#ThrowbackThursday; The Glider & Fancy Holidays!

Yes, the hair…..

Anyhow Throwback Thursday this week is courtesy of ‘The Glider’. The concept was started by a group called Q Drive, Q Drive going bust in a very spectacular way. They were a bit before my London time but in day they owned several coach companies and were trying to build an empire. Tellings Golden Miller tried afterward with Status Group who owned and crushed The Londoners. Very well known chap (in industry) who ran it name escapes me, maybe Len something?  There was 2 coaches and Jan Hofstra in Netherlands bought them as a coach collector (he also ran coaches). The Glider returned with a chap called Toby; or John, or something! He wasn’t all that sure himself as he put phone down once saying bugger I told him my name was Charles when I should have said Toby. God only knows how he had any money! Must be family money as he was so shambolically careless with money I’m surprised he could afford a cup of tea. (Writing that it does dawn on me I’m about the same!)

Occasionally he’d come to see tours off from the hotel and all the passengers knew him by a different name which caused some confusion, not to mention worry as they had just given this chap several thousand pounds for a holiday, with Toby/John/Charles selling it to them, a 22 year old coach driver and a right hand drive coach on Dutch plates! Writing that it’s only now I realise how hilariously improbable & ridiculous it sounds. Another reason he’d met you at start was to give you several grand since we had no fuel cards! He drove around terrifyingly in a AMG Mercedes he bought on a whim, he was in 70’s at this point saying ‘I bought the wrong car, the suspension is too hard’! Could barely see beyond the tip of his nose making him a bit of an hilarious drive, I’ve never been a nervous passenger. One time we just loaded up and we’re about to leave when he reversed into a giant concrete plant pot, without noticing, and zoomed off. I had to ask a staff member for help as he’d pushed it right up to me so I couldn’t get out after he zoomed off oblivious in his brand new AMG Mercedes with a boot full of champagne and door pockets several grand in cash!

I came to work there as a man who worked for The Londoners in the office went there. He gave me the job because of all the drivers who rang him for a chat, remember those days actually talking to people, I was only one who rang him to ask how he was! Me getting that job put a few noses out of joint, the young bus driver getting their dream job before them. Back then I’d been driving less than 3 years half of it on service busses in West Wales. The first tour was Norway, a country I’d been obsessed with since a child, and what a way to visit it first time! I remember the exact moment I get a text with the info, I was going across Hammersmith flyover in the evening with a just arrived Japanese group. Made me so happy it brought tears to my eyes! So thanks to Les Bradley. He set up my whole career with that. Still friends with him 20+ years later so I could just thank him first hand.

We shipped from Newcastle to Norway, sadly a long dead route now. Fjord Line. The reason it was expensive was the coach had airline style seats and the full sized coach only had 26 seats. We used all 4 and 5 star hotels. Can your imagine how excited 22 year old me was?! On first touring day we stopped somewhere lovely and had a toast of very expensive champagne and cheese an biscuits! 

Often hotels that take coach groups have specific rooms for drivers. Even in coaching drivers are treated like shit! But because these hotels had never really seen a coach group before I was treated as the passengers were. Also might have helped that I was wearing a suit all time. 3 meals a day where possible were included and a Norwegian 5 star hotels breakfast and dinner buffet are a thing to behold! I usually took some cheese and some boiled eggs for lunch while out touring!

On second tour I broke down as you can see in picture. Took 10 hours to repair me but 10 hours gazing at that view was no hardship! The passengers were taken to hotel with a local coach. 

Norway lived up to my massive expectations and it’s my very favourite country. I always say to people that no human civilisation is perfect but the likes of Norway are as close as humanity has yet come.

From the first hotel they offered the passengers an extra activity……a flight in a seaplane! It was moored at hotel and I got to go for a spin! It was actually the first time I had ever been in a plane! 45 minute flight over the Hardangerfjord and Hardangervidda was every bit as remarkable as it sounds.

Anyhow I’m jabbering on too much! Is anyone actually interested! As expected come October The Glider went bust but never to return this time. 6 of the best months of my entire life there. 

Our first night hotel in Europe on southbound tours in Chantilly