Adrian Morton visits well-presented Dorset operator and UK Coach Rally regular Heathside Travel to find out what makes the company tick
When attending the 68th UK Coach Rally in April this year, one of the liveries I found myself being most attracted to was that of Heathside Travel from Ferndown in Dorset. After obtaining owner Tim Southby’s number from an industry colleague, one evening I dropped him a text message asking if he would like to feature in a forthcoming issue of CBW. The answer was of course a resounding yes (who wouldn’t!), so a date was set in the diary. I’ve always had a soft spot for Dorset, with many childhood holidays taken in Swanage, so very much looked forward to my visit.
It started out as a lovely bright sunny day when I left my Cheshire home so I expected the south to afford even finer weather and higher temperatures but how wrong could I be! I met Tim at the company’s depot on the fringes of Bournemouth airport and soon after stepping out of the car, I had to return to grab a jacket.
Enthusiasm
Tim was enthusiastic to show me his latest coach purchase and the special livery which adorns it, more of which later. We boarded the coach to take some respite from the elements and that’s where we settled, as Tim began to explain how it all began. I have to mention at this point though, how noticeably pleasant the seats fitted to the Irizar i6s in which we were sat were, the cushions divinely comfortable.
Tim explained that he had chosen an up-rated version of the standard offering and that customer feedback had also been positive. Later the same day I had to take a train journey to central London, which would be on a GWR Class 802 IET, a type on which passengers are often seated for up to six hours. It then became even more apparent just how comfortable those Irizar seats had been; those on the IET were like sitting on concrete, and dare I say the ride quality of the Irizar is probably far superior too!
Tim grew up in Maidstone, Kent, and had a passion for coaches from a young age. Due to his interest in miniature steam railways and the offer of employment, he later moved to Dorset with his clearly very understanding wife, Hannah. It is the uncle of one of Tim’s oldest school friends from Maidstone who operates the Moors Valley Railway in nearby Ringwood, so between the ages of eight and 17 Tim’s family would holiday in Dorset so he could go
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