COACHING TO THE RACES.
Page 24
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
How Coach Owners Catered for the Public on the Occasion of the Grand National.
MOTOR coaeh owners generally will welcome the return of the flat racing season which commenced last week, for does it not provide them with engagements for which they haye long been waiting?
On Friday, when the Grand National was run, coaches stationed within easy range of the Aintree Racecourse had their preliminary canter, and at so fashionable a racing event, it was only appropriate that fashionable means of iravel should he resorted to.
Despite the fact that his Majesty was not. in his accustomed place on the brand Stand at the Aintree Racecourse; the public enclosures were a seething mass of humanity. • The motor coach has now achieved a definite status for covering racing fixtures;._ for by being enabled to use the carriage enclosure on the course, passengers can retain their seats, so that when the great gallon commences they can • view the proceedings from a decidedly useful coign of vantage.
Not all of the many scores of coaches that made Aintree. their destination on Frida.Y drove straight into the carriage eneloanre. . Dozens of them, .especially those from distant towns, garaged with.in easy range of the course., leaving their passengers free to choose their ciivn places from which to view the races. From early morning until close upon the starting_ times, Liverpool was besieged.by endless processions of coaches, coming from north, south, east and west. • • Many coach owners from Cheshire and the south, after their experiences of the cross-river ferries last year, when there was a regular traffic in purchasing near positions in the qnetie
• for the Birkenhead and Wallasey-Liverpool luggage steamer, took no risks, and crossed the River Mersey by means of Runcorn Bridge.
A few coach owners included in their chargo for conveyance to the course the cost of the dinner and tea, and one firm, running vehicles from the Pier Head, Liverpool, were paid a guinea andi a half tor the day's outing, meals, of course, included. Most proprietors,. however, left catering alone.
The coach fares to'the races are par ticularly interesting on analysis. 'The distance hem the Pier Head, Liverpool, is about four miles each way. Liverpool owners charged 15s. per passenger for single seat bookings and 12s. 6d. per passenger for private parties of 28, including admission to the course. This was the general rate, but one firm lowered the price to 14s. From the Warrington district, about 20 miles away, the fare was 12s. 6d., passengers travelling on a special saloon coach: Passengers from Southport, 16 miles each way, were required to pay 15s. The fares from Blackpool were outstandingly low. One firm ran their coaches for a return fare of 6s. to the races, the total mile. age being about 90!
'Liverpool Motor Coach Rates:
The Liverpool and District Motor Coach Owners have been giving further attention to the important matter of the season's rates, and, instead of the fiat rate, it has DOW been decided that the
new rates shalt be as follow ' 213-Seaters.10. per mile for first 40 miles of any journey, and lid. per mile for the remainder.
14-18-Seaters.-2d. per mile for first 60 miles of any. journey, and 10: per mile for the remainder: Single Bookings.—lid. per mile for the whole of the journey.
At the last -meeting of the Liverpool District, Cheshire, and. North Wales Motor Char-h-bancs Owners' Association (Liverpool Area Committee), it was reported that motor coach owners in the St. Helens district had stated their intention of joining together with the view of becoming affiliated with the Liverpool Association.
Mr. G. Roberts, of Messrs. Avery and Roberts, is to be chairman or the Liverpool Area Committee for the ensuing year, the vice-chairman being Mr. H. Kingham (New Brighton Motor Coach Co.).