A Fleet History of G Readings, Charlton Kings Black & White Motorways Ltd, Cheltenham

Black & White was the product of the vision of a single entrepreneur who identified the need for a network of quality long-distance coach services. George Readings realised that Cheltenham was an ideal centre for implementing his dream. While the first service linked the spa town with London, within just four years Readings was operating forty coaches and looking for a site for an interchange facility. With his determination only to operate good quality coaching stock, he quickly reached the point where he required more capital than he was able to raise. Others in the industry were ready to pounce, and Black and White was quickly snapped up by a consortium led by Midland Red. Black & White was however to retain its identity for a further 40 years; it was instrumental in the creation of Associated Motorways and the two names were widely acknowledged as THE way to travel. This review takes the reader on a journey through the rise of the company and explains why political intervention led to its demise.