Wilfreda Beehive[1] is a bus and coach operator based in Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster.

Wilfreda Beehive
Beulas Cygnus bodied MAN 18.400 in Sheffield in March 2012
ParentScholey family
Founded1949
HeadquartersAdwick-le-Street
Service typeBus & coach services
Depots1
Fleet40 (October 2013)
Chief executiveSue Scholey
Websitewww.wilfreda.co.uk
www.eagre.co.uk/

History

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Scania OmniExpress 3.60 in July 2012

Wilfreda Luxury Coaches was formed in 1949 by Bill and Marie Scholey. They took the name from a coach they bought from Wilfred Graham, a taxi operator in Doncaster who named his daughter Wilfreda and then named a coach after her.[2]

At first, the company operated coach services from a depot at Ranskill, near Bawtry. In 1987 it acquired the Adwick-le-Street business of E.A. Hart trading as Beehive Services, becoming Wilfreda Beehive, growing its fleet from nine to 23 coaches.[3] Between 1993 and 1998 it operated many bus services, but sold them and its service buses to Mainline Group just before the latter was absorbed by First South Yorkshire in 1998.

In 2001 Wilfreda began operating service buses again. It operates a mixed fleet ranging from modern high quality coaches to old double-deckers. Many of its routes are school services or South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive contracts, a large number of which have been won from other operators in recent years. However, it more recently has restarted operating competitive commercial services, such as the 52. In 2006, the company took over Eagre Coaches, Gainsborough[4] which runs many coach tours and holidays.

In 2012 the company stopped all bus services

As of 2023, the company remains in family ownership, managed by the founders' grandson Peter Scholey.[2]

Fleet

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As at October 2013 the fleet consisted of 40 buses and coaches.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Companies House extract company no 474455 Wilfred Luxury Coaches Limited
  2. ^ a b "Memories from 70 years of Wilfreda Beehive coach travel". Yorkshire Post. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  3. ^ Lidstone, John G. (16 March 2017). "Fleet in Focus: Wilfreda Beehive". Buses Magazine. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  4. ^ Companies House extract company no 4397361 Eagre Coaches Limited
  5. ^ Wilfreda Beehive Sheffield Omnibus Enthusiasts Society 11 October 2013
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