Jennings of Bude coaches at South Mimms Service Area – 21 Sep 1996 (329-11)

Saturday 21 September 1996 – An unusual find when I called at South Mimms Service Area was this trio of coaches operated by W. J. O. Jennings of Bude, Cornwall.

D275 MCV, a Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodied Volvo B10M new in March 1987

D36 LRL, a Duple 320 bodied Volvo B10M new in April 1987

E561 RRL, a Plaxton Paramount 3500 bodied Volvo B10M new in April 1988

When at Yelloway in the late 1960s/early 1970s I had dealings with Mr. Stephenson who owned the business and who had successfully obtained a road service licence to operate a service from Bude to Exeter following the closure of the rail service and the withdrawal of the Royal Blue service on the route. The service was used by Yelloway passengers bound for Bude that had travelled from the north to Exeter on the Yelloway night services.

The original Jennings business had been established by William John Oake Jennings. Mr. Stephenson’s family acquired the business in the late 1950s and sold it to Hookways in the 1990s. Hookways went into liquidation in 2011.