THE BLACKPOOL COACH SEASON OPENS.
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One and Two-day Tours a Strong Feature of This Year's Arrangements.
GREAT as is the volume of motor coach and motorbus traffic to, from and in Blackpool, it is a fact worthy of note that there are really only two weeksin the whole year when the local population indulges in the pleasure of motor coaching—the last week in May
and the first week in October, periods which have Come to be regarded by tradition and usage as tradesmen's holiday weeks. During the intervening months Blackpool is busy attracting and entertaining the holiday crowds which are brought into the town in increasing
numbers by motor coaches belonging to outside proprietors, whose services, in many instances, are organized on such a basis of regularity as to make 131ackpool an almost daily-service run from any part of Lancashire. Fares have been consistently kept at a very low level and, despite the allurements Of competitive railway fares, it is beyond dispute that the cheapest system of travel available is that offered by the road transport companies.
No fewer than 25 Blackpool motor coach owners Made special arrangements for " covering " the Blackpool tradesmen's holiday, and in making a survey of their respective programmes, the most obvious impression is the unusually heavy concentration of interest Lon the one-day and two-day tours.
In seasons gone by a much greater number of owners endeavoured to exploit the possibilities of extended tours over Periods of three to ten days, for the reason that a coach booked up by a party for a week's travel brought in seven days' revenue, whereas had it been reserved for day tours, bookings would have been subject to variable factors, such as the weather and numerous come petitive local circumstances, including indoor entertainments, day railway excursions and tours arranged by other motor coach owners.
From inquiry it would seem that, due to the number of owners who have sought to participate in the fruits of extended touring, the available amount of traffic has been so divided amongst the operating vehicles as to make economic running more difficult without conferring any better service on the public. As a matter of fact, when barely minimum loads have been booked owners have preferred, rather than turn away custom, te) make the journey even though it has involved a loss.
For this season's tradesmen's holiday the Blackpool owners have concentrated largely on day tours to all the popular centres within 80 mites or so of Blackpool, including Harrogate, Buxton, Chester, Ilkley, Llangollen, the Lake District, Peak District, Scarborough, etc. Fares are quoted with more reserve than in previous seasons, and one is happy to note that there is rather less indication of irresponsibly low rates than for Many months past.
In addition to the special daily tours Unmerous owners are devoting theme main attention to daily service trips to places like Manchester and Liverpool. with hi-weekly and tri-weekly services to certain of the Lancashire and Yorkshire towns. The return fare for the journey of over 90 miles to Liverpool and Manchester is between 3s. and 4s. 6d.
Long-distance tours for two days and over are now generally undertaken by all-weather coaches running on pneumatic tyres. Good value is unquestionably offered. To enjoy a holiday by road, inclusive of hotel accommodation, late dinner, bed and breakfast at the all-in cost of £1 per day is surely a challenge to any other form of sightseeing holiday. Messrs. G. Whittaker and Sons despatched their latest allweather Albion saloon on a tour to Leamington, Warwick and Stratford-onAvon at a return inclusive fare of £2 (or 25s. for the journey only). Another luxury coach, that operated by Messrs. Elaworth's, undertook a 300-mile two-day tour ef North Wales for the fare of two guineas (including hotels and meals). Messrs. Salisbury and Sons booked a coach for a similar journey at £1 17s. 6d. per passenger.
Wm. Marshall and Son, Blackpool, Ltd., which operates a fleet of Maudslay coaches, specializes -in extended tours, and last week (from May 22) the company sent vehicles on the following tours: (1) two days to Scarborough, two guineas ; (2) 10 days to Devonshire, Cornwall and Land's End, 12 guineas; (3) six days to Scotland, £7 10s. ; and (4) five days to Wye Valley and Wales, £6 10s. The fares in each ease were inclusive of meals and accommodation at first-class hotels. This company has arranged a compre hensive programme of extended summer tours to Londem and the South Coast, the Wye Valley and Wake, Devon and Cornwall and Scotland.
S. and J. Wood, Ltd., in addition to a big series of day tours, undertook two three-day ,journeys: (1) to North Wales, for £3; and (2) to Scarborough, etc., for 13 3s. There are very few towns in the country that can offer so early in the year such a comprehensive programme of road tours as that which represents-the collective effort of Blackpool coach owners.
On Saturday, Tune 4th, Mr. D. Roberts (Empire De Luxe Motor Tours) will be inaugurating a regular Saturday service between Blackpool and Staflord, Wolverhampton and Birmingham, the fare being 12s, 6d. for the single journey.