13 August 2023

I've added a number of new photos  including one of Dolly- the coach cleaner. This is a still from an 8mm  cine film taken in Alcester St depot back in 1965! See "latest images" tab to view the new images

07 June 2023

Following Google's decision earlier this year  to  convert  websites to their "new" format without letting owners know, the Regent Motorways site disappeared from the Google search engine. It was only by chance that Ron Rudd  contacted me to let me know that he could no longer find the site. (Thanks Ron!) 

As a result I'm having to rebuild the original site around Google's new format. Whilst doing so, I'm taking the opportunity to add  new pages and also add more photos to various pages. 

I hope you enjoy what you see, and do get in touch if you have any information or photos not already included on the site.

10 March 2018

I was honoured to have been invited to give an illustrated presentation about Regent Motorways to Redditch Historical Society on 11th March 2018. It was gratifying to share the many, many photographs and anecdotes I've collected over the years and I'd hoped someone at the event may  have been able to put names to some of the mystery drivers! Sadly, that was not the case.

22nd May 2017

Yocker Yarnold sent me a fascinating photo of Leyland PS2/3 FCJ 185. Fascinating because it was not on my list of coaches operated by Regent Motorways. However, I can now put that right! 

Yocker also thinks Leyland Tiger DHA 297 was involved in an accident at Broom Bridge when driven by his dad, Don (pictured below) . Can anyone shed any light on this? 

04 April 2017

Some time ago, I was contacted by an ex- Regent employee "Yocker" Yarnold, who lived in Broadway. Yocker lives in Poland these days, and  kindly sent me a number of fascinating photos, The one below shows 2 Regent Drivers: Yocker's late father Don on the left and Wally Preston on the right. 

I recall that my father often mentioned Wally when he talked about work. Sadly, Wally had long since passed on when I started researching for setting up this website.

7 February 2017

I am sad to report the death of my Uncle, John Butler, ex mechanic at Regent Motorways, and later a part time driver for Hardings. 

John passed away on his 78th Birthday in the Alexandra Hospital Redditch after a long illness.

30 December 2016

Derek Coombes, Chairman of Redditch Local History Society  kindly included the photograph taken at Alcester Street depot, (the one with the Warwick Arms in the background), in their December 2016 newsletter "Redditch Heritage Matters". 

I had not seen this newsletter before Derek contacted me, but can throughly recommend it to anyone interested in the history of Redditch.

14th October 2013

I have 2 new photos to share. These are:

Ford R226 WWP722G, at a location which looks like (I'm not quite sure) Station Yard Alcester. If so, it's the first photo to surface taken at that location.

The second photo is of Bedford VAM SWP727F, at an unknown location.

I will put both photos on flickr shortly.

21st April 2012

David Tomlinson recently contacted me after seeing this website. Davids mother's maiden name was Jakeman, and it seems she was related to Harry.

David has kindly supplied me a very old photograph of Bedford OB GNP76.

There's another connection, in that Harry's brother Len Jakeman was married to David's grandfather's sister Minnie (her maiden name was also Jakeman !!!)  Len and Minnie were married and had a family. They  lived at Crescent Villa, Brook Street, Redditch, and David recalls they had 2 girls, Ethel and Helen and a boy, Claude.

Claude married and lived in Alvechurch. It seems he worked as a driver for his uncle Harry, and it is Claude who is in the photograph alongside GNP 76. Many thanks to David for this information, which fills an important gap in the Regent story!

7th January 2012

I discovered that Hickinbottoms bread  company was the other incumbent of the Slough site in the 60's & 70's along with Regent and Hunts of Studley.

24th November 2011

Martin Perry has been in touch with some corrections to the Regent fleet list.

Martin  also kindly allowed me to use a number of photos from his collection, which fill important gaps in the Regent photographic record.

Below is Martin's photo of LNP 255K.  Other photos will be added to the site shortly. Many thanks to Martin.

 Photo: Courtesy Martin Perry

9th November 2011-Another ex- Regent coach found on Orkney!

I have been contacted by Davy Miller from Falkirk in Scotland. Davy has sent me a photo of Bedford VAL SWP729F in it's final resting place at a scrapyard on South Ronaldsay, Orkney.

Thanks Davy, for adding a further piece to the Regent  jigsaw! Here's the photo:

 30th July 2011-Driver Eddie Johnson

The seach for Eddie Johnson has established that Eddie ran the Gate Inn, a pub at Honeybourne Warwicks, for a number of years.

However the current licensee advises that though her regulars remember Eddie they have confirmed that sadly he is no longer with us.

Thanks to Lisa Weston for this information.

6 May 2011

Lloyd Penfold  contacted me recently to provide information on the Warwickshire pub location, (which turns out to be the Blue Bell at Henley in Arden) and to correct the caption of the Needle Industries photo of LHA329, pointing out that the location is in fact Cadbury's concert hall, Bournville, Birmingham.

Many thanks to Lloyd for helping improve the accuracy of the site!

5 March 2011