North Wales coach sales

A line-up showing some of the varied fleet in the operator’s North Wales depot. ADRIAN MORTON

After dropping the children at school it was time for me to head a little further west instead of returning home, towards Chester to pick-up the A55 North Wales Expressway, along the coast and down through the beautiful Conwy Valley to Llanrwst, to meet Steve Jones, owner and Managing Director of both Llew Jones Coaches and Jones Coach & Bus Sales. It was whilst attending this year’s UK Coach Rally in Blackpool that I had a brief chat with Steve and pencilled in the diary a date for a long overdue catch up.

I believe it was 2007 when I first met Steve and his Transport & Compliance Manager at Llew Jones Coaches, Kevin Williams, at the annual coach show at Birmingham’s NEC. I can’t remember exactly how, I think through Jane Phillips of well respected Pride & Joy clothing. I seem to recall that after the event, some of us ended up going out together in Broad Street, Birmingham and were resident in a nightclub there until at least 4am! We’re all very much older now but from that day a great relationship was formed and I’ll be forever grateful for Steve’s assistance over the years. In my 14 years as an operator, if we ever had an issue, if it was in North Wales and on a weekend, Steve was always there to pick up the pieces, from flat batteries, a broken microphone and even replacing a driver who had suffered a heart attack in the early hours.

Five decades of history

Llew Jones Coaches can trace its history back 52 years. The company was established by Steve’s father Llywelyn Jones. Initially Steve’s father was an agricultural contractor and would buy and sell agricultural equipment in the winter months when contracting was quiet. He once bought a combine harvester in an auction in Lichfield and drove it all the way to Llanrwst at 12 mph!

He was later forced to sell everything, including his smallholding, after suffering acute kidney failure, meaning he could no longer work. Recovery was a long process but happily he came out the other side ready to start another chapter of his life, purchasing a house and coal yard, which subsequently became the company’s first depot in John Street, Llanrwst. Looking for something to do, a chance conversation with a friend at the local council led him to hear that they were desperately looking for more operators for home to school transport.

Llewelyn immediately got himself onto the tendering list and managed to secure his first contract. A coach was sourced in the form of a 36-seat petrol powered Duple Vella Vega, registered LUT 278. Word soon got about that the former coal man was operating coaches and one day a call came from a local outdoor pursuits centre, dissatisfied with the company they were using. Negotiations took place, resulting in Llywelyn taking on the work, which was advantageous being seven days a week as opposed to schools, which although a good source of income is less than 190 days a year. Private hire also began to build as well as the award of further school contracts and associated work, and the rest as they say is history…