A LARGE BUS COMPANY'S COACHING PLANS,
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New Features of the Activities of an Important North of England I
NT OW that the cloud which has for so long overshadowed north-country key industries is dispersing and better times are forecasted for the area, motor coach owners are laying themselves out to participate in the trade boom which is expected. Inquiries mad by a representative of The Commercial Motor amongst leading coaching undertakings in Northumberland, Durham and North Yorkshire indicate that two outstanding features will characterize the 1927 season in the north. One will be the development of extended tours upon much more elaborate and ambitious lines than in any previous season, and the other the provision of even better coaches than last year, which was also marked by a notable improvement in the type of vehicle used generally throughout the area.
No concern in the districts mentioned has done more to foster road travel for pleasure than the Northern General Transport Ob., Ltd., which, in addition to maintaining a vast network of regular services covering approximately 240 miles of highway on Tyneside and in the County of Durham, operates motor coach tours on an extensive scale during the somewhat curtailed north-country season. The 1927 arrangements, which have been made with a view to catering for the requirements of all classes and to suit widely divergent tastes, are a distinct advance on anything previously attempted locally.
Quite the most interesting development which this enterprising company has in mind for 1927 is the proposed inauguration of a daily coach service between Tyneside and Blackpool. It has, of course, operated tours of three and four days to Blackpool upon a fairly extensive scale in past 'years, but it has been felt that, successful as they have been, they do not cater adequately fors the large numbers of people who desire to spend their holidays at the attractive Lancashire seaside resort, and the new daily service is the outcome. With a daily service on which single-journey bookings can be made, passengers will be able to begin and end their holidays to suit their own convenience, and will not be restricted to certain dates, as is the case when they travel by an advertised extended tour over a definite period.
When the journey from Blackpool to Newcastle, or vice versa, is made by rail two changes are necessary en route, and the total time occupied is nearly six hours. The journey by road, exclusive, of course, of a luncheon halt, only occupies about an hour longer and this is more than compensated for by the vastly more attractive method of travel and the material saving in fare.
Coaches will leave Newcastle at 9 a.m. and Blackpool at 9.30 a.m. daily throughout the summer months, and luncheon calls will be made at either Sedburgh or Brougla, according to the wish of passengers. The single journey distance is in the vicinity of 120 to 130 miles, and the single fare is 30s.
The company has obtained sanction to use a terminal stand in Blackpool and passengers will be taken up and set down at the other end of the route al "Northern" motorbus stations at Gateshead and other points on its omni. bus system.
The company will continue, of course. to operate extended tours of 3, 10 and 14 days' duration over a large numbet of carefully selected routes in England; Wales and Scotland, as well aslialf-day and whole-day excursions to the most 'attractive seaside and country resorts within a radius of 50 to 60 miles of Newcastle. Passengers for these short runs will have the choice of 25 different trips, of which 11 are planned on the circular basis.
The following is a list of extended tours which the company will operate during the coming season:—
Three-day Tours:—
Keswick and Lake District (weekly). Scarborough and Bridlington. Harrogate, Valeof Eden and Keswick.
Four•day Tours :—
Berwick, Carlisle, Keswick and Alston. Five-day Tours:—
Dumfries, Ardrossan. Ayr and Stranraer (the Burns country). Gla.sgow, Loch Lomond and Loch Katrina (the Trossachs).
Seven-day Tours:—
West of Scotland: Edinburgh, Trossachs, Loch Awe, Oban, Staffs, Iona and Loch Lomond.
East of Scotland: Perth, Aberdeen, Inverness, Forest of Athol' and Pltiochry.
North Wales: Southrport, Chester, North Coast, Snowdonia, %mouth, Aberystwyth, Bala and Dee Valley.
Eight-day Tour:—
9hsioaspeare country, Wye and Severn Valleys.
Ten-day Tour—
English cathedrals tour.
Fourteen-day Tour:— Wales and England.
At least three of these tours cater for special classes of passenger. The eightday tour to the Shakespeare count* is introduced ,to appeal with special force to the literary inclined and it should prove extremely popular. The itinerary of the tour has been planned to give a maximum amount of time in the neighbourhood of Stratford-on-Avon.
Similarly, the ten-day English cathedrals' tour offers a regular feast to those keenly interested in ecclesiastical architecture. During the ten days patrons are given an opportunity of seeing almost every cathedral, historic church and ancient abbey in the country, and in addition have the benefit of a tour' the country covering about 900
miles.
The fourteen-day tour, which provides a veritable holiday by road to some of the most charming parts of both England and Wales, is already being booked up at a steady rate and is likely to prove a popular feature of the 1927 programme. The total mileage is about 1,300 and the route includes the Lake District, Torquay and London, a day being spent in the last-named and a visit made to one of the principal theatres.
Durind the past year -or two the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., has been engaged in replacing older types of machine by luxuriously appointed S.O.S. units for regular service work. The development is also being extended to the pleasure-travel side of
the business, and for the coming season six 32-seaters of this type are to be operated, in addition to eight 28-seater Daimler coaches, bringing the fleet up to 14 machines. The company finds that there is still a distinct preference for large-capacity coaches in its area, and this factor has governed the constitution of the present fleet. All units are equipped with pneumatics.
The company pays the greatest attention to details which are likely to increase the pleasthe of patrons of its many coach tours, and, as a means to that end, it is this year instituting a feature which should prove of benefit both to its clients and to the drivers. The management has provided a useful driver's library composed of guide books and literature of places included in its many extended tours. Drivers are thereby in a position to study thoroughly before the journey both the route and places of special interest along the road and in the towns passed, and are able to pass on the information to passengers and to add to the interest of the tour. The drivers themselves are already deeply interested in this excellent scheme.