Old Photograph of Grindleford - Kenyon's ‘Station’ Bus

“Kenyon's Move to Mechanical Transport - Grindleford's First Motor Bus”

The first omnibuses in Grindleford were horse drawn, but when the Kenyon family had to give up their horses for the War Effort in 1914, they bought motor buses, reputedly the first to operate in the Hope Valley. The bus is understood to have been built by Massey Bros of Wigan, and powered by a Ford Engine. We have wondered if the photograph was taken as part of a sales campaign, as the background isn't recognisable.

The legend on its side reads “Grindleford Station Bus, Baslow and Calver Bridge”, indicating that it provided a transport service meeting trains at Grindleford station, and delivering passengers to Baslow, via Calver.

In later years a second motor bus service operated from the station to deliver passengers to Eyam and Stoney Middleton - Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire reporting that in 1932 that Omnibuses operated by Maurice Kenyon & Edward White, meet all trains.

Both services were still operating well into the 1950s and 1960s, though by that time, Kenyon's had been taken over by Hulley's of Baslow. The name Station Bus was however retained for Teddy White's service. The buses were instantly recognisable because White's were blue, and Hulley's were red, so there was no danger of getting on the wrong one.

(Information provided by Alan Jacques/Rosemary Lockie)