Henley coach firm looks towards a new future
IT’S the end of an era, but also the start of a new journey for Johnsons Coaches of Henley as the wheels of fortune turn the family-run firm towards a new future.
Many years have passed since brothers John and Peter Johnson joined forces and both committed 45 years of their lives to the 115-year-old family firm. But now both have decided to step down this month knowing their legacy is in safe hands.
John, who was commercial director at Johnsons, this week told the Herald he and his brother Peter – operations director – pursued the idea of a fourth generation of the Johnson family taking the company forward over the next few decades but it wasn’t to be.
“We tried to get a fourth generation involved but sadly it didn’t work out that way. The management team now have years of experience so we’ve transferred our skills over to them and as always we will look after our customers,” John Johnson said.
Not an easy decision but it’s the right way to go as the new management team have been promoted from within and the decision was carefully thought through last year.
John and Peter have sold their business to The Coach Travel Group, which means their company now joins Alpine Travel, Barnes Coaches, Coatham Coaches, JH Coaches, Swans Travel and The Ready Group. Management of the historic coach travel company in Henley is the responsibility of Lauren Davies, head of business, sales and marketing. Kyran Flynn, general manager. Ashley Brown, head of operations and Andy Leyland, head of finance.
Stepping back in time to 1909 and a young Jack Johnson from Birmingham, travels to Henley after a family fall-out and finds his future fortune when he creates Johnsons, the company, as John explains:
“The Johnsons were originally gunsmiths in Birmingham but there was a family dispute, so Jack came to Henley and started plying his trade with a cart and two horses. He’d go to Birmingham to gather fruit and veg and other goods – like furniture – from the markets and bring them back and deliver them to places in Stratford and Leamington. After a while, people noticed this and started asking Jack for lifts into Birmingham and back again.
“By 1914 he had a motorised lorry which was taken over during the First World War and in the 1920s he had a Garner Bus Van which could carry passengers and goods because it had bench seats which would fold up. Later on, the passenger side of the business developed, and the furniture removal side declined.”
A photograph of Jack Johnson’s first new motorised vehicle – a Garner bus van – shows the vehicle outside Mrs B Johnson’s shop at 71, High Street, Henley. The B is for Beth and by that time she had married Jack and the family business began to flourish with Beth playing a major role in its development for many generations to come.
Jack passed away in 1935 but the foundations for the future were now well-established with premises in High Street, Henley, which remained there until the business moved to Liveridge Hill, just outside Henley, in 1987.
“It’s been a family business all these years which was run by my uncle and then my father,” said John.
“I started as a van boy, in 1978 aged 18 and a year later Peter joined the business. My father didn’t interfere with the business he just let us get on with it and that’s what we want to do now.
“It’s the right time to go forward with a young team who will strive and succeed and it’s also a time to say ‘thank you’ to our loyal customers and reassure them it’s business as usual.”
