How the coach industry sits close to the communities and people it serves was at the fore of a celebration of the 40th birthday of Anthony’s Travel, held on Friday 30 May at the DCBL Stadium in Widnes.
It drew guests from the owning Bamber family, staff, and industry colleagues from England, Scotland and Wales. Community leaders were also present, including Halton Borough Council Chief Executive Stephen Young, and Halton Borough Council Leader and Liverpool City Region Deputy Mayor Cllr Mike Wharton.
Anthony’s Travel was founded in 1985 by the late Tony Bamber (pictured, right), father of current Managing Partner Richard Bamber (pictured, left). Mr Bamber Sr previously did jobs including bailiff and HGV driver but during the mid-1980s he bought a minibus to convey his family.
That led to him being asked to transport other groups and it was not long until he decided to formally enter the sector with a small Mercedes-Benz minibus.
His son, meanwhile, had been cleaning coaches at another operator locally. That led to an interest in larger vehicles, but Mr Bamber Jr made an early contribution to the new family business through those efforts.
Addressing guests at the birthday party, he recalled putting his wages from cleaning the other business’s vehicles towards the printing of business cards for Anthony’s Travel. “My father cried at that,” he remembers.
Since then, the Runcorn business has gone from strength to strength. A core competency is accessible transport, while Mr Bamber Jr was a key contributor to the formation of RHA Coaches as a trade body in 2021. RHA was represented among guests at the birthday celebration.
Friendship with fellow industry members and those in the Halton community has long been key to the operator’s approach, Mr Bamber Jr says. “Throughout it all, a favourite of mine has been meeting people and watching them do well,” he observes.
In noting an early large coach that joined the business, he recalls how it was purchased at auction having been used on The Darling Buds of May. “My mother asked me what on earth we had bought it for. I replied that it was because Catherine Zeta-Jones had travelled on it,” he says.
Mr Bamber Sr died in 2015, a time that his son recalls as being difficult personally and for the operator. “But I quickly realised that the business was not just me; it was we,” he says, paying tribute to the support from his wife Dawn, their children, and employees. Office staff Gayle North Rider and Faye Waring come in for particular credit.
Among other guests was Halton Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise CEO Rachael Owen. Mr Bamber Jr sits as a director of the Chamber and Ms Owen notes Anthony’s prominence locally.
“It looks to support everyone in the borough [of Halton] and has a legacy built on great service, community spirit, and getting people to where they need to go,” she told guests.
Highlighting how integrated coach operators are into their communities, Ms Owen notes how Anthony’s Travel “proves that small businesses can make a big difference.” The operator continues to work with charities in Halton, and it has various sponsorships in place to support local events and sports teams.
The birthday party saw cash raised for heart muscle charity Cardiomyopathy UK. £890 was forthcoming on the night, with Anthony’s Travel and supporter C9 Recruitment agreeing to round that number up to £1,000. Further donations are expected.
Since formation in 1985, Anthony’s Travel has claimed 30 accolades, including multiple triumphs at the routeone Awards. “When we won the first, I recall what my father said: ‘Not too bad for a pair of blaggers from Runcorn’,” Mr Bamber Jr concludes.
