Company History

Coaching is an industry that has been associated with the Grindle family for many many years, over 90 in fact.

It all dates back to the mid 1920’s when Roy Grindle first introduced charabancs, although at least two generations of family had been involved in making deliveries by pony and trap before this time. Roy and Brother Percy set up separate businesses on either side of Woodside Street, Cinderford. There was some rivalry but it was all friendly! Percy owned three coaches as well as some removal vans whereas Roy focused on just the coaches.

Roy was to buy his first coach in 1936. He contributed to the war effort by taking workers to the nearby Hurricane factory in Brockworth, Gloucester. Due to this he was allocated 6 Bedford utility vehicles to support and expand the fleet to 15 vehicles.​

In 1949 Roy’s son, Harry Grindle, passed his test and joined the company. By this time Roy Grindle and Sons had started operating their own tour programme; the first tour being an 8 day trip to Scotland. The first continental trip was a private to Spain in 1953 and by 1956 they took bookings and successfully ran a tour to Switzerland. Harry eventually took over the family business in 1962 when Roy, his father, died. By 1963-64 the business really started to take off and by the late 1960’s was going flat out, buying a new coach every year.

In 1976 Harry took the difficult decision to sell the company to Warner's Motors of Tewkesbury. They continued with the Grindles name in Cinderford for five or six years and then changed to Warners, that year they took few bookings and subsequently the business closed.

In the meantime Harry and son Phil started a car servicing and repair service in Drybrook. Percy’s company, Forest Greyhound, continued to run under the management of children Norma, Gerald and Michael. In 1989 they wanted to sell their three vehicle business. As coaching was evidently in the blood, Phil persuaded Harry to buy the company and alas, Grindles Coaches was reborn! After 5 years of operating out of Woodside Street the company moved to a spacious unit on Forest Vale Industrial Estate, where we still operate today. As well as this a booking office can be found in Cinderford town centre.

And now, to 2020 … the company is still going strong, providing UK and European Tours, Day Excursions and coaches for Private Hire for any occasion using experience that has been passed through the generations.