Longstanding coach and bus industry figure Houston Ramm has written a novel about the sector in the early-1970s, titled Forward with Avanti and described as volume one of the Avanti Chronicles.
The story begins when insolvency practitioner James Hayne, 30, leaves that field and with help from his rich Australian uncle George, buys a coach operator in north-west England, Avanti Travel.
Funds to expand are in hand and the book describes a rollercoaster ride for the first couple of years, with other operators doing their best to stop Avanti Travel’s expansion. But James inherits good people with the purchase, and between them, they confront those challenges and turn a struggling business into one that thrives.
The book is based on Mr Ramm’s own experiences of working in coach and bus during the early part of the 1970s and is described by publisher Troubador as being perfect for those interested in transport nostalgia from that period.
While it is a fictional account, Mr Ramm says that the book is “a pretty accurate account of what things were like in the 1970s – and what could have been achieved with a significant amount of cash and some good luck!”
Troubador notes how the 1970s were part of coaching’s golden age. James and his team do their utmost to maximise every opportunity – making mistakes along the way but learning from them. As befitting the vehicles of the time, a Bedford VAL with trademark “Chinese six” wheel arrangement is featured on the cover.
Although the novel includes many of the pitfalls that existed for coach operators in the early-1970s, Mr Ramm notes that those in the industry during that period will nowadays share that they enjoyed the experience. Such optimism and enthusiasm is intended to be reflected in the novel, he continues.
Mr Ramm spent over 30 years in coach and bus, working across public and private sectors and later as a dealer and an operator. He also wrote for and later edited an industry trade title.
“The idea for a book has been in my head for many years,” he explains. “Though the work is fiction, I was employed – and self-employed – in the coach and bus business from 1972 to 2004 and many of the events reflect my own experiences indirectly.”
He notes that during the early-1970s, work was plentiful, coaches were relatively cheap, and large operators faced many struggles around working practices, overheads and costs, and difficult management structures. That left opportunity for smaller companies like Avanti Travel.
After beginning his real-life career in 1972 with the Scottish Bus Group, Mr Ramm spent most of the next decade in the coaching and road haulage industries. From 1980 to 1986 he worked in the trade press, later moving into vehicle sales.
Forward with Avanti will be published on 28 August. The hard copy can be pre-ordered from the author directly via www.houstonramm.co.uk, Troubador Publishing’s website, and other bookshops and online sales outlets globally. Cover price is £19.99; the novel is also available in e-book format for £6.99 on all major platforms.
