Stockland Garage Ltd also took the Bearwood based Gliderways Coaches company over, according to records I have, in May 1963.
Gliderways was a company with a fine reputation for high quality coaches backed up with a high quality service. Using an attractive livery of Birch Grey with Maroon relief. It was started by Harry Morris in 1915
Probably best known for its Harrington Bodied Leylands, Many of which had the patented "Dorsal Fin" ventilation system, although the compant also used other body builders from time to time.
Prior to the 1980 coach deregulation, it was normal practice to take over other operators in order to expand, in fact this was often the only way expansion could then take place. Quite often a competitors licences where the attraction, the premises and coaches often either not included in the deal, or quickly sold on.
In the case of Gliderways take over by Stocklands this was not the case and the Bearwood company was operated as a seperate concern even the livery, the leyland coaches etc were retained, in fact no one would have known any difference.
By PSV circle records show that Gliderways aquired several local concerns itself, including:
K.Poole Ltd Smethwick (Evans coaches)
E.J.Harwood, Warley
A.W.Jones, Bearwood
J.L.Jones, Smethwick (Eclipse)
Harry Morris had a brother, Joseph, who stared another coach operation also in Bearwood trading as Bearwood Luxury Coaches (J.E. Morris and Sons Ltd)
Gliderways, unfortunatley, slowly lost its identification and is now but a memory, passing along with Stockland,s to L.F. Bowen in 1969.
Bearwood Coaches licences went to Prospect of Lye aka Watt,s of Stourbridge.