Kimes Buses

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Kimes Buses was a bus company based in Folkingham, Lincolnshire, England. It started in 1946 when founder Richard Kime bought a small bus business in Folkingham. The company ran routes to nearby towns such as Sleaford, Bourne, Spalding, Boston and Grantham, and later served RAF Folkingham. It also operated holiday coach trips and was sometimes known as Kimes Coaches.

Between 1949 and 1956, Kimes extended its services to RAF Folkingham. It also inherited a stage carriage licence from Holme Delight of Donington. By 1970 the company had a garage north of Sleaford Road, and by 1988 its fleet grew to 27 vehicles, including several double-deckers. The fleet mostly used Leyland Olympian buses, and the business was known for its holiday tours.

In January 1997 the business was sold and became a workers’ co‑operative, with Paul Brown as manager. In December 2009 ice and bad weather led to cancellations in parts of southern Lincolnshire. After Paul Brown died in 2011, Kimes Buses was sold to Centrebus. At that time it operated about 23 buses and ran services to Oakham and Peterborough.

The Folkingham depot closed at the end of August 2013, with most staff moving to new sites and Centrebus taking over the routes. Kimes Buses effectively ceased operations, and its routes were absorbed by Centrebus.