Continental "Coach Camptng" Grant •
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Despite Strong Objections ANEW type of holiday for young people, embracing travel by coach from this country and camping under canvas on the Continent, is to be launched by a 'Devon operator during the coming summer. The coaches will take their own tents with them for the .purpose of camping en route to holiday sites in France, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria. They will also look after their own commissariat, serving English-style breakfast& to their. patrons.
The people behind the venture are Mr. and Mrs. G. S. Carnal! and Mr. W. Gard, of. Aylebeare, Exeter, who were granted a licence to operate the service by the Western Traffic Commissioners at Exeter .Jast week, despite formidable opposition by a number of well-known operators, including Devon General Omnibus Co. and Wallace Arnold Tours a.nd Fry's Continental Coaches.
It is proposed to operate two 35-seater coaches: a courier will travel with them.
For the applicants, Mr. T. I/ Corpe said these specially designed coach-camping holidays were intended to attract parties of school children, youth clubs, scouts and similar bodies, and he produced letters from schoolmasters and others in support. He submitted that as hotels were not included there could be no serious objection except in the matter of picking-up points and also on account of the disparity of the proposed charges.
Limited Pick-ups
After a short adjournment he announced that his clients had agreed to limit picking-up points to Exeter, Taunton and Folkestone: the prices of the tours as published would also be brought into line with those of similar tours including hotel accommodation, operated by other companies.
Answering Mr. Samuel-Gibbon, for a number of objectors, Mr. Carnall said he had had considerable experience of operating tours in this country. Witness declined to say who was putting up the money for the venture. It was true that one of the coaches he proposed to usewas 11 years old, but the other would be new. He agreed there would be heavy • B30 overheads and said he had taken these into account.
Mr. Gard, the other partner, pointed out that camping was much cheaper than hotels. For, instance they would pay 1.s. 6th a night for each passenger at the Folkestone or Dover camp before crossing the Channel against possibly £2 for hotel accommodation.
"Unworkable," Says Counsel Mr. Samuel-Gibbon submitted that the proposal had not been given proper consideration.. In his opinion it was unworkable and might even be dangerous. No one knew how things were going to be managed on the Continent, and he thought the Commissioners should exercise their jurisdiction in this respect.
The chairman, Mr. S. W. Nelson, said: "We have no jurisdiction over what happens on the Continent."
They had no hesitation whatever in granting the licence. They welcomed very much anyone who offered to provide a holiday service abroad for young people which had an educative value. They were also concerned to safegtiard the interests of other 'operators; but they were perfectly free to come forward and make a similar application. The present application would be granted on the understanding that all accommodation on the Continent would be in camps.
T.R.T.A. MEETING ON COSTS
A MEETING devoted to the subject .1-1. of vehicle costs is being arranged by the Thames Valley Area of the Traders Road Transport Association, at the Catherine Wheel Hotel, Henly-onThames, on January 29 at 7.30 p.m.
"Fiddlers Three
'THREE men who, between them, said to have worked a hat "fiddle," were each gaoled for months at Monmouthshire . Qu Sessions last week.
They were William -Thomas Sar 35, haulage • contractor of Bryn Farm, Tredegar, who admitted offences of stealing a form of slag duced at. The Ebbw Vale work! RichardThomas and Baldwins, Trevor Davies, 29,. lorry. driver. Treeenyeld, Caerphilly, who,. admitt joint charge of conspiring to defraut owners .of the slag, In-Situ Concrete Ltd.; and Ronald Walter Robert Re 25, haulage contractor, 'who with Da admitted conspiring to. 'defraud th( Situ' Company,. 10 charges of obta money by 'false pretences and one cl of attempting to obtain money by pretences.
A fourth man, Richard Samuel lorry driver of Park Hill, Tre( admitted a joint charge of eters false pretences. He was fined £2: three months' imprisonment, with costs.
Mr. R. C. Hutton, prosecuting, sai men were under contract to the In company to carry the slag to Readin a sewerage scheme. Davies was stati at Reading and part of his job w: check the conveyance notes of the drivers. There was gross lack of s. vision at either end by the company, Mr. Hutton, Lorry drivers would up the slag at Richard Thomas Baldwins, where the loads were sup/ to be checked. But on many occa 'the drivers would tell the checker: weights and receive the conve! notes. The notes would then be ha in at Reading without the weights checked.
"The men worked a fiddle, an getting extra conveyance notes were double for the loads by the comp. said Mr. Hutton.
Discovery came when a forema Reading accidentally 'opened a lett Davies in which 30s. was enclosed.