Based in the small Warwickshire town of Henley-in-Arden, Johnsons Bus & Coach Travel celebrate their centenary in 2009, and this book has been published to coincide with that anniversary.
The company started with Jack Johnson operating a daily goods service between Henley and Birmingham, with two horses and carts in 1909, and has developed into the successful modern concern it is today, whilst still remaining a family business. Their luxury coaches, in their distinctive livery, are a familiar sight throughout the UK and Europe, and their buses serve the towns and villages of Warwickshire.
Using a large amount of material from the company’s own archive, the book tells the story from those humble beginnings to the present day, where the latest modern low-floor double deck buses now carry passengers along the road between Henley and Birmingham that Jack Johnson was using 100 years ago.
With a foreword by the current directors of Johnsons, the book is lavishly illustrated with around 170 photographs, plus other illustrations, and, with the exception of about 10 photographs where the originals were black and white, all are in full colour. A full fleet list is also included.

 

Available from:
Dave Jessop, 234, Binley Road, Coventry, West Midlands, CV3 1HT.
Price £10.99 plus £1.85 postage & packing, UK only (1st Class). Please make cheques payable to
D M Jessop. For all other countries, or for bulk quantities, postage will be charged at cost - please enquire. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope if writing, or telephone 024 7645 3778, or email johnsons@thejessops.org.uk.

Published June 2009
96 pages
148mm x 210mm (A5 size)
Laminated Card Cover
160 Colour Photographs
10 Monochrome Photographs
10 Illustrations

£10.99


 

Review by Arnold Chave:

“Travel with Friends” – 100 years of a family business – Johnsons Quality Bus & Coach Travel”
Written and published by Dave Jessop. Price: £10.99 (Softbound)
Reviewed by Arnold Chave

Our esteemed journal editor has, as promised for some time, turned his literary talents to producing a very comprehensive and profusely illustrated book on this well known and regarded coach and bus operator based at Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire.

Dave knows the firm well as he has previously driven for them and has collaborated widely with the Johnson family in the production of the book. The family have given Dave access to a wide range of archive and photographic material and the first ten pages are devoted to a history and overview of the company to the present day. The following pages in this well presented 96 page book illustrate many of the vehicles owned by the company. The pictures (which are virtually all in colour) are of high quality and many have been taken by Dave himself. The story brings the reader right up to date to April with the purchase of three stylish new Scania/Optare double deckers (did Dave have anything to do with that?) and in the appendices at the end of the book is a detailed fleetlist covering all vehicles owned.

If you didn’t know anything about Johnsons before, then after reading this reasonably priced, well produced and laid out book you certainly will know a lot more. Well done Dave (and I didn’t find any references to Longstaffs of Mirfield at all!!)