Local hauliers (coach, lorry, etc.)

Does anyone remember Bunty Coaches. The company was founded in the 1920s by Mr Bill Neale of Coventry. The garage was situated by Spon End Arches. His first coach was named after one of his daughters, whose nickname was Bunty.

I remember Bunty's coaches, they were around a lot, Pool Meadow etc. I do not know much about the company though, sorry!

Hello both & Welcome Tilly Trotter to our forum, The first Bunty coach that I ever saw was when I was on hols as a child in Teignmouth. I think that it was green in colour & at that time in the fifties, the company ran a regular weekly service during the summer months to Teignmouth & Dawlish. I cannot be sure about the colour. I was trainspotting at Teignmouth railway station where the coach did a drop off. It was my friend that noticed that it was from Coventry. ps. Thinking about it, at KHVIII, the school had a contract with RHMS. I recall some coaches arriving at the school about 1963 which may have been former Bunty coaches. RHMS had acquired Bunty, but I am on thin ice again on this.

One Bunty coach

Yes they were green - and KHVIII used Red House for transport to Stonebridge Highway sports fields

Thank you for your nice words Philip. I believe that the coaches were dark and light green with some areas of white or cream. They did do return trips to various seaside places including Rhyl in Wales. I believe their slogan was 'Luxury Tours to all parts.' I also believe that they were one of the first firms to start 'Mystery Tours'.

Thanks for the pic of the Bunty Coach Harrier.

About 1937

Red House Motor Services bought out a number of small local coach companies including Bunty and Bantam. At one stage, they had a RHMS coach with all these small companies names on its sides along a wide strip. I believe it was possibly in order to keep the names alive for some commercial reason.

The building in the background is the Drill Hall on Queen Victoria Road

My gran got her coal from Morton's and we had to go to the office on the Binley Rd to pay for it, I'm sure it was just past the Empress building,

I worked at Powell Manufacturing Co, Toolmakers, in Cromwell St.; next door on one side was Storer's bakery, and on the other side I think it was called BMW which was one of Joe Chinn's companies, another was Abbey Panels I think. Across the road was the Helen St. GEC works, and next to them but over another side street was RHMS. There used to be haulage firms from far and wide doing changeovers there, like rolls of sheet metal for car bodies were brought there from Europe (during some sort of strike by Brits) and 'smuggled' to whichever auto manufacturer needed it, this was about 1979/80/81. I took a couple of photos, I'll have to dig them out and scan them if I haven't dumped them. Many years before I worked in Cromwell St. I was told that a guy called Tommy Venn was a high up boss at RHMS. I can't find any mention of the name online. A coincidence - Cromwell St. is a side road from Red Lane. Also, out towards Kenilworth from Tile Hill Village runs Cromwell Lane, which joins (a different) Red Lane. Ah well, It's probably not unique!

Tom Venn is included in our list of "Famous Coventrians"

I am researching Astons Garages and Astons Coaches of Marton The garage in Spon End that is now a tyre depot was for many years Astons Austin showroom. Before that did Bunty use it or was it the building nearer the bridges that Bunty used?

Hello Astons Garages, Whilst we wait to see if anyone can come up with info for you, would you like to tell us all here of your recollections of Coventry, past & present.