National Express celebrates nearly 100 years of Dimmock drivers
NXWM bus driver Mike Dimmock (Credit: Express & Star)
Starting in the 1920s, the Dimmock family has followed in each other’s footsteps by driving National Express buses - for nearly 100 years.
51-year-old Michael Dimmock is keeping up his family tradition by becoming the third generation of Dimmock drivers.
Mike, from Stourbridge, has been a bus driver with National Express West Midlands for the last three and a half years, having retired from the police force after 21 years’ service.
As well as driving the number 6 bus between Stourbridge and Dudley and the 9 to Birmingham, he is also a buddy driver and helps new drivers learn the routes and settle in.
Mike was recently looking through family memorabilia when he found photographs of his father and his grandfather in their transport heyday.
Mike said: “It’s been so interesting looking through the old photos of my dad and granddad through all their years with National Express.
“There are still a few people in the business now who remember my dad - but I’d love to hear from anybody else locally or anybody in the bus industry who remembers him or my grandfather.”
Mike’s father, Robert ‘Bob’ Dimmock, served 45 years with the same company (formerly known as West Midlands Travel and prior to that WMPTE).
Mike's father, Robert 'Bob' Dimmock (back row - third from left) with his colleagues
He started his long career as a bus driver before becoming Operating Manager at the company’s former Quinton depot, and then on to Area Manager.
His grandfather, John ‘Jack’ Dimmock, was also driving buses in the 1920s and 1930s when the company was known as Midland Red.
And National Express has also helped a fourth generation of the Dimmock family.
Mike’s daughter Alice lives in Sweden and she recently got in touch to tell her dad that she was arranging a trip back home. Mike had only briefly seen Alice once in the last 14 years but National Express was able to support Mike with rearranging his shifts so that he could be reunited with his daughter.
Mike added: “My daughter Alice and I hadn’t seen each other properly for 14 years - she’d never visited my home but she wanted to come over to the UK and spend some time here.
"Everything went wonderfully when we were reunited and that’s in part thanks to National Express. They’re also looking into whether we can name a bus after Alice next time she visits which I think is wonderful.”