David Sheppard celebrates 20 years of family fundraising by Blakes Coaches of Tiverton, and their six-figure milestone in support of local charities
I’m happy to confirm that a trip to see the family owners of Blakes Coaches is as much of a joyous adventure as the holidays and excursions for which their business is most famous. A white-knuckle drive through the twisty Devon and Somerset lanes leading up to their East Anstey base is rewarded by a wave and a smile from Nick Marland on arrival. “Head up to the office,” he calls out – “it’s warm there!”
Nick’s right in every sense. The office, for now, turns out to be inside the Blakes’ family home and the warmth of their welcome comes wafting out as soon as the front door is opened.
But the office, in fact the entire house, is not as it usually would be. Today, I have to step over 24 giant magnums of sparkling wine on the doorstep, squeeze past a leaning tower of chocolate tins without upsetting the balance and, finally, take my seat at the Blake’s dining room table alongside a gorgeous, five-foot tall fluffy teddy bear called Tim.
“It’s not always like this,” says Hannah, the youngest of the Blakes directors, clearing a giant bag of Blakes-liveried seaside rock to one side. “This is all for the bash…”
‘The bash,’ or Blakes’ Bash as regular patrons refer to it, is the family’s annual charity fundraising event which has become a major highlight in the calendar of Blakes customers and staff alike.
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