LANCASHIRE TO LONDON TOURS POPULAR.
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Considerable Patronage Extended to Coaches Running to the Metropolis mainly for the Exhibition at Wembley,
MHIS IS the season of the year when many motor coach owners, having drawn the cream, so far as they are able, from the day-to-day single-seat bookings, are now concentrating their attention on a short season of extended tours. From all accounts, it has been much easier this season to make arrangements for hotel accommodation than in previous seasons, but the only fly in the ointment is that there has not been the same readiness to book for motor 'coaching holidays as has been noticeable in the past.
It ' is generally surmised that the Wembley Exhibition has caused the diversion of a considerable amount of traffic, and some motor coach owners in South-West Lancashire—chiefly Manchester, Liverpool and Blackpool—have organized regular trips to London, combining a sight-seeing tour of the Midlands and South Coast with a stay in
London. Apart from this factor, however, the general tendency has been for the public to select shorter tours than they did last year One reason may be that motor coaching has shed some of its novelty. Another may be that passengers have been compelled to concentrate their holidays within a shorter period due to the lack of spending power, which, of course, incidentally reflects the effect of competition from the railway com panies. Nevertheless, it is believed that the long-distance sight-seeing tour is a firmly established institution, and that there will always be, at certain seasons of the year, a large clientele, who, when the weather is anything like favourable, will be ready to take to the road for a tour which may run to ten days or a fortnight.
The New Brighton Motor Coach Co., during July, August and September,
have been sending coaches twice a -week to London. To maintain a service of this description with continuity is, indeed, commendable enterprise. Every Monday and Thursday vehicles leave New Brighton for London for periods of one week. The fare of eight guineas covers the return journey, meals and full hotel accommodation for the period. The journey to London occupies two days outward and two days home, and thus three days are allowed for sight
seeing in the Metropolis. The New Brighton Motor Coach Co. arrange with other coach owners—such as the Collingwood Transport Co., of Liverpool— for the booking of passengers, and thus the whole of the Merseyside district is efficiently tapped to feed this service.
Messrs. Alfred Harding, of Wallasey, arranged three picnics for the month of September, these being intended to appeal to residents, visitors and the secretaries of organizations in the district. Each of these tours, which started on Wednesdays, era-raced an itinerary t ouching Bettws-y-Coed, Swallow Falls, Capel Curig, the Vale of Conway and Llandudno. Each of these picnics included a 135-mile tour, Lot dinner at Bettivs-y-Coed, high tea at. Llandudno and cigarettes and choco)ates for passengers en route. The fare bf 16s. 9d. is admittedly cheap.
During the remainder of this month and during •October the Blackpool coach owners will fully exploit the demand for extended tours. Messrs. W. Marshall and Sons, of South Shore, who have Mendslay machines equipped with pneumatic tyres, arranged to run during this month one five-day tour, one eight-day tour and one seven-day tour. Between now and October 20th Messrs. Marshall and Sons have scheduled six additional long-distance tours, all of which include a visit to London. Messrs. Marshall and Sons are specialists in the organization of long-distance tours.
Mr. John H. Hodge, of Blackpool, is another of those owners who passes over local tours, and who is occupied during the busy season of the year— from Whitsuntide until autumn—in running extended tours. Each Monday parties are conveyed by saloon coach to London. These tours will be continued until October 20th, and the fare of-27 for the week includes the return journey to London, late dinner, bed and break
fast each day, the use of the coach for travelling to and from the Exhibition at Wembley on two days and for viewing the sights of London.
Mr. Hodge's programme of longdistance tours for this month has also included three additional tours to London, Bournemouth and Windsor, allowing for three nights in London and two in Bournemouth, for an inclusive charge of eight guineas. On September 15th one of his coaches set out on a 12-day journey of Devon and Cornwall and the South Coast. This tour is charged at 15 guineas. Every Sunday until October 12th Alfred Whiteside is running an eightday tour to Wembley, the first day being spent at Warwick, the second at London, third and fourth with drives to Wembley, fifth day free, sixth day Worcester, seventh day Llangollen. eighth day home. This owner, for the inclusive fare of 29, offers free admisa sion to the Exhibition and guide books. Several other Blackpool owners are organizing similar excursions.
It is noticeable that lesser attention has been paid this season to tours of two, three and four days' duration, although these may receive their share of attention before the season closes. Meanwhile, however, the absorbing topic of interest seems to be the British Empire Exhibition. As we have said, fewer complaints have been heard from motor coach owners this year of the difficulty of making arrangements with hotel proprietors for accommodation for motor coach passengers. No doubt the reason is that considerable traffic has been diverted to London, and this has left more accommodation open for road travellers. Some hotel proprietors have this season shown a readier disposition to meet the wants of party organizers.