Results Summary 2011
Coach Operator Awards
UK Coach Operator of the Year, sponsored by Belmont International and AVIVA
Winner:
- Anthony's Travel, Runcorn, Cheshire
Runner Up:
- Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel, Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire
Coach Operator of the Year (Small Fleets, fewer than 15 vehicles)
Winner:
- Carol Peters Coach Travel, Ramsgate, Kent
Runner Up:
- Grahams Coaches, Colchester, Essex
Coach Operator of the Year (Medium Fleets, 16-50 vehicles), sponsored by Volvo
Winner:
- Anthony's Travel, Runcorn, Cheshire
Runner Up:
- Excelsior Coaches, Bournemouth, Dorset
Highly Commended:
- Cozy Tours, Letchworth, Hertfordshire
- Golden Boy Coaches, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
- Marshall's Coaches, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
- Maynes Coaches of Buckie, Moray
Coach Operator of the Year, (Large Fleets, over 50 vehicles)
Winner:
- Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel, Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire
Runner Up:
- Bowen Coaches, Tamworth, Staffordshire
Highly Commended:
- Shearings, Wigan, Lancashire
Coach Marketing Award
This goes to the company judged to have made the best and most creative use of a range of marketing tools to grow their business and increase consumer awareness.
Winner:
- Putting the Coach into Brighton & Hove, Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company
Runner Up:
- Stylish Coach Hire, Go South Coast
Highly Commended:
- Nation Expects, National Express
Industry Support Solution of the Year
Designed to recognise and reward excellence and high standards in the delivery of essential support services to coach operators.
Winner:
- Door2Tour.com, Larkfield, Kent
Runner Up:
- Gauntlet Risk Management, Leeds
Highly Commended:
- David Allen Chartered Accountants, Carlisle, Cumbria
- Distinctive Systems, York
Coach of the Year Award
Operators were asked to nominate the best vehicles from the passenger perspective.
Winner:
- Setra 416GTHD (Evobus (UK) Limited, Coventry)
Runner Up:
- Volvo/Plaxton BR9 Elite (Plaxton Limited, Scarborough)
Highly Commended:
- Neoplan Tourliner (M.A.N. UK Limited, Swindon)
Awards for Organisations in Coach Tourism
Most Coach Friendly Local Authority
Operators were asked to nominate authorities that had made extra effort to deliver outstanding facilities for coaches and their passengers.
Winner:
- Medway Council
Runner Up:
- Cheshire West and Chester Council
Highly Commended:
- Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
- Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
Most Coach Friendly Historic Attraction
Historic attractions that have gone 'that extra mile' to accommodate, attract, and welcome coaches, their drivers and their passengers.
Winner:
- Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Runner Up:
- Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, West Midlands
Highly Commended:
- Chatsworth, Derbyshire
- Warwick Castle, Warwick
Most Coach Friendly Tourist Attraction
Tourist attractions that have gone 'that extra mile' to accommodate, attract, and welcome coaches, their drivers and their passengers.
Winner:
- Gretna Green Blacksmith's Shop, Dumfries & Galloway
Runner Up:
- West Midland Safari Park, Bewdley, Worcestershire
Highly Commended:
- Eden Project, Bodelva, Cornwall
- Drayton Manor, Tamworth, Staffordshire
- Royal Yacht Britannia, Leith, Edinburgh
Most Coach Friendly Shopping Attraction
Shopping attractions that have gone 'that extra mile' to accommodate, attract, and welcome coaches, their drivers and their passengers.
Winner:
- Bury Market, Greater Manchester
Runner Up:
- Boundary Mill Stores, Colne, Lancashire
Highly Commended
- Bicester Shopping Village, Oxfordshire
- Oswaldtwistle Mills Shopping Village, Lancashire
- The Trafford Centre, Greater Manchester
Best Service Supplier
Providers of services such as meals, hotels, admission tickets or sea crossings that have made outstanding efforts to accommodate, attract, and welcome coaches, their drivers and their passengers.
Hotels and Catering
Winner:
- Rezidor – Park Inns
Runner Up:
- Road Chef
Judges' Special Commendation:
- Blunsdon House Hotel, Swindon
Highly Commended:
- Warner Leisure Hotels
Sea Crossing/Water Transport
Winner:
- Wightlink
Runner Up:
- Stena Line
Highly Commended:
- Eurotunnel
- P&O Ferries
Theatre & Venue Ticketing
Winner:
- Encore Tickets, London
Runner Up:
- Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Highly Commended:
- Group Line, London
Tour Wholesaling
Winner:
- Greatdays Travel Group, Altrincham, Cheshire
Runner Up:
- Action Tours, Shifnal, Shropshire
Highly Commended
- Albatross Tours, Larkfield, Kent
Awards for People in the Industry
Coach Driver of the Year Award
Winner:
- Colin Morton, Golden Boy Coaches, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
Runner Up:
- Nigel Isom, Cozy Tours, Letchworth, Hertfordshire
Highly Commended
- Mike Fitzgerald, Anthony's Travel, Runcorn, Cheshire
- Les Edwards, Cozy Tours, Letchworth, Herts
- Ken Jones, Anthony's Travel, Runcorn, Cheshire
- Scott Ritchie, Maynes Coaches, Buckie, Moray
Unsung Heroes, sponsored by Rezidor - Park Inn
This award is designed to recognise and reward the hard work, loyalty and devotion to duty of one or more individuals who perform junior or middle management roles in the industry.
Three prizes were awarded for 2011:
- Shahid Ullah, First Rail Support
- David Roberts, Oswaldtwistle Mill
- Mary Sewell, Medway Council
Services to the Industry
This prize is awarded to somebody in the world of coach tourism who has devoted a lifetime to the industry, and delivered exceptional service in the provision and/or delivery of coach services. This year, the prize goes to
- Christopher Wales, Chief Executive, Coach Tourism Council.