Caves Bus Services

Dale Hire was a partnership between Mr Blaynee and Mr Hunt and was based at 5 Queens Street Astwood Bank which was a purpose built depot that was just about large enough to keep the whole fleet under cover. The operation traded using the operator's License number PD75. The company had it's origins with Fletcher's Coach Hire of Studley which itself was taken over by Johnson's Coaches of Henley in Arden.  Dale Hire's core business was based around local bus services which rather unusually never ran on Saturdays or Sundays. In the early days after bus deregulation Dale Hire worked with Hereford and Worcester County Council to secure funds for new vehicles in return for re-introducing a number of rural bus services to villages to the south of Redditch such as Feckenham, Sambourne and Bradley Green. For this a fleet of mini-coaches were acquired. The company also introduced a number of services in Redditch itself including the 647 which today forms the core of the service 64. In October 1995 the partnership behind the Company was dissolved.  Gordon Blaynee continued the business on on his own using a new operators license numbered PD1481 until the company was taken over by  Harding's Coacheson 1st February 1997. All the vehicles were soon repainted and many received the trade mark HCR number plates that virtually all Harding's vehicles carry. 

The Dale Hire Fleet when the operation cease on 1st February 1997

Registration Number

Vehicle Chassis

Body Work

Seating Capacity

K272AOH

Ford Transit

Ford

M8

C323GKL

Ford Transit

Coachcraft

M12

G867KET

Mercedes 408D

Whittaker

C15F

H574GBC

Toyota HDB30R

Salvador Caetano

C21F

J 21MFP

Toyota HDB30R

Salvador Caetano

C18F

K318EJV

Mercedes 410D

Autobus

C15F

L 38DUT

Toyota HDB30R

Salvador Caetano

C21F

All except C323GKL were transferred with the sale of the business on 1st February 1997 to Harding's Coaches

Bus services operated Dale Hire Minibuses between 26th October 1986 & 1st February 1997

Service 75 Astwood Bank, High Street & Redditch, Town Centre – Mondays to Fridays
New service started Monday 27th October 1986. The Timetable was slightly revised on 17th August 1987 to allow the new service 647 to be introduced
Service 76 Redditch, Town Centre & Beoley Road West – Mondays to Fridays
New service started Monday 27th October 1986. The Timetable was slightly revised on 17th August 1987 to allow the new service 647 to be introduced. The service was diverted via St Georges Gardens 12th November 1990.
Service 647 - Redditch, Bus Station & Greenlands Circular - Mondays to Fridays
New service started Monday 17th August 1987 – journeys at 1035 and 1320. Service withdrawn 29th July 1988 – Loss of Hereford and Worcester County Council contract – New contract awarded to Midland Red West on an enhanced timetable as service 64.
Service 150 Astwood Bank - Feckenham - Bradley Green - Hanbury - Redditch – Wednesdays only
New service started Wednesday 5th April 1989 – Service part replaced withdrawn Midland Red West service 150 Inkberrow - Feckenham – Redditch
Service 153 Astwood Bank - Broom - Cookhill - Sambourne – Redditch – Fridays only
New service started Friday 7th April 1989 – Service part replaced withdrawn Midland Red West service 150 Inkberrow - Feckenham - Redditch.
Service 154 Astwood Bank - Holberrow Green - Feckenham - Ham Green - Redditch – Thursdays only
New service started Thursday 6th April 1989 – Service part replaced withdrawn Midland Red West service 150 Inkberrow - Feckenham - Redditch
Service 185 Sambourne - Redditch via Middletown and Sainsbury's Store – Thursdays only
New service started Thursday 12th December 1991
Service 186 Portway - Redditch via Earlswood Common, Tanworth-in-Arden – Fridays only
New service started Friday 6th December 1999. Certain journeys were diverted via Plymouth Road North and Salop Road instead of direct via Mount Pleasant from 31 August 1993 – This was withdrawn when Midland Red West service 63 was diverted via Plymouth Road
Service 187 Mappleborough Green (Dog) – Wootton Wawen – Tanworth-in-Arden - Redditch – Tuesdays only
New service started Tuesday 5th July 1994

The business was sold to Harding's Coaches on 1st February 1997, with bus services 76/77, 150/3/4, 185/6/7 being transferred