures of him. He’s amazed to find someone who knew his dad !

 

[Sarah melia]

My uncle Vic Sharlott was married to Ron Lee's daughter Janet, Vic and my dad Ken both drove for Claribels along with Mick Rattigan, Billy Essex and Sid Rose amongst others. Mick taught me to drive PSVs and later was my best man when I got married. Years later the yard and garage on Lichfield Rd was taken over by Endeavour where Dad, Vic, Mick and myself worked over the years. I think that it was going with Dad and Vic when I was younger that made me follow suit with PSV and HGV driving.

Do you have any photos of Mick Rattigan he was my partners dad !!

 

[matelot]

With a similar LOGO to Flights Coach Company does anyone recall a Flights Car Dealership, Agents for Morris, MG and Wolseley Cars?

 

[nickcc101]

With a similar LOGO to Flights Coach Company does anyone recall a Flights Car Dealership, Agents for Morris, MG and Wolseley Cars?

Don’t remember Flights having a car dealership but Stocklands certainly did for Austin both at Short heath road and Stockland green so highly likely Flights had similar.

 

[Brookfields Lad]

With a similar LOGO to Flights Coach Company does anyone recall a Flights Car Dealership, Agents for Morris, MG and Wolseley Cars?

Flights had a car showroom on Victoria road opposite Berners street. The were a very early Toyota agents.

 

[matelot]

View attachment 160693

 

[nickcc101]

Sorry matelot link doesn’t work.

 

[Iveco]

Andys

Remember another coach firm, that didn't survive?
Andys, their garage used to be on Nechells Park Road. We had a few holidays start there.

I worked for Andys in 60's and 70's, In 1973 they moved out of Nechells Park Road into their new garage in Railway Terrace,

 

[Iveco]

Am I right was there not a CLARABELLE Coach Co opposite Matty's elec shop on Lichfield Road?.
This one, unknown trip from Four Oaks Sutton Coldfield with what looks like a coach from Lichfield?

Claribel was owed by Ronnie Lees in Wainwright Street Aston,

 

[Lloyd]

Claribel was owed by Ronnie Lees in Wainwright Street Aston,

"Diamond Bus Ltd, a subsidiary of Rotala Plc, has agreed to acquire the bus business and certain specific assets (principally the vehicles used) from Claribel Coaches Ltd. The transaction will be concluded on 24th April 2022, after which all Bus Operating Staff and 18 associated vehicles will transfer to Diamond Bus.

The current Directors of Claribel Coaches Limited have decided to focus on their ongoing coach business, Birmingham International Coaches, and we are grateful for the opportunity that this decision has presented to us."

From the West Midlands Bus Users website (https://wmbu.org.uk/)

 

[Iveco]

Re: coaches



Bill Anderton was my Nans brother, and their younger brother Denis worked as a mechanic for him.
Uncle Bill was always a bit of a character, and reading the comments on here has certainly made me chuckle.
Mechanical Reliability obviously wasn't a strong point

I knew Billy Anderton He was always a bit of a "delboy", When I worked for him he always liked his motors to go out clean, We had to. Come back after being out all day to wash and clean our motor before we went home some times I used to sleep on the back seat, Then call in home on the way to my job the next morning

 

[Iveco]

My uncle Vic Sharlott was married to Ron Lee's daughter Janet, Vic and my dad Ken both drove for Claribels along with Mick Rattigan, Billy Essex and Sid Rose amongst others. Mick taught me to drive PSVs and later was my best man when I got married. Years later the yard and garage on Lichfield Rd was taken over by Endeavour where Dad, Vic, Mick and myself worked over the years. I think that it was going with Dad and Vic when I was younger that made me follow suit with PSV and HGV driving.

I knew your uncle Vic when he had JOF311E and POF the viceroy Ronnie Lees bough at the motor show at Earl Court, I later worked with him at L. F Bowen he thought me a lot about the job, I remember You having COM50K the last new motor Ronnie Lees bought, Colin (shep) Shepherd had COM when you went to Endeavour,

 

[Iveco]

I knew your uncle Vic when he had JOF311E and POF the viceroy Ronnie Lees bough at the motor show at Earl Court, I later worked with him at L. F Bowen he thought me a lot about the job, I remember You having COM50K the last new motor Ronnie Lees bought, Colin (shep) Shepherd had COM when you went to Endeavour,

I knew Mick Rattihan, Did Rose, Harry Withy, Bob Toovey the macanic (wham has wasn't in the Manor over the road), I remember your dad driving FOG 32D the plaxton val, And WTC(the witch),

 

[Iveco]

I knew Mick Rattihan, Did Rose, Harry Withy, Bob Toovey the macanic (wham has wasn't in the Manor over the road), I remember your dad driving FOG 32D the plaxton val, And WTC(the witch),

That should have been Colin(shep) Bentley, Sorry about the spelling,

 

[Iveco]

Strange how they included Flights and Gliderways in the company name but no mention of Stocklands who, of course, owned Glderways prior to Bowens takeover.

I worked for L F Bowen, We kept the Stockland office open for many years and Stockland old garage was one of our best pick ups,

 

[Iveco]

Re: coaches

If you look at any pictures of Flights Coaches you will see that the vast majority had the number 7 in the registration number.... even the "trade plates" we used at Victoria Road included a 7. And if I remember correctly, Ken Flight was very superstitious and did not come into work on any Friday the 13th..

Also they never had a coach that added up to 13,

 

[Iveco]

I knew Mick Rattihan, Did Rose, Harry Withy, Bob Toovey the macanic (wham has wasn't in the Manor over the road), I remember your dad driving FOG 32D the plaxton val, And WTC(the witch),

Re: coaches

If you look at any pictures of Flights Coaches you will see that the vast majority had the number 7 in the registration number.... even the "trade plates" we used at Victoria Road included a 7. And if I remember correctly, Ken Flight was very superstitious and did not come into work on any Friday the 13th..

That's right non of his registration numbers added up to 13,Except one when I worked for him, They had 6 new plaxtons and one of them was 283,Ken was on holiday when they were delivered, When he came back I told him Goef (his son) had put all the new motors on the road and one of them added up to 13 The motor was taken off the road when it got in that night and and(L1NKF) was put on it, L1 NKF was a Flight Link plate not being used,

 

[Iveco]

My mate who worked for Marsh & Baxters s as a Salesman did part-time driving for Flights his name was Ronnie Allen in the 60s.

Ronnie Allen later went on to own Walsall Coach and Travel, L F Bowen bought Leopard FDH 707H his Sedon XDH 808J and his transit mini bus 10K,

 

[Iveco]

I can remember Dad driving a Bedford Yeoman, brown and green I think and a yellow and white Mariner, WTC 551D, known as the witch if my memory isn't playing up.

The yoeman was a Ford (2746 UK) it had an eaton two speed axle with a red button on the gear stick to put it in high or low axle, It used to go quite well,

 

[nickcc101]

Royandrew do you have any photos of mick Rattigan? He was my partners dad and he only has a couple of pictures of him. He’s amazed to find someone who knew his dad !

I knew Mick when I worked for Ron Lees back in the end of 1970 early 1971. Unfortunately I never photographed anywhere .I worked.