Alan Payling speaks to a one-vehicle family coach operator to find out what they got up to in 2018 and see where they are going in 2019 – and discovers that one member of the team was happy to end up with a bit of custard on his face [wlm_nonmember][…]
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It’s the time when many people spend a moment or two reflecting on the past 12 months and what lies ahead in the coming year. The failures and successes of 2018 and the lessons learned will be reflected upon and carried over into a new year, which can sometimes feel like a fresh start. To find out what the past 12 months have been like for one operator, I met up with David Houghton of C&J Tours while he was in Paignton recently. C&J Tours is run jointly with David’s wife Tina and their daughter Bethany from their home in a quiet cul-de-sac in the village of Danbury, five miles outside Chelmsford in Essex.
The company has been operating since 2003 and runs one coach – but what a coach their passengers travel on. It’s a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, built to their own specification and received new in April 2017. This is obviously one of the company’s USPs, because visitors to their website are able to read chapter and verse about what an impressive coach they can travel in when they book a tour or an excursion with C&J Tours.
In addition to making sure that passengers know how much their coach cost, they are also informed in some detail about the technical specifications of this fine piece of German engineering. No doubt passengers will be greatly relieved to know that the coach has, among many other features, a roll-pitch system with electronically operated shock absorbers not to mention knowing who looks after the vehicle. In other words, the family are very proud of their impressive coach.
Their website also highlights the environmental credentials of their Euro VI Tourismo. Instead of seeing emission zones as a hassle, they use their response to tighter environmental standards as part of their marketing. Having seen which way the pollution is blowing, not to mention the politics of the issue, and being so close to London, they have invested so they won’t have to worry about Ultra-Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) wherever they appear over the next few years.
Additionally, their website also points out: “David undergoes regular refresher training in customer care, responsible driving, changes in legislation and first aid.” Again, they turn what many see as a negative hassle into a positive marketing opportunity to demonstrate what a professional operator prospective passengers can travel with. Something else that was noteworthy is that C&J Tours includes travel insurance in the cost of their holidays, offering passengers peace of mind. For their buck, all entrance fees and guide costs are also included in the price of their holidays and excursions.
Having provided such a luxurious means of conveying their passengers around the UK and Europe, they also make it clear that not having skimped on the coach, the personal service they provide to their passengers will also be second to none. This includes David’s 30 years’ experience behind the wheel and either Tina or Bethany acting as courier to look after the passengers. So, having made sure everyone knows how much their coach cost, they make it very clear that passengers will be very well looked after when they hit the highway with C&J Tours.
You get what you pay for, and with C&J Tours it’s a luxury coach and personal service par excellence. Mind you, one light-hearted complaint they get is that because the Tourismo is so quiet and Dave drives it so smoothly, passengers keep nodding off. Well, got to give them something to complain about – they wouldn’t be happy otherwise!
Mr Custard
C&J Tours had a challenging year in 2018, but at least the Tourismo has relieved them of any mechanical issues. As Dave feels that passengers are becoming more demanding, their coach was able to pass muster with flying colours as they travelled across the UK and Europe. One of their first tours of the year, however, was due to go to Monschau in Germany in February. Dave is of the view that selling tours to Europe is not getting any easier. To prove the point, poor bookings meant this tour had to be cancelled due to low numbers. Also, David is finding it difficult to sell tours in January and February – which is reflected in their 2019 brochure, which doesn’t offer any holidays until March. They were disappointed with the German cancellation, and while they cancel hardly any tours, a small operator can’t sustain losses.
The company’s next tour in March to the Crown Hotel in Weymouth for five days sold reasonably well, with some 30 passengers on board. This included a visit to Dorchester Market, Portland Bill and West Bay, scene of the TV series Broadchurch, The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin and Harbour Lights. There was also a visit to the ever-popular resort of Sidmouth.
In April, TV viewers were able to enjoy a visit to the site of the very popular series Downton Abbey at Newbury, Berkshire. This was a private party made up of the members of a ladies group from Hedingham in Essex staying for a long weekend at the Marriott Hotel in Swindon. The first day of the weekend was devoted to a visit to Marlborough in the morning, followed by a self-guided tour of Highclere, home of Downton Abbey, in the afternoon. On the second day the group paid a visit to the National Trust property Laycock Abbey. David and family try to make the very most of their tours for their passengers. So en route, instead of dashing straight to the hotel in Swindon, they stopped at Windsor for lunch on the way out and at Bourton-on-the-Water on the way back home.
Despite taking a thoroughly professional approach, one of the tricks to a successful coach tour operation is to also have a warm, human touch and to be willing to get down-to-earth. That can mean being self-effacing and happy for the passengers to engage in a bit of light-hearted leg-pulling. Wouldn’t do for the driver to get too big for his boots, now would it? Even if he has got a fancy new coach.
So, David was delighted to tell me that to a number of his passengers he is affectionately known as ‘Mr Custard.’ This arose during a tour taking in the Blossom Trail in the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire in early May. The company was running a four-day tour based at the family-run Three Ways House Hotel in Mickleton at Chipping Camden, home of the world famous ‘Pudding Club.’ Again, en route, they included a stop at Stratford-upon-Avon. In addition to the excursion along the Blossom Trail, the group also visited Cheltenham. On the way home they pulled into Coventry, giving everyone the chance to visit the Cathedral or Coventry Transport Museum.
One of the features of the tour was the Pudding Club, which takes place during the evening meal. Here, there are four puddings to savour. Funnily enough, David remembered all the puddings that were on offer: Rhubarb Pie, Syrup Sponge, Lord Randell’s Pudding (which David described as a rich sponge pud with apricots and marmalade) and finally, a Passion Fruit Meringue Roulade. Oh, isn’t it a hard life! Having sampled the puddings, passengers – and their driver – were then invited to dig in, buffet-style, to have as little or as much pudding as they liked. Guess how many puddings David had a generous portion of? That’s right – all four plus an extra bowl of custard, hence his nickname ‘Mr Custard!’ To celebrate his new-found notoriety, David’s passengers then presented him with a jug with Bird’s Custard emblazoned across it, which is now on display at his home in Danbury.
Customer care
At the end of May, C&J Tours headed for Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way on a seven-day tour staying at the Station Hotel in Clifden in County Galway. The tour included an overnight stop in Dublin and visits to the city of Galway, Westport in County Mayo and a scenic drive in the Connemara National Park. With some 35 passengers on board, this was a good tour for David and family.
A trip to Llangollen in North Wales in June was next, with their tour staying at the Bryn Howel Hotel. A stop en route at the Dobbies garden centre at Atherstone on the A5 allowed for a nice meal stop away from the motorway. The five-day tour stayed just outside Llangollen and provided excursions to Barmouth, Llandudno and an included canal cruise over the Pontcysyllte aqueduct. On the way home, passengers were able to have a look around the bustling indoor market at Shrewsbury, where they could shop and eat at reasonable prices.
Despite it being July, on their next tour David and his party had to contend with snow. This was in Austria, mind you, but it was still somewhat unexpected. The wintry blast occurred when the group headed up the Kitzsteinhorn mountain for a cable car ride. It was only for one day and as it was July, the passengers weren’t exactly dressed for the weather. This was an eight-day tour with some 28 passengers to look after and keep warm. A tour to Nottingham in August saw Dave driving through the glen with an American genealogical group looking for their ancestors. There were no relations of Robin’s on the coach apparently.
Scotland at the end of August took in an overnight stop at Carlisle. They then travelled north via Pitlochry before they arrived at the Grant Arms Hotel in Grantown-on-Spey in the Highlands. A visit to the funicular railway in the Cairngorms was followed by a visit to the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre also in the mountains. David remembers that he had 32 on board, which he was happy with.
It was a shorter drive to Eastbourne for the next tour in September. Again, David made the best of the tour, stopping en route in Lewes for lunch and then on to the coast staying at the Best Western York House Hotel on the front. The occupational hazards of operating a coach, however new, still means damage to a vehicle can occur. A broken windscreen meant the excursions on this tour had to be switched around to allow for the new screen to be fitted in resort. This made a dent in the company’s bank account, even though there was some insurance cover, but the 25 passengers on board enjoyed days out in Beachy Head, Alfriston and Hastings.
A trip to the Lake District in October was a very good tour for C&J – and helped to pay for the new windscreen – with 42 on board. During the journey north, David stopped again at Dobbies at Atherstone on the A5 before arriving at Grange-over-Sands for four nights. Included in the holiday was an excursion with the Mountain Goat Company on its High Pass Tour. This is a reflection of the company’s policy to include such excursions in the price of their holidays. An included cruise of Lake Windermere was also a highlight, with a visit to Hawkshead on the final day in resort. On the way home, the party pulled into Bridgemere Garden Centre at Nantwich for lunch, again away from the motorway. Avoiding motorway service stations is part of the company’s policy where driving time allows.
The tour to St Agnes in Cornwall at the end of October only had 18 people on board. But a small group still means they were pampered by David and Bethany. It is not for C&J Tours to neglect people just because there’s a small number on board. As far as David and family are concerned, those 18 passengers can tell a lot of people how well they were looked after, so customer care for any size group is the watchword. The visits to the Eden Project, Land’s End and a Cornish coastal driver were all well received.
The final tour of the year was a Turkey & Tinsel to Paignton, where I met up with David at the Marine Hotel with a decent 38 people on board. The tour included trips to the recently modernised Newton Abbot Market and Buckfast Abbey on the first day. A trip to the matinee performance of the Christmas show at the Babbacombe Theatre on the second day was then followed on the third day with a trip to Dartmouth and then on to Slapton. Sadly the wet and windy weather was against them, but at least there wasn’t any snow on the English Riviera.
Paying tribute
In addition to their holiday programme, C&J Tours offered a varied and appealing day excursion programme in 2018 which was well supported. Running some 60 outings during the year, a number of them went out full while many attracted over 40 passengers. The days out were a mixture of visits to markets, shows, garden centres, afternoon tea outings, tea dances and cruises. Visits to places like Windsor, Eastbourne, Melton Mowbray, Ipswich, Dedham and Norwich were all popular and good sellers.
The year rounded off with a number of trips. A notable outing was to a Cockney sing-along hosted by one Gordon Bennet at Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome at Maldon in Essex to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1. In late November and December there were a few Christmas trips. These involved more music, taking in a show by Blake and then The Nutcracker, not to mention a Christmas lunch trip to Hever Castle, no doubt including a few mince pies – but I didn’t see any custard on offer. There was also some welcome private hire work for groups who request day excursions with some wanting up to six outings over the year. David also works on a sub-contract basis for Kings Coaches of Colchester to cover some of their work.
The company’s 2019 brochure is now circulating, inviting regular and prospective passengers to ‘Travel with friends.’ The success of the company is due to the reliance on family members working closely together even though they can spend a lot of time apart. So David was keen to pay tribute to Tina and Bethany and their contribution, particularly their work organising the holidays and excursions.
And it’s not just family members that an operator such as C&J Tours relies upon. People like EvoBus of Coventry look after their coach while Norman Allen Travel Group and Albatross Travel have planned some of their tours and have all played a part in the company’s success. And without a friendly bank manager at NatWest and the support of Lombard Finance, C&J Tours would not have got the finance for their coach.
The year ahead
With regard to 2019, no trips to Europe are planned due to Brexit and – at the time of writing in mid-December – the uncertainty and potential reputational damage to the company because of possible cancellations. Hence their decision to only offer tours in the UK in 2019.
There will be one holiday to West Cork in Ireland on offer – so fingers crossed for that one. As for the coming year, David was of the view that things won’t be easy, but he will be more than happy to keep going despite the difficulties and challenges the industry faces. That will be helped enormously by the high standards the company sets. While bookings so far are on a par with last year, which is encouraging, there is a trend towards later bookings, adding a touch of uncertainty. But they have bookings coming in, so that is promising. David was at least happy with that prospect.
So here’s wishing C&J Tours a happy New Year. Come April, when they head off for a ‘Pudding Club – Easter in the Cotswolds’ tour, here’s hoping that ‘Mr Custard,’ having savoured four puddings and a dinner (and an extra bowl of custard), will be heading for a good year.
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