On the Coaches Part 2

On the Coaches. Part 2

Firstly, May I wish you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR.
A year full of Love Peace and excellent writing by all of you,
My first year on here has been a real eye opener and I have the lovely Linda Wigzell Cress to thank for getting me into ABCtales.

I guess it’s back to the Coaches again.
We’ve had a couple of days off. Oh lucky us! Especially as the boss wanted us to consider working on Christmas breaks. ‘You must be jokin’ says I. You don’t want us to have holidays in the summer as we are so busy, now you want us work Christmas as well. You’ve got no chance. I suggested he went and told my missus that as I hadn’t seen much of the kids during the summer months they wouldn’t be seeing me in the festive season either. Guess what? He declined the offer. One of the other tour drivers suggested that if he was so keen on Christmas breaks he could always do it himself. After the initial hoo ha they managed to find a couple of guys who were happy to do it as long as they could take their families with them. He didn’t like it much as it would cost the company a few bob, though they made a bloody fortune out of these festive breaks. More on their attitude to money shortly.

The following year, my third with them, the tours took off in a big way for a small outfit. Posh brochures circulated to all the travel companies from small businesses to the likes of Thomas Cook. They were sent out to all groups and customers on the mailing list, which by now was quite considerable.
Here, I must say that Jane (Boss 3) was superb at putting these holidays together. Excellent hotels, great itineraries for the week and always giving the drivers plenty of information to digest before the tour, so that any points of interest along the way could be passed on to the passengers. Apart from my knowledge of the West Country, which was/is excellent. This was always a handy tool to have and made the journey interesting.

Richard (Boss 1) gave us the routes he would like us to take on the days out while away. Or should I say, we would take. This lead to a huge row when I looked at the routes he had chosen for my English Riviera tour based in Torquay.

Which reminds me. Money!
I thought while we are having a “chat”. How about a cash allowance while we’re away. Most other tour operators give their drivers an allowance . After all it is their passengers that we are looking after all week and we are away from the convenience of home. ‘Huh’ came the reply. ‘We don’t pay for your fags and beer when you’re here why should we pay for it when you’re away. The passengers buy you drinks’. But to be sociable you need to be able to offer as well. Plus we have to get lunches out as we are normally on half board. He wasn’t having it. Tight bastard. So we made a few bob on certain trips while away, like my Old Time Music Hall (Later). When he realized that some attractions were giving drivers a little handshake, they decided to pre book all of our tour destinations and got the discount for themselves. Now how can you work with bastards like that?.

We were going to Widecombe in the Moor via Dartmoor which is not a problem if you follow the guidelines laid down by the regular guys down there, ie, Shearings and Wallace Arnold. The roads across the moor are very narrow for this reason Wallace Arnold had coaches built that were slightly narrower than the norm. The agreement was that all coaches would go in a one way direction across the moor from Bovey Tracey to Widecombe then out of Widecombe to the Warren House Inn on the B3212. This Inn, by the way, has had a fire burning since 1845 and never gone out. Originally they used peat from the moor but this was beginning to create problems with the landscape, therefore coal and wood were later used. Lesson over. Back to the job. Richard (Boss 1 ) insisted I drive from Warren House Inn to Widecombe. I told him that this would cause no end of problems should anything come toward me and why. You do as I say Boy, (His favorite word of endearment) even though I was around 18 years older than he. Huh!!
We tell you what to do.
Ok, if that’s what you want that’s what you’ll get.
All loaded and ready to go. Quick introduction and off we go, I can’t get to the first stop quick enough for some breakfast then I start getting to know everyone. After 6 hours on the road we arrive at our hotel in Torquay. Out came the hotel staff, cases out of coach and into rooms quick as a flash. A quick chat to inform of meal times and start of our half day trip on Sunday.
Fortunately, among the passengers was one of our drivers taking his missus on holiday.
I say fortunately because on the day trip which included Widecombe he witnessed the problems I encountered doing as I was told by Boss 1. We started off well, a lovely sunny day driving along the B3212, great views including the Dartmoor Ponies. This was one of those moments where I get the party going. Mic on. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, this part of Dartmoor is also famous for the Dartmoor Scotch Black face sheep. You will also notice that as we drive along they do not stray from the edge of the road. However, there is one company that they run like hell from whenever they see one of their coaches’. Silence as they wait. ‘Shearings’ I say . Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh they groan. Well you gotta try haven’t you.

So, we’ve had a coffee at the Warren House Inn and now it’s time to go the wrong way to Widecombe. For the first half mile it’s fine then the road narrows to about 11ft wide (Coach 8’2”) both sides of the road consist of Rocks covered in Bramble. Now the fun starts. Yep you guessed it. Wallace Arnold comes the other way. You should see his face. If looks could kill I wouldn’t be writing this. Lucky for me he backed up as there was a wide spot 200 yds back. The poor bloke in the car behind him was less happy but didn’t have a lot of choice. As I squeezed past the WA coach, scraping along the brambles and at one point a rather loud metallic scrape (Rocks I guessed) I apologized to the driver. Honest mate, I didn’t know. This is my first time down here. Yeh right!. The car driver was a little less polite and doubted my parenthood among other things. Well, to be honest the one way rule was made by coach drivers for their own benefit.
A couple of close ones with cars a few extra scrapes and we were in Widecombe. Parked up, everyone off to the Loo, Café, and gift shop for a couple of hours. A little inspection of damage and OH BOY!! Boss 1 is not gonna be a happy bunny. What a mess. Scratches from the brambles all along the nearside panels and a large gouge in the middle from the rock. Phil, our driver on holiday had a look and shook his head saying ‘Richard ain’t gonna like that’. ‘Well, maybe he’ll listen to those that know better next time’ said I.

Anyway, the rest of the week went very well. I managed to get a booking for my party at the Old Time Music Hall in Brixham. What a fantastic show they gave us. Followed that up with a tour of the lights around Torquay to end another good day.

Back home on Saturday with a party of very happy people, arrive back in Peterborough Usual thanks for travelling with us an’ all that. Take coach back to base and guess who was there. Yep, Boss 1. ‘how did it go boy’ says he. ‘Yeh, brilliant , apart from one little problem’. ‘Oh what was that’ says Boss 1. ‘Walk this way’ around the coach I take him and GASP!! ‘What the ***k have you done’. Well Boss, you know that little detail I told you about on the route to Widecombe? That’s what happens when you don’t listen to those that know better. If you need a witness just have a word with Phil. Not another word was said about it. The coach went away for repairs and would you believe it. All future tours in the West Country I could go whichever way I thought best.

Most of my tours were in Devon or Cornwall, to me the most beautiful part of Britain.
Falmouth was a long long day. 364 miles a full 8 hours driving if you had a good run. But the tours were super. I could go on for hours about the places we visited but even I would get fed up with that. Bude was another favorite with places like Clovelly, St Ives, Tintagel, Boscastle and the coast road down to Lands End. Fantastic views of the old Tin Mines looking out to the Atlantic. Ok dreaming over.

Bude was a tour to remember as I became very friendly with one of the passengers. Too friendly in fact. She had come on holiday with her friend and I sat with them at meal times in the Hotel.. It wasn’t long before eyes across the table ‘n’ all that became walks along the beach at sunset. Somehow this got back to my missus. Lord above knows how, but it all came out and life became very difficult for the missus and all future tours were not so easy as the trust was broken and I only had myself to blame.

Isle of Wight was another favorite destination, though you could drive all round it in a day. There are some lovely places there including Blackgang Chine. Which has now fallen into the sea with all the erosion. Shame.

I carried on for a few years as things calmed down . The business had now expanded into continental tours which were certainly different, sending us to Holland, Germany, Austria and down into the north of Italy. Better known as the Tyrol. Fabulous drives across the Alps. A bit scary at times, but such a change from the UK (Still love Cornwall though).
13 Days was the longest I had been away and phone calls to home were very strained. Thinking back, I can’t say I blamed her.

This just went to prove that Coach Driving is really a single blokes job. It damn near ruined my marriage.

This led to a complete re-think and a phone call to the local Bus company. I took the job as a Bus driver which got me home every night and no more weeks away. Well, apart from the one mentioned earlier (On the Buses 7).
From that day on the only coach I drove was on National Express, Peterborough – London.

Eventually Stagecoach took over and 13 years later I had to retire through ill health.

It was in fact a saving grace that I left Coach work and returned to Buses as I was now on a pension scheme. If I had stayed coaching I would have had to take early retirement and not receive a penny from this firm. In fact looking back they didn’t give a shit as long as the job got done.

I apologise if this is a little disjointed, but it’s a huge subject with a great deal in it, which I am finding a little difficult to keep in order.
However. If you feel you would like to know more I will try to make short stories from the most memorable tours.

Regards to all you lovely people.

Roy