A little bit about who we are...

Our history

The beginnings of the current Company of L T Baynham Limited can be traced back to the end of world war two, when, after returning from service in North Africa, Terry Baynham went to work for his father, Lewis, in the family Taxi firm. Terry spent a number of years building a client base and regularly took Herefordians down to London in all weathers long before motorways and car heaters were invented. In 1963 Terry and his wife May acquired the newly built West Hereford Station on Whitecross Road and began to retail petrol as well as continuing to provide taxis.

After some years of struggle the tide turned in 1970 when they were asked to become local agents for Temeside Vehicle Rental, a new and very forward looking company from Ludlow. They quickly became the number one vehicle rental business in Hereford and stayed that way until 1988 when Temeside was sold. Terry died in 1982 and his son, Grant, the current Chairman, together with May carried on the business forming a limited company in 1983. Then in 1988 the decision was taken to form their own rental company and L T Baynham Self Drive Hire was formed.

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L T Baynham today

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To this day the Company is still based at West Hereford Service Station on Whitecross Road, and the current Board of Directors consist of Grant Baynham , Steve Cleaton our MD and David Rees our Company Secretary. Both Steve and Dave have learnt the business from the bottom up and with the passing of Mrs May Baynham in 2009, were promoted to the Board continuing the policy of whenever possible promoting from within.

As well as remaining the foremost vehicle rental firm in the area, over the years the company has also owned and operated other businesses including the Belmont Road Shell Station which then housed the area's biggest video club and Mayflowers Florist on Whitecross Road which was subject to a staff buy out on the retirement of May Baynham.

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Inspirational figures

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No account of the history of the Company can be told without reference to both Stephen Cartwright and Pip Jenkins who were both Directors of the Company and both of whom passed away while on the Board. Both of them were greatly admired by our clientele and fellow employees, and the success of the business today is in no small part due to the hard work over many years that both men put in. They are still a subject of inspiration to the current workforce and much missed.

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Our ethos and charity work

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The ethos of the Company is one of social responsibility and to this end we support the campaign to end violence against children and believe in positive action to aid the homeless in Hereford. We are proud to support the local charity The Music Pool in their efforts to provide music in the community, often in areas of Herefordian life that would otherwise get overlooked and we subscribe to the view that music can be a positive force to help those in socially challenging situations. We are long time sponsors of The Hay on Wye Festival of Literature and The Arts and we welcome back our clients from all around the world each May to this wonderful celebration which we are so proud of being part of from the beginning.