Whittles is a coach tour operator based in

Kidderminster Kidderminster is a large market and historic minster town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, south-west of Birmingham and north of Worcester. Located north of the River Stour and east of the River Severn, in the 2011 census, it had ...

, England.

History

Whittles was founded in 1926 in

Highley Highley is a large village in Shropshire, England, on the west bank of the River Severn and 7 miles south east of Bridgnorth. The closest cities being Wolverhampton and Birmingham. History Highley began as a rural farming community, including ...

taking miners to and from villages to the coal pits, and hauling coal in between shift changes. The founder was J. T. Whittle, and he ran the business of J. T. Whittle & Son with members of his family. Later, three of them – J. T., F. W. and G. E. Whittle – formed a partnership to own the business. The partners became G. E., R. A. and D. L. Whittle in 1964. G. E. Whittle died in 1970. In January 1975, J. T. Whittle's daughter and an heir to his fortune, 17 year old

Lesley Whittle British teenager Lesley Whittle was kidnapped on 14 January 1975, and her body discovered on 7 March 1975. Her kidnapping and murder dominated national headlines for 11 months. The investigation involved over 400 officers from the West Mercia ...

was kidnapped and killed by murderer and armed robber

Donald Neilson Donald Neilson (born Donald Nappey; 1 August 1936 – 18 December 2011), alias the “Black Panther,” was a British armed robber, kidnapper, and multiple murderer. From 1971, he committed a series of robberies of sub-post offices; in 197 ...

, dubbed "The Black Panther " by the British Press. In October 1980, it commenced operating express services from

Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the 2011 Census was 12,079. History B ...

and

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

under the Goldhawk brand. In 1981 it began operating these services in an alliance with

National Express National Express Group is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Birmingham, England. It operates bus, coach, train and tram services in the United Kingdom, Ireland (National Express operates Eurolines in conjunction ...

. In 1990, Narburgh Coaches of

Alveley Alveley is a village in the Severn Valley in southeast Shropshire, England, about south-southeast of Bridgnorth. It is in the civil parish of Alveley and Romsley. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 2,098. It is served by bus se ...

was purchased with 16 vehicles, taking the fleet to 53. In January 2004, the business was purchased by

East Yorkshire Motor Services East Yorkshire operates both local and regional bus services in the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire, England. Prior to acquisition by the Go-Ahead Group in June 2018, the company was known as East Yorkshire Motor Services. History ...

with 49 vehicles. In December 2014, the coach business was sold to

Johnsons Coach & Bus Travel Johnsons Coach & Bus Travel is a bus and coach operator based in the Warwickshire town of Henley-in-Arden. History In 1909, Jack and Blanch Johnson purchased a carrier business with one carriage and two horses in Henley-in-Arden. In 1922, the ...

with nine coaches. The contracted National Express services were taken over by National Express, while the local bus services ceased on 5 January 2015.Peter Shipp
''Bus & Coach Buyer'' 9 March 2015

References

External links

{{Bus companies in West Midlands, state=collapsed Kidderminster Transport companies established in 1926 Transport in Worcestershire 1926 establishments in England