SEEING BRITAIN BY MOTOR CHAR-A-BANCS.
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A Comprehensive Range of Tours Organized by a London Carrying-company.
IN MANY PARTS of the country, particularly in those places on or near thecoast, the motor char-a-bancs has become to the inhabitants almost what the motor omnibus is to the general public in London and in other places where motor omnibus services are run. The char-a-bancs has also been used to a very great extent for touring, and such has been the success gained in this direction: that more and more concerns are taking up the running of motor tours. We can imagine no more delightful holidays for persons with moderate means than those afforded by char-a-bancs tours, providing that they are well crrganized and that the -passengers are put to no trouble whatsoever as regards hotel accommodation, etc.
With commendable enterprise and under the capable management of Mr. James, Pickfords, Ltd.' have started a far-reaching system of char-a-bancs tours. Pickfords, Ltd., arp well known as carriers of goods, but this carrying of human freights is a fresh development, and one which appears to have been organized with the same thoroughness as their other classes. of work.
The map, which we reproduce, will give our readers a good idea of the comprehensive nature of the tours. It will -be seen that they embrace 'the most beautiful parts of England and 1,1, ales. Next year they will be extended to cover a large part of Scotland.
The charges are very moderate and include hotel accommodation, all meals, and even tips, and—where these form a portion of the tours—railway and steamer tickets. . .
At present the number of separate and complete
tours is seven. One, for instance, being to the socalled "Garden of England," comprising Middlesex, Surrey, Hants, Isle of Wight, Sussex and Herts. Another is to the Shakespeare country.
. The longest trip is that to Devoriland Cornwall, which takes 72 days, with a road mileage of 725. The inclusive charge for this trip is 17 guineas. The vehicles used on these tours are the well-known Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric chassis, fitted with bodies by the Regent Carriage Co., Ltd., Birch Bros., and Tilling-Stevens, Ltd. They are built to accommodate 29 passengers, bUt the maximum number permitted by the company, in order to ensure comfort, is 22. The distance between each seat is 3 ft. 3 ins.,
which gives ample room for stretching the legs riglit out and avoiding acramped position.
Each passenger is allowed to carry not more than 20 lb. of luggage. A boot under the .body is pro vided for this, and also a special running board, but there is so much leg room that it has been found that many passengers prefer to carry their luggage in the char-k-bancs
To give an example of what the vehicles are capable° of doing, one recently climbed the steep hill out of Lynmoutli to Countisbury, which averages 1 in 5 over its length and is 1 in 3 in places, and this is combined
with a loose surface. The petrol-electric vehicles climb this quite easily with eight passengers. As regards braking powers, they frequently run down the famous Porlock Hill. At first the passengers preferred to walk down such hills as this, but later they gained confidence and would never descend from the vehicles.
An opportunity for designers presents itself in connection with the vehicles which Pickfords, Ltd., intend to run next year.They desire something in the shape of a 2-ton chassis fitted with a 40 h.p. engine, so that hill-climbing can be done at a rather greater speed than is attained at present.
As 'example of special work done by char-h.-hems, Bickfords, Ltd., have been running weekly tours to
Shakespeare's country, Windsor, etc., with officers of the American Army ; and a short. time ago the members of the National Association of Master Bakers and Confectioners, comprising 240 persons, were run from London to a. conference at Eastbourno in eight 'chars-h.-banes of the Tilling-Stevens make, which in addition were used by the Association during the whole of one week for trips in the Eastbourne &strict. Any sections a the tours which, when combined, form a complete tour, can be arranged for, and all inquiries both as regards the tours themselves and any alterations like the aforementioned should be addressed to Pickfords; Ltd., 206, High Holborn, W.C.