COACH AND BUS WEEK / Wednesday May 5, 2010 / Issue 933 / £2.95

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38-43 FEATURE Training Focus 18 months on from the Driver CPC launch, CBW reviews your training options

4-21 News 32-37 A Rewarding Night Setra EEV option, More than 70 companies collect the Stagecoach & Go- Ahead results… accolades at the UK Coach Awards 44-45 Deliveries 28-31 Newport Revival Latest vehicles in From operating as a quiet municipal operators’ depots to life as a major local bus brand

Cover.indd 1 3/5/10 20:19:11 Celebrating Coaching Excellence

The second Belmont International UK Coach Awards saw a move to Manchester’s Midland Hotel rewarded with more entrants, more guests and an enjoyable evening as the UK coach industry celebrated and rewarded the very best it has to offer. The CBW team report from Wednesday’s event

Over 70 companies and the awards themselves were in the industry. The scheme is access its services – as well as organisations across the UK coach presented by James Berresford, designed to promote excellence, those whom the industry seeks to and coach tourism industry were chief executive of VisitEngland. original thinking and innovation. influence. recognised and rewarded for their The event was attended by over Each award is therefore “Our goal is therefore to excellence and good practice at 240 key players in the coaching independently and impartially raise awareness, recognise the Belmont International UK and coach tourism industry. judged using objective criteria. the hard work, dedication and Coach Awards, which took place UK Coach Awards chairman “The criteria set a high professionalism of the diverse last Wednesday in Manchester. Derek Phillips welcomed guests standard and are intended to organisations and of the people The UK Coach Awards 2010 to the evening event – the second be seen to be fairly applied by involved in coach tourism,” he took place amid the Edwardian revived UK Coach Awards everyone who qualifies for entry. continued. splendour of Manchester’s ceremony. Only in this way is the attainment “We therefore aspire to invest famous Midland Hotel. The “I emphasise that they are your of an award valuable to the in the industry, not to take from evening was compered by BBC awards,” he said. “That is they holder, because it is respected it,” he emphasised, “and in doing Breakfast’s Carol Kirkwood and belong to you who live and work in the industry – by those who so add something of value to it.”

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Amongst the prizewinners 1. UKCA’s Ian Smith, EvoBus’s Heinz Mader were coach operators and coach and VisitEngland’s James Berresford. 2. Chris drivers who were nominated by with Chatsworth’s Sandra Elliott and Cat group travel organisers and other Reaney (right). 3. Encore Tickets’ John Wales industry customers from around with Trafford Centre staff. 4.Out&About ’s the country. Debbie Maclaren with Stagecoach East’s Adam Outstanding and popular Rideout, Liz Esnouf and Zoe Paget. 5. Carol winners were the KIrkwood. 6. Chris Cheek. 7. CPT’s Karen Tiley operator Johnsons Coach and with Distinctive Systems’ Jackie and Mike Bus, taking home two awards. Whitehead. 8. Derek Phillips. 9. Don’t Travel First the company won the title Empty’s Anthony Marett, Alex Perry (National Coach Operator of the Year Express), James Berresford, Richard Ball (NX). (Large Fleets). The evening was 10. English Heritage’s Caroline Friis and Woods completed when Johnsons was 8 Coaches’ Kevin Brown. named as Belmont International UK Coach Operator of the Year, a judgement based both on customer nominations, performance data and a ‘mystery shopper’ exercise to test the company’s customer friendliness. The judges praised Johnsons’ all-round success in marketing, staff relations and health & safety as well as a strong financial performance. The Coach Operator of the Year (Medium Fleets) title went to Cheshire-based family 9 10

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1. ‘Unsung Hero’ Elaine Hanglin with Jeff Lewis from Brabners Chaffe Street. 2. National Express’s Mark Hollis (centre) collects his ‘Unsung Hero’ award. 3. Warwick Castle’s Mark Anderson with Anthony’s Travel’s Tony and Richard Bamber. 4. EvoBus’s Mike Beagrie with Rheged’s Claire Urquhart and Eileen Walmesley. 5. CBW’s Andy Sutcliffe and Encore Tickets’ John Wales and Richard Woolliss.

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business Anthony’s Travel – a by readers of Coach and Bus Week with Canterbury named as runner shows for one performance date, prize awarded to companies with magazine and industry experts. up following the opening of the offering greater choice and a between 11 and 50 vehicles. These are categories designed City’s new coach parking facility better chance of full loads. The Coach Operator of the Year to highlight best practice last year. runners up was cross-sea carrier for Small Fleets was named as amongst local authorities, The shopping attraction that P&O Ferries. Nottingham City Coaches, the tourist attractions, shopping was most coach friendly was There were prizes too for Loughborough-based firm that attractions and service providers named as the Trafford Centre. professionalism in specific runs a fleet of ten executive 49 in welcoming coaches, their Operators and judges were aspects of coach operation and seaters. passengers and their drivers to very impressed by the Trafford management, for coach builders The Coach Driver of the Year venues all over the country. Centre’s new approach and their and for providers of support was named as Phil Bingham Top tourist attraction was the hard work to make coaches, solutions such as software and from the Redditch-based family The Rheged Centre in Cumbria, coach drivers and passengers engineering support. operator Hardings International. with the West Safari especially welcome, with pre- The Setra 416GT-HD was Phil worked for Hardings & Leisure Park as runner up. In booking facilities and discount named Coach of the Year for for some 33 years, winning a similar contest for historic vouchers. Salford’s Lowry Outlet the second year in a row, whilst praise from customers and his attractions, the top prize went Mall scooped the runners up importers EvoBus picked up a managers alike – and never to Chatsworth, with Fountains prize, making it a ‘one-two’ for second award, for Best Industry having a single accident of any Abbey as runner up. The judges the North West. Support Solution. Aftersales and kind. Sadly, Phil passed away a were hugely impressed by the Well known ticket provider engineering support was highly few days after the announcement stylish web site, clear and concise Encore Tickets took home the praised by operators from around of the short-list in March, having information and welcome given Best Service Provider award for the country. As one operator been diagnosed with cancer last to groups and coach drivers at the second year running; once told the judges: “They go out of December. However, his wife Chatsworth – a model for others again the judges were very their way to solve problems. I get Lesley and employers were keen to follow. impressed by the company’s regular phone calls just to see for his nomination to go forward, Sefton Borough Council was specialist services for operators, how things are going – including and Lesley collected the award on named Most Coach Friendly such as the money back the occasional phone call from Phil’s behalf. local authority for the second guarantee scheme and the the Director of Sales, but no The best practice in coach year running, recognising its split coach offering that allows sales pitch.” He added: “How friendliness has been highlighted outstanding service at Southport, operators to book multiple refreshing.”

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1. National Express’s Paul Bunting presents the Services to the Coach Industry award to Albatross Travel’s Sean Taggart. 2. MAN’s John HIll with Coach Driver of the Year runner up Vanessa Husband from Marshalls Coaches. 3. Guests on the CBW table. 4. Driver of the Year Phil Bingham’s widow Lesley with MAN’s John Hill. 5. John and Anne Johnson receive the Coach Operator of the Year award from Belmont International’s Phil White. 6. Rob Lyng from Nottingham City Coaches accepts the award for Operator of the Year (small fleets) from Warner Leisure’s Tony Ineson (left). 7. Phil Moon (Group Travel Organisers’ Association), Derek Phillips (UKCA chairman), Graham Messenger (CPT). 8. Stena Line’s Graham Howatson presents EvoBus’s Mike Beagrie with the Coach of the Year award for the Setra 416 GT-HD. 5

Leciester-based Woods network of express services, both pension contributions. Whether and hopefully inspiring you all Coaches took the prize for best named ‘Unsung Heroes’. it’s driving the coaches, cleaning with their ideas and innovation. Coach Travel Programme for its Sean Taggart of Albatross and maintaining them, planning A small proportion of the ‘That’s Entertainment’ series of Travel Group was given the and marketing the services or thousands who work out there excursions to theatres in the West prestigious award for Services managing and supervising – it’s every day, keeping our services End and around the regions. The to the Coach Industry. Sean is our people on whom we rely. going 24 hours a day, 7 days a award for Coach Marketing went Chairman of the Coach Tourism “And it’s our customers who week, the overwhelming majority to Stagecoach, for its campaign Council, and also serves on pay our wages. In coaching of them passionate about doing to promote the X5 coach service committees for CPT, VisitEngland, particularly, so much of the work their best for their customers. between Oxford, Milton Keynes British Association of Wholesale is in the leisure industry – where “I’m delighted therefore to and Cambridge, whilst National Tour Agents and the Small so often our competition is just add my congratulations to the Express was named as runners Business Council. staying at home and pottering winners of this year’s Awards, up in the marketing awards, as Closing the formal part of the about in the garden. We have to and indeed to all today’s well as being recognised with evening, UKCA director Chris deliver! finalists.” the Accessibility Award for its Cheek paid tribute to the winners “One of the nicest things The UK Coach Awards is work to promote accessibility on and finalists. about helping to organise the run by an independent not for its national network of express In his closing remarks, Chris awards is to see the entries and profit joint venture company coach services. said: “One of the paradoxes nominations, and to read about established by Rouncy Media, Several individuals were also about the bus and coach industry the loyalty and commitment publishers of Coach and Bus honoured for their hard work is that most people see it as a shown by so many in our Week magazine and Transport in supporting the industry. The technology-driven business. After industry – and we’ve heard plenty Events Group, the company that professionals recognised with all, our biggest physical presence about that tonight in people like organises the hugely successful awards on the night were Elaine are all those chunky bits of Phil Bingham and Elaine Hanglin, UK Bus Awards, now in their 15th Hanglin, groups sales manager at hardware that we send out onto Vanessa Husband, Mark Hollis successful year. operator Hardings International, the roads every day. and Sean Taggart – together with For more information, and Mark Hollis of National “In fact, though, we are actually representatives of all our finalists. including more photographs from Express, who manages a service a people-based industry. That’s “That’s why tonight is so the awards ceremony, go to the support centre that looks after why over 60% of our costs go in important – rewarding their web-site www.ukcoachawards. the smooth running of the huge paying wages, social security and efforts, recognising their success co.uk.

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UKCA2010.indd 36 3/5/10 19:21:01 uk coach awards the winners

Belmont International Accessibility Award Most Coach Friendly UK Coach Operator WINNER Local Authority of the Year n National Express Ltd WINNER WINNER RUNNERS UP n Sefton Borough Council n Johnsons Coach and Bus n Stagecoach in Oxfordshire JOINT RUNNERS UP RUNNERS UP HIGHLY COMMENDED n Canterbury City Council n Anthony’s Travel n Bond Accessible Coaches n Bugler Coaches HIGHLY COMMENDED n Lichfield District Council Coach Operator of the n Holmeswood Coaches n Year (Small Fleets) (John Flanaghan Coach Tours) Medway Council 4 n n Royal Borough of Windsor WINNER Travel De Courcey n Nottingham City Coaches and Maidenhead RUNNERS UP Coach Marketing n Coach Choice Award Most Coach Friendly WINNER Tourist Attraction n Coach Operator of the Stagecoach Route 5, WINNER Year (Medium Fleets) Stagecoach East n Rheged RUNNERS UP WINNER RUNNERS UP n Spring 2009 Campaign, n Anthony’s Travel n National Express Safari Park RUNNERS UP HIGHLY COMMENDED n Cozy Coaches HIGHLY COMMENDED n Passenger Transport n Ascot Racecourse HIGHLY COMMENDED Solutions, Excelsior Coaches n Drayton Manor n Hardings International n Oxford Tube, Stagecoach n Alton Towers n Excelsior Coaches in Oxford n Woods of Leicester n Group Visits Campaign, n Coastal Coaches Visit Wiltshire Most Coach Friendly n Marshalls Coaches HISTORIC Attraction Best Coach Touring WINNER Coach Operator of the Programme n Chatsworth Year (Large Fleets) WINNER RUNNERS UP WINNER n Woods Coaches n Fountains Abbey n Johnsons Coach and Bus RUNNERS UP RUNNERS UP HIGHLY COMMENDED 6 n Bugler Coaches, Bristol n Bowens n Black Country Living Museum HIGHLY COMMENDED n Blenheim Palace HIGHLY COMMENDED n n n Excelsior Coaches Warwick Castle n n Burtons Coaches Interchoice Holidays n The Concert Coach, Arts for All Best Service SUPPLIER Coach Driver WINNER of the Year Unsung Heroes Award n Encore Tickets WINNER RUNNERS UP n Phil Bingham, Hardings WINNERS n n P&O Ferries Coaches Mark Hollis, Support Centre Manager, National Express HIGHLY COMMENDED RUNNER UP n Elaine Hanglin, Group Sales n n Action Tours Vanessa Husband, Marshalls Manager, Hardings Coaches Coaches n Leisure Breaks Limited HIGHLY COMMENDED n Warner Leisure Hotels 7 n Graham Atkinson, Bond Services to the n Wightlink – Isle of Wight Accessible Coaches Coach Industry Ferries n Mike Fitzgerald, Anthony’s WINNER n Travel Sean Taggart, Albatross Most Coach Friendly n Group Bernard Williams, Anthony’s Shopping Attraction Travel n WINNER Les Edwards, Cozy Tours Industry Support n n The Trafford Centre Neil Wright, Coach Choice Solution of the Year WINNER RUNNERS UP Coach of the Year n EvoBus UK n Lowry Outlet Mall WINNER RUNNERS UP HIGHLY COMMENDED n EvoBus, Setra 416 GT-HD n Gauntlet Risk Management n Boundary Mill Stores RUNNERS UP HIGHLY COMMENDED n Edinburgh Woollen Mills n Neoplan Tourliner n MAN Truck & Bus Manchester n Ilkeston Market HIGHLY COMMENDED n Distinctive Systems n Oswaldtwistle Mills 8 n Van Hool Alizee T9 + VDL n Towergate Chapman Stevens Shopping Village

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