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Sorting Out Some Coach Business
Page 58
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BY 'THE HAWK'
SOME strange rumours about Bloomfield's and World Wide Coaches Ltd. have been going round the London coaching world lately-rumours which I'm happy to help in scotching by setting the record straight. The real situation is hardly a mystery, so I'm surprised at the rumours ever starting.
About 18 months ago Bloomfield's private-hire coach business became the physical basis of World Wide Coaches, a new concern formed with financial backing from the Wakefield Fortune organization. Mr, G. Fortune is on the World Wide board, as is Mr. R. C. Bloomfield, and Bloomfield's Cars (London) Ltd. has a half share in the company. And although Mr. Bloomfield's Camberwell company is now devoted to self-drive car hire and to the normal motor trade activities of a service station and garage, Bloomfield's Cars also looks after the actual servicing and running of the coaches on behalf of World Wide.
The confusion may have arisen because people have probably noticed that Mr. Bernard Wallis, who until last autumn was World Wide's general manager, is now managing director of Sapphire International Touring Ltd., another expanding London-based coach concern doing charter and private-hire work and holding agencies for home and overseas travel But this is quite a separate company, established a few months ago with (1 am told) major backing from Capital Finance, As recorded elsewhere on this page, Sapphire has just bought J.M. Coaches Ltd., Of Holloway.
I'm interested to see that both Sapphire and World Wide are going at out for the luxury market, with low-density seating, in a way which may set a pattern for licensed excursions and tours operators to follow.
J.M. Coaches Bought : Sapphire International Touring Ltd., Mandeville Place, London, W.1, has bought the 12-coach business of J.M. Coaches Ltd. Holloway, London, N,7. J.M. will operate as a separate concern, but bookings for J.M. and Sapphire coaches will be handled through Sapphire. Mr. J. C. Harris and Mr. Bernard Wallis, chairman and managing director, respectively, of Sapphire, are taking the same positions on the J.M. board.
(More passenger news, p. 40