Attracting Summer Tours Business
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Situated on a main City street, the Oxford Road office has doublefronted windows with attractive publicity material on display, a spacious circulating area, and general offices which present an atmosphere designed to make the would-be holidaymaker :temporarily forget the normal Manchester outside. Immediately behind the counter . is a charting room.
Happiway and Spencer's have been operators of tours for many years, but became linked only as recently as the autumn of 1957. .During the past season the two companies' vehicles covered approximately 500,000 miles on extended tours. During the main holiday months, 42 coaches are operated on such journeys, additional vehicles, which are carefully chosen, being hired from local operators at peak periods. Spencer's were founded in Bury in 1919 by the late Mr. Stanley Spencer, and Happiways were set up in 1921 by Mr. James H. Robinson in Oldham.
Mr. A. C. Bond, tours manager, attributes success in this field to the provision of holidays at reasonable prices, offering customers accommodation at comfortable hotels and travel by picturesque routes. The best use of top-class vehicles is ensured by the employment of selected driver-couriers, and every endeavour is made to give attention to detail.
Happiway have concentrated on Continental journeys and tours with Sunday departures. Their eight-day holidays are highly popular. The season extends from Easter to October. Tours vary in duration from four to 14 days, except for Continental journeys which may last as much as three weeks. Resorts most, favoured by the northern publicare on the South Coast, such as Torquay and Bournemouth, but Scottish tours are always sure of good support.
As the vehicles are away from their base almost constantly during the summer, the Bedford voucher maintenance system is employed to afford servicing at every 1,000 miles. When coaches turn round at the base they are there for 24 hours. Staff and equipment are always at the depot for inspection purposes. During the non-touring season the fleet is employed on private contract work.