Tellings-Golden Miller
Encyclopedia
Tellings-Golden Miller a subsidiary of Arriva
, is a bus
service and coach
operator in the United Kingdom
.
, which won the Cheltenham Gold Cup
and the Grand National
in 1934. In 1955 his business, then comprising two coaches and a booking office in Twickenham
, was acquired by F.G. Wilder & Sons Ltd. of Feltham
. In 1967 Wilder bought out "Tourist Bus Service" which had one vehicle and a stage carriage licence for the number 601 service between Feltham Station and East Bedfont
, which it had operated since 1955. This service was continued under the Golden Miller brand name and, in 1968, routes 602 (from Feltham to Shepperton
) and 603 (from Feltham to Hanworth
via Elmwood Avenue) were added. In 1970 the route from Walton-on-Thames
to Walton-on-Thames station was taken over from Walton-on-Thames Motor Co. Ltd. and extended to Oatlands
village as service 604. Route 605 was planned for the Claygate
area but did not come into effect, and route 606 began in 1971 from Staines
to Stanwell Moor and Stanwell
village.
In June 1985, control of Golden Miller passed from Wilder to Tellings Coaches of Byfleet, a family-run concern which had been founded by Stephen Telling in 1972. Routes 601 and 603 were transferred to Fountain Coaches of Feltham from October 1985; these routes being combined as route 600 (East Bedfont to Hanworth via Feltham) in June the following year. The Golden Miller business continued to operate routes 602 and 606 until about 1988.
In 1989 the company was taken over by Midland Fox. A small number of London Transport
contracted routes were won by the company over the following two years. However, by 1993 Midland Fox had itself been acquired by British Bus and was no longer willing to operate TGM. Stephen Telling re-acquired the company with financial support from Julian Peddle
, and also took over Classic Coaches.
The TGM group was established in 2003. TGM has been operating local bus services since 1995. TGM operates coaches and maintains subsidiaries in Cambridgeshire
, Essex
, Suffolk
, Surrey
and the North East of England, and owns Classic Coaches, Link Line Coaches, OFJ Connections, Network Colchester
, Excel Passenger Logistics and Flight Delay Services. The company previously ran bus services in South West London
and north west Surrey, inheriting some through acquisition of Capital Logistics
. However, these services were sold to National Express Group
in 2005; as part of the reciprocal deal Tellings Golden Miller became an official National Express franchisee, running several coach routes on behalf of National Express Group. In May 2009, these South West London and Surrey bus services were sold to Abellio
and now operate as Abellio London & Surrey.
The group recommenced operation of bus services in Surrey with the takeover of Wiltax in June 2007.
In December 2007, it was announced that Arriva
were going to buy Tellings-Golden Miller for £10.3 million, ironically bringing it back into bus operations in Colchester
, which they sold to TGM in 2004.
In April 2008, TGM acquired Excel Passenger Logistics based at Stansted Airport and its associated companies Excel Gatwick and Flight Delay Services based at Manchester Airport,
Later that month, the Wiltax operations at their New Haw
depot were scaled down, with most routes passing to different operators. Some routes continued to be run by Wiltax, but from Tellings-Golden Miller's Heathrow depot. In September 2008, Wiltax operations at New Haw were finally stopped, with all operations transferred to TGM's Heathrow depot.
In February 2010 the Haverhill operations of Burton's Coaches, together with the name, were sold to Yellow Star Travel Services which was formed by the management for this purpose. The National Express services had been earlier transferred to the Stansted depot of Excel Passenger Logistics. Burton's ceased operating in May 2011.
In February Tellings-Golden Miller was placed under the control of Arriva UK Bus with Steve Telling (Managing Director) reporting directly to Mike Cooper (Managing Director of Arriva UK Bus).
In August 2010, TGM Group took over the Arriva Shires & Essex
services from Harlow garage, with a Network Harlow identity for the local routes (similar to Network Colchester).
operations being transferred to Lucketts Travel
, and the Hoverbus being transferred to Stagecoach South
, from the Portsmouth (Farlington) depot.
All vehicles have been transferred to TGM's other bases.
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
, is a bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service and coach
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
operator in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Golden Miller
Reputedly, Fred Varney began the Golden Miller company with the winnings from a bet made on the horse Golden MillerGolden Miller
Golden Miller was a Thoroughbred racehorse whois the most successful Cheltenham Gold Cup horse ever, having won the race in five consecutive years between 1932 and 1936...
, which won the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...
and the Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
in 1934. In 1955 his business, then comprising two coaches and a booking office in Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
, was acquired by F.G. Wilder & Sons Ltd. of Feltham
Feltham
Feltham is a town in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It is located about west south west of central London at Charing Cross and from Heathrow Airport Central...
. In 1967 Wilder bought out "Tourist Bus Service" which had one vehicle and a stage carriage licence for the number 601 service between Feltham Station and East Bedfont
East Bedfont
Bedfont is a small suburban town in Greater London, some to the west of central London and only from Heathrow Airport. It straddles the Staines Road at the west of the London Borough of Hounslow from Baber Bridge on the River Crane to the Surrey boundary at Ashford.-Origins and Mediaeval...
, which it had operated since 1955. This service was continued under the Golden Miller brand name and, in 1968, routes 602 (from Feltham to Shepperton
Shepperton
Shepperton is a town in the borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England. To the south it is bounded by the river Thames at Desborough Island and is bisected by the M3 motorway...
) and 603 (from Feltham to Hanworth
Hanworth
Hanworth lies to the south east of Feltham in the London Borough of Hounslow. The name is thought to come from the Anglo Saxon words “haen” and “worth”, meaning “small homestead”....
via Elmwood Avenue) were added. In 1970 the route from Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England. The town is located south west of Charing Cross and is between the towns of Weybridge and Molesey. It is situated on the River Thames between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock.- History :The name "Walton" is...
to Walton-on-Thames station was taken over from Walton-on-Thames Motor Co. Ltd. and extended to Oatlands
Oatlands
Oatlands is a village and small district near Weybridge in Surrey which has acquired its name from the Royal Tudor and Stuart Oatlands Palace, the site of which is now a luxury hotel...
village as service 604. Route 605 was planned for the Claygate
Claygate
Claygate is a village in the English county of Surrey, approximately south west of London and within the Metropolitan Green Belt.It is primarily a residential area but with offices, farms and two shopping areas with a supermarket, five pubs and numerous restaurants...
area but did not come into effect, and route 606 began in 1971 from Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
to Stanwell Moor and Stanwell
Stanwell
Stanwell is a suburban village in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne. It is located 15.7 miles west south-west of Charing Cross and half a mile from the southern boundary of London Heathrow Airport and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
village.
Tellings-Golden Miller
In 1989 the company was taken over by Midland Fox. A small number of London Transport
London Transport
London Transport could refer to:*London Transport Transport authorities that operated services under the brand:*London Passenger Transport Board *London Transport Executive *London Transport Board...
contracted routes were won by the company over the following two years. However, by 1993 Midland Fox had itself been acquired by British Bus and was no longer willing to operate TGM. Stephen Telling re-acquired the company with financial support from Julian Peddle
Julian Peddle
Julian Peddle is an entrepreneur who has worked in the bus industry since the early 1980s, having owned or part-owned numerous bus companies. He spent 11 years as co-owner of Stevensons of Uttoxeter between 1983 and 1994, having previously been its traffic manager...
, and also took over Classic Coaches.
The TGM group was established in 2003. TGM has been operating local bus services since 1995. TGM operates coaches and maintains subsidiaries in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and the North East of England, and owns Classic Coaches, Link Line Coaches, OFJ Connections, Network Colchester
Network Colchester
Network Colchester is a Tellings-Golden Miller bus operating company. TGM have upgraded the fleet, and it is no longer the second from bottom bus company, profit wise...
, Excel Passenger Logistics and Flight Delay Services. The company previously ran bus services in South West London
South West (London sub region)
The South West is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of London Borough of , Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton and Wandsworth. The sub region was established in 2008. The south west has a population of 1,600,000 and is the location...
and north west Surrey, inheriting some through acquisition of Capital Logistics
Capital Logistics
Capital Logistics is a former bus and coach operator in England. It was formed in August 1997 following the merger of Whyte's Airport Services and Capital Coaches the previous April. The company was sold to Tellings-Golden Miller in 1999...
. However, these services were sold to National Express Group
National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
in 2005; as part of the reciprocal deal Tellings Golden Miller became an official National Express franchisee, running several coach routes on behalf of National Express Group. In May 2009, these South West London and Surrey bus services were sold to Abellio
Abellio (transport company)
Abellio is a public transit operator in Germany which operates both bus and rail networks. The headquarters of the company are in Essen. Abellio Germany is part of the Abellio Group , the international expansion arm of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen.-History:Abellio was formed by the Essen public...
and now operate as Abellio London & Surrey.
The group recommenced operation of bus services in Surrey with the takeover of Wiltax in June 2007.
In December 2007, it was announced that Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
were going to buy Tellings-Golden Miller for £10.3 million, ironically bringing it back into bus operations in Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, which they sold to TGM in 2004.
In April 2008, TGM acquired Excel Passenger Logistics based at Stansted Airport and its associated companies Excel Gatwick and Flight Delay Services based at Manchester Airport,
Later that month, the Wiltax operations at their New Haw
New Haw
New Haw is a village in Surrey, England about 25 miles to the southwest of London. It is located near the communities of Byfleet, West Byfleet, Woodham, Weybridge, Addlestone and Ottershaw....
depot were scaled down, with most routes passing to different operators. Some routes continued to be run by Wiltax, but from Tellings-Golden Miller's Heathrow depot. In September 2008, Wiltax operations at New Haw were finally stopped, with all operations transferred to TGM's Heathrow depot.
In February 2010 the Haverhill operations of Burton's Coaches, together with the name, were sold to Yellow Star Travel Services which was formed by the management for this purpose. The National Express services had been earlier transferred to the Stansted depot of Excel Passenger Logistics. Burton's ceased operating in May 2011.
In February Tellings-Golden Miller was placed under the control of Arriva UK Bus with Steve Telling (Managing Director) reporting directly to Mike Cooper (Managing Director of Arriva UK Bus).
In August 2010, TGM Group took over the Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
services from Harlow garage, with a Network Harlow identity for the local routes (similar to Network Colchester).
Subsidiaries
- Classic Coaches
- Excel Passenger Logistics
- Excel Gatwick
- Flight Delay Services
- Link Line Coaches
- Network ColchesterNetwork ColchesterNetwork Colchester is a Tellings-Golden Miller bus operating company. TGM have upgraded the fleet, and it is no longer the second from bottom bus company, profit wise...
- Network Harlow
- OFJ Connections
- Tellings Golden Miller Coaches
Portsmouth fleet
Tellings Golden Miller no longer have a Portsmouth Depot (as of 11 January 2009), with all National ExpressNational Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
operations being transferred to Lucketts Travel
Lucketts Travel
Lucketts Travel is a small coach hire and excursion company based in Fareham, Hampshire, employing 70 people with a turnover in 2007 of £4.5m.The main vehicle type is the Scania Irizar coach, in either 49 executive or 53 standard seat configuration...
, and the Hoverbus being transferred to Stagecoach South
Stagecoach South
Stagecoach South is an operating division of the Stagecoach UK Bus. The headquarters of the division are situated in Chichester, England.It is branded as three sub-divisions; namely, Stagecoach in Hampshire, Stagecoach Hants & Surrey, and Stagecoach in the South Downs. The legal titles are;...
, from the Portsmouth (Farlington) depot.
All vehicles have been transferred to TGM's other bases.