MOTOR COACHING TOURS FROM LONDON.
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Details of the Comprehensive Arrangements of the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., for the 1923 Season,
I T WAS in 1920 that the London General Omnibus Co. first announced a programme of tours by motor coach for the benefit of Londoners and visitors
to the Metropolis. The efforts of the company in the inaugural season and in the succeeding years have been rewarded with such success that for the 1923 season a much more comprehensive and elaborate list of rims is scheduled. Three years' operation of coaches on regular runs to the beauty spots of the Home Counties have offered convincing proof to the company of the popularity of motor coaching among those who find that such tours as those organized by the L.G.O. Co. provide a refreshing interlude to the cares of business life and offer easy means to visitors for obtaining a ready association with historic and other places of interest within easy access from
London. It is not difficult to appreciate the reason for the popularity of General" coach tours, for what company is better fitted to understand and meet public demands? Years of operation of motorbuses, many of them on country services, has enabled them to form aaproper idea of the public's taste in tours, and upon the experience thus gained they have acted with commendable enterprise.
The L.G.O. Co.'s tours for the present season include whole-day runs, half-day trips (from town and suburban centres), evening trips, and " Seeing London" Tours. The season for all but the evening runs opened yesterday May 14th), and to give Press representatives some indication of the manner in which the day tours are organized and Conducted a preliminary run was arranged one day last week. The tour selected for the purpose was that which figures as No. 2 on the programme of whole-day runs, and +which is styled the 69-mile river tour. The trip arranged for the general public combines a motor coach and launch trip, but that in which we participated was confined to the road, dues to the, fact that the launches had net started running. With this exception the tour corresponded with that scheduled for the season. This run embraces some of the oldworld villages on the Bath Road ant! touches some of the most beautiful spots of the River Thames. The journey was out, by way of Richmond, Colnbroolc, Slough, Stoke Poges, Farnham Royal, and Burnham, to Boulter's Lock, Maidenhead, where, in the ordinary course of events, the launch would be picked up for the journey to Windsor, where lunch is taken at the Castle Hotel at 1.30 p.m. An hour is allowed for the mid-day meal, after which the return journey lies through old Windsor, Runnymede, Staines, and Kingston, where tea, is served at 4.30 p.m on the banks of the river, after which the coach sets out for London, arriving back St. James's Park Station—from which the journey commenced at-, 10 am.— about 6.30 p.m.
• For the inaugural run of the season two coaches were employed, one being an A.E.C. chassis with L.G.O.C. coach body, incorporating the Gage hood, and the other being a. Satrer, owned by PickfOrds, Ltd., with whom, let it be said, the company work in close harmony. Fine weather favoured:the 'tour, which proved most. enjoyable, especially as Mr. G. J.. Shave, the operating manager of the company, journeyed to Windsor by Car in order to act as host to the company at luncheon. In a short and interesting speech, in which he welcomed members of the Press, Mr. Shave referred to the experiments which the L.G.O. Co. have carried out in connection with the use of pneumatic and cushion tyres on buses. He mentioned that the _,former equipment had not proved altogether satisfactory for such service, but indicated that the results from semi-resilient, or cushion, tyres had been most encouraging, andl had proved that additional riding comfort was obtainable by their use Mr. Shave commented on the 'growth of the motor coaching side-of the company's activities, and referred to the fact that, whereas there were only three tours arranged in 1920, there were more than 40 separate journeys incorporated in the 1922 programme. In spite of the
fact that weather conditions were against motor coaching last summer, approximately 10,000 passengers were carried. In dealing with ,the growth of the motor-coaching movement, Mr. Shave advocated the extended use of the 20seater vehicle, which, he added, is best suited as a type to our, roads, and on account of its size does not restrict the free passage of other road users.
In this connection it is interesting to note that the L.G.O. Co. are using three different types of vehicles for their tours, these seating 19, 23, and 28 passengers respectively. The two smallest types of coaches are fitted with comfortable armchair seats.
To refer to the 1923 tours in more detail. On the programme of whole-day trips the itineraries of eleven separate runs are given. Four of these—Hindhead (92 miles), the River Tour (69 miles), Windsor (70 miles), and the Chilterns (95 miles)—are fixed to run on definite days each week, but the others can be run on any day, providing a party of not less than 20 persons can be guar anteed. It is worthy of note at this point to mention that the regular wholeday tours, which havesihitherto cost £1 1s., are this year being run far 17s. 6d., this figure including table d'hote luncheon and afternoon tea at first-class hotels. We mustasay that on all the tours—and we have participated in most of them—the catering arrangements leave nothing to be desired, and, apart from assuring absolute comfort and convenience on the coaches themselves, the company have, with a good understanding of human weaknesses, wisely paid due regard to "the inner man."
The afternoon tours (2 p.m.-8 p.m.) listed include four regular journeys, these being Walton-on-Thames and Guildford (63 miles, thrice ; weekly), Windsor and Runnymeda (62 miles, thrice weekly), Dorking, and Newlands Corner (63 miles, four times weekly), and Hampton Court and Virginia Water (56 miles, thrice weekly). Eight other -afternoon trips are scheduled for guaranteed parties, the charge for each tour of this description being 6s. Thirteen half-day coach tours figure on the company's programme, the fare for each being 5s. These trips all start this week and continue throughout the season.
Most of the evening runs arranged by the company commence in the second week in June when the maximum amount of daylight is available, ,h.nd eleven such trips, at 3s. 6d. per head, are detailed for the coming seasan.
The remaining coaching activities of the L.G.O. Co. consist of two "Seeing London " tours, in which the itineraries have been so arranged as to reveal to passengers -the administrative and com
mercial aspects of the capital. It can certainly be said that the tours for this season will certainly possess all the advantages and attractions that an efficient organization can offer.
On all the L.G.O. Co.'s coach tours care is taken to study the comfort and convenience of passengers. All the vehicles are in charge of competent drivers, who have been selected from the Jomparty's huge staff of bus drivers. In the case of the whole-day tours a. guide is carried, whose duty it is to give to passengers terse and instructive information dealing with places passed en route. He is provided with a megaphone for the purpose. The tours, therefore, possess an educative as well as a healthgiving value.