Fantail Tour Granted : Shortage of Hotel Accommodation
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THE railways and Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., last week objected unsuccessfully before the Northern Licensing Authority to an application by the Grange Motor and Cycle Co., Ltd., Grange-over-Sands, for a variation of their mid-Wales tour introduced last year.
Mr. R. E. Blackhurst, chairman of Grange Motor and Cycle Co., said that last July they ran into booking difficulties when making arrangements for their six-day tour, which took 372 people on 20 journeys last summer. Three nights were spent at Aberystwyth and two at Monmouth.
Finally, the only accommodation available was at Llandrindod Wells, which would have to be the centre for five nights, using local operators for some of the tours there. They had to build their tour round the accommodation that could be obtained.
There was no competition with Ribble or the railways because of the location of Llandrindod Wells, he said. Ribble had suggested substitution of the present proposals for an existing London and Kent tour, which was being " rested " this year, but the company were not agreeable.
Express Service Mr. Blackhurst agreed with Mr. J. L. R. Croft, for the railways, that, in effect, the proposals would make an express service.
Questioned by the Ribble spokesman, Mr. Blackhurst agreed that it had been laid down in the early days of licensing that a fantail tour was undesirable because of its competitive element with existing road express and rail services, and that no new fantail tour had been granted in the Northern, North-Western or Yorkshire areas for many years without a substitution being offered.
He maintained that it was a fantail tour application, and when substitution of the London tour was suggested, the chairman, Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, said, "But he would lose one that way."
Ribble said that all operators were experiencing difficulty in getting book
ings at hotels for two or three nights, as hotel proprietors preferred the seven-day booking.
The tour itself would not be serious competition to Ribble, but, once on the licence, it could be changed to a completely different direct tour, so that it became a "marketable asset" in the fantail tour market.
Opposite Cycles
Mr. Hanlon commented that if operators were to continue their existing form of two-place tours, the time must come when they would have to spend the first half of the week at one place and the second half at another, and have a reverse tour at the same time using the accommodation for the other half of the week, so that full-week hotel bookings could be made. Alternatively, another operator could cooperate with a reverse tour.
The Authority would not accept that difficulty as a precedent, he added.
Mr. Croft said the railways' principal aim in objecting had been to see that a precedent was not established.
Mr. Blackhurst said his company's licence expired at the end of the year, so that a grant could apply only to 1956. It was the first time they had applied for a tour of that nature in their 25 years' operation.
Mr. Hanlon said the Authority considered it reasonable to grant the application, but for one year only, and subject to the applicants undertaking not to operate their London—Kent tour. Their licence next year would. be as at.
present, including the original Aberystwyth—Monmouth tour, and if similar circumstances again arose, applicants would have to produce substantial evidence that the hotel 'difficulties were insurmountable.
There was no objection to the company's application for an additional tour to Wastwater. Giving permission, Mr. Hanlon said: "We are doubtful about granting additional services over unclassified roads. It is a beautiful part of the country. But only a 14-seater can be used."