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Pupil gets behind the wheel of his own school bus

05/12/2011 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

A pupil of Ysgol Dyffryn Taf in West Wales is managing to squeeze part time work as a school bus driver into his busy schedule after passing his Public Service Vehicle driving test in August and getting behind the wheel of the coaches at his father’s coach hire company.

Sixth form student Joseff Edwards now helps out at the family coach hire company, Taf Valley Coaches, by getting into the driving seat and collecting passengers as part of the daily school run.

18-year-old Joseff drives to the coach depot each morning where he swaps his car for the school bus, picking up passengers around the Llanteg and Tavernspite area of West Wales before arriving at school at Ysgol Dyffryn Taf where he parks his school bus in the car park for the day, before getting back behind the wheel in the afternoon to drive the bus back along its route, dropping off his passengers and fellow pupils along the way.

Coach hire boss and father of Joseff, Clive Edwards, launched Taf Valley Coaches 21 years ago and now boasts a fleet of 21 vehicles which are used for school bus runs as well as private hire bookings.

Although the family said it was a bit of a surprise to have their son driving his own school bus, the sixth former is getting on extremely well balancing his career as a bus driver with his studies and his family hope it will help inspire other youngsters to get involved in the coach hire industry.

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Coach holiday firm calls in the administrators after 90 years of trading

11/10/2011 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

A Welsh coach holiday firm has gone into administration after more than 90 years of trading. Silver Star Holidays of Caernarfon, Gwynedd, has blamed rising fuel costs and the knock on effect of the economic downturn for the demise of their company.

Local people in North Wales have been quick to share their sadness at the announcement of the coach operator’s closure, with one historian describing Silver Star Holidays as part of the history of the North Wales town of Caernarfon where the company has been based since it began trading in 1918.

In an official statement Silver Star Holidays described how they were “devastated” at the closure and how they had tried everything to prevent the business from going into administration but have been forced to admit defeat due to the economic climate and also spiralling fuel costs which were squeezes their profit margins further. 12 jobs will be lost as a result of the closure.

The coach holiday operator is currently working with a consumer protection service to help secure a refund for all customers who’d paid for holidays with the coach trip provider. Silver Star Holidays was a member of Bonded Coach Holidays (BCH) and is in discussions with the administrators to ensure all customers who’d either paid for a holiday in full, or put down a deposit on a forthcoming trip, get their money back.

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Nantwich calls for coach hire firms to stop off in the town

14/07/2011 By Tracy Wilcox Leave a Comment

Nantwich is calling for coach hire companies to schedule stop-offs at the town during their long distance journeys in a bid to help boost the local economy.

Over 300 coach and minibus hire companies have been contacted and invited to arrange comfort breaks in Nantwich during their scheduled services as part of the town’s “Save Our Shops” campaign. Included in the invites sent out to coach companies were local tourist guides to provide the companies with information on what Nantwich has to offer.

Coaches and buses will be allowed to park at Nantwich Town Football Club during their stop off. The site offers a safe and convenient spot for passengers to be dropped off and collected.

The local rotary club has also got involved in to help put their weight behind the campaign. The club have donated £250 which will be used to pay the £8 coach parking fee for when the vehicles visit Nantwich and the donated money will also provide a £5 lunch voucher for the coach driver which can be redeemed in one of the many local cafes or restaurants.

If the venture is well received and succeeds in attracting coach parties to Nantwich, the local council says they will discuss the possibility of providing an annual subsidy, paid for by the town council and shop keepers, which will be used to cover the cost of parking and other associated costs for coach companies visiting the town.

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Coach Broker in the running for prestigious Welsh business award, Fast Growth 50

11/07/2011 By Andrew Morgan Leave a Comment

Leading coach and minibus hire provider, Coach Broker, has qualified for the shortlist of the highly prestigious Fast Growth 50 award. The annual award seeks out the fifty fastest growing Welsh businesses rewarding the highest achievers for their outstanding entrepreneurship and success over the course of the last three years.

Coach Broker is one of the leading lights in the coach and minibus hire industry. From their head quarters in Cardiff, the transport operator offers chauffeur driven coach and minibus hire services throughout the UK through its network of approved transport companies. Coach Broker specialises in competitive priced coach and minibus hire services for all occasions with transport available to rent in all areas of the UK and also selected parts of Europe and Ireland.

To qualify for the shortlist of the coveted Fast Growth 50 award, the company must be an independent organisation, be based in Wales, and must have had sales of over a specified figure since 2008. The annual awards were set up in 1999 and have gone from strength to strength every year. The 50 shortlisted companies will all be featured in a special business supplement of the leading Welsh newspaper, the Western Mail, with a company profile of each firm included in the shortlist.  

This year’s 13th annual Fast Growth 50 awards ceremony will be held at the top Cardiff venue, Holland House Hotel, on September 16th where the winner will be announced following a gala dinner. Keep in touch to find out where Coach Broker ranks in the 2011 Fast Growth 50 list.

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Oldest ever coach driver passes away

11/03/2011 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

Ken Perry was named in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest ever coach driver in 2001 as at 82-years of age, he was still regularly driving coaches as part of his private coach hire business, K Perry and Sons.

The businessman sadly passed away at the end of last month at the age of 92, although he still holds the record for being the oldest ever coach driver in the country.

Mr Perry’s legacy will be kept alive as his son, Bernard, and grandson Richard, will continue to run the coach hire company which he worked so hard to build.

Despite retiring shortly after achieving the Guinness Book of Records title for oldest ever bus driver, Mr Perry was still a very important part of the business. Living in a house next door to the coach depot yard, the businessman had a window especially installed in the side of his home so he could keep an eye on what was going on at the coach company.

Born in the Rhondda, Mr Perry moved with his family to Blackwood as a youngster before going to work at a local colliery at the age of 14. In 1940, what would later become the thriving coach hire business that is K Perry and Sons, Mr Perry and his wife launched a small scale taxi service, firstly delivering milk to local schools. As the business started to take off, Mr Perry invested in more vehicles, and purchased land and garages creating a formal base for the company.

K Perry and Sons now operates regular coach hire services for local schools in the Blackwood area, as well as providing coach hire for private customers. The company boasts 10 coaches, with 12 employees.

The funeral for the highly regarded coach hire boss was held at the end of February. The news was first reported by The South Wales Argus.

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Coach travel passengers wait for refund news after company collapse

11/01/2011 By Andrew Morgan Leave a Comment

Coach travel passengers who’d made bookings with Swansea based coach tour provider, Diamond Coaches, are awaiting news on whether or not they are likely to be refunded for the money spent on trips which have since been cancelled.

Diamond Coaches was Wales’ largest coach tour provider until the company collapsed last Friday and the administrators were called in.

A number of parties are said to be interested in the possibility of buying out the troubled firm, and the administrators are said to be in locked in negotiations with a several other coach companies in Wales with a view to taking over Diamond Coaches.

However if the company is successfully sold, the new owners will first need to pay off the company’s creditors before it turns its attentions to reimbursing customers who’ve lost out as a result of the company collapse.

Diamond Coaches provided coach package holidays and also day trips. It’s been reported that all customers who’ve booked holidays with Diamond will receive a refund, however the situation for those who’ve made reservations for day trips was not yet clear.

Approximately 80,000 people a year travelled with Diamond Coaches. The company employed 86 workers and produced an annual turnover of £10.8 million. The administrators were called in on Friday after almost 60 years in business.

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Coach trips to the Royal Welsh Show 2009 on the up

16/07/2009 By Andrew Morgan Leave a Comment

royal welshCoach travel to this year’s Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd near Builth Wells, is in demand. Every year the show enjoys increasing visitor numbers with last year’s total topping almost 200,000. With the weather set to hold for the event, spectators are expected to flock to the show in their droves to enjoy all the top class attractions.

This year as well as the traditional show attractions such as the renowned Welsh Cob classes, livestock and horticulture competitions and the shearing, sheep dog trails and the tug-of-war competitions, the event also welcomes some world famous acts. The Kangaroo Kid is set to perform in the main ring, as is accomplished horseman with his trick horses Jean Francois Pignon and the Black Mountain Falconry group are set to display their skills.

Younger show goers will find plenty to keep them amused after the day’s competitions with foam parties and top bands such as Goldie Lookin Chain lined up to perform at the Young People’s Village. There are several bars at the event if you’re seeking liquid refreshment, the two most popular being the Member’s Tent and The Stockmans. You’ll also find a huge range of food stands available and unique craft goods from a variety of stalls.

Coach travel has always been a popular choice for the Royal Welsh, principally due to the fact that transport links to the showground are quite basic. Many organisations and communities hire a chauffeur driven coach so as to relieve visitors of the burden of navigating the windy Welsh roads and dealing with parking and direction issues.

Most importantly, The Royal Welsh is a social event. Travelling to the show amongst all your friends adds to the occasion and allows visitors the chance to relax and enjoy the occasion to the full. In these times of economic hardship, coach hire works out much cheaper than travelling to the event by car, especially if you’re travelling long distance. If you’re attending the show this year which is set to take place between July 20th-22nd call Coach Broker now for a free quote on coach hire.

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