Originally running taxis, Thirlwell’s Coaches has seen a great deal of changes over the last 100 years. Two world wars and a sinkhole later, the company is still going strong
An anniversary is a special moment for any company, but 100 years is certainly something to shout about.
Family-run since it started in 1917, Newcastle-upon-Tyne-based Thirlwell’s Coaches is now operated by brothers and sister team, Sue, John and Ian.
While another 100 years might not be on the cards, it has a history that it is understandably proud of.
Where it began
Sue, John and Ian’s grandfather, John Thirlwell, set up Thirlwell’s with his brother Tom, following John’s return from the Merchant Navy.
They originally owned one taxi, which they drove in between shifts from their full-time jobs.
In June 1917, John married Mary and they bought a house on Bensham Road in Gateshead. By this time, John’s brother Joe had joined the business so the three brothers built a garage on the house’s front garden.
The company’s first two charabancs were then purchased in 1920, which were the first ones available in the Gateshead area.
They had four men working for them as drivers and mechanics and they were agents for Citreon cars. In the early 1930s John and Mary moved out of the house and it was demolished to further extend the garage.
John joined the Navy again in 1939, leaving his wife to run the business.
“My grandfather wanted my grandmother to close the whole place up, but she wouldn’t,” says Sue. “So she kept the taxis going with some men who helped her and when my dad was old enough, he came to help as well.”
Sue, John and Ian’s father Jack was called up into the army, but joined the business when he returned.
A new era
“My dad married my mum Marion in 1952 and she came and worked for the garage doing the office work,” says Sue. “By this point, the site at Bensham Road was a filling station, an MoT testing station, and the sole agency for Austin cars. We also sold car parts, repaired cars, and ran 13 coaches doing private work.”
The site was sold to Shell in 1970, and Thirlwell’s moved to its existing premises – Millers Bridge, Swalwell – with just its coaches and a few taxis.
John died in 1976, and then Mary in 1982, leaving Jack and Marion to run the business, and Sue, John and Ian joined the family firm at different stages in their lives.
Thirlwell’s today
Sue started working for the company in the early 1980s to help her father when he was ill.
“I looked after the office while my mum looked after my children and I’ve been here ever since,” says Sue.
“I got my PSV licence in 1988 after my dad died,” she adds. “It was something I’d always wanted to do, but every time he would let me have lessons something would happen – for instance I fell pregnant, and he wouldn’t let me anywhere near a coach. So when he died I passed my test in memory of him.”
Sue now works in the office mainly dealing with the private hires and day trips, while John focuses on the coach holidays.
“I fell pregnant in 1985, so John stepped in while I was on maternity leave and he’s been here ever since as well.
“John and I weren’t going to have anything to do with the coaches, but it gets in your blood,” she adds.
Ian, however, has worked at Thirlwell’s straight from school in the 1970s and works as a mechanic.
“We’ll have disagreements, but we’ll just sit down and talk them out. Generally, for the amount of years we’ve worked together, we get on well,” says Sue.
Thirlwell’s now operates six Plaxton coaches and one minibus.
There are four full-time drivers and four part-timers, including Sue, John and Ian’s cousin John – whose mother Doreen was their father’s sister. He has worked as a driver for the company on-and-off for over 40 years, and his father Walter also drove for Thirlwell’s in the early 1950s.
A fitter, Paul, who works in the garage with Ian, completes the team.
Starting tours
Thirlwell’s began operating coach tours in 1983.
“When I started working for the business, I wanted to change things a bit,” says Sue. “So I persuaded my dad to let me have a go with tours, and I organised one to the Isle of Wight and one to Eastbourne.
“About six weeks later I went to my dad and said ‘I’ve got a problem with this Isle of Wight tour’ and he said ‘I knew you would, I told you it wouldn’t work’.
“I explained to him that it was fully booked, and I needed another coach because I had a waiting list. So we took two coaches to the Isle of Wight, and a full coach went to Eastbourne.”
The company now has a holiday brochure offering tours all over the UK and some into Europe, and also runs day excursions and private hires.
Family values
Sue, John and Ian have picked up a thing or two from their parents and grandparents, and pride themselves on giving the personal touch to their customers.
“Customers like the fact that when they visit us or call us, they will always get either me or John and they will always get an answer,” says Sue.
“Another thing we’ve picked up from our grandparents is that nothing goes out of here until it’s red and grey – our distinctive colours – everything has to go out smart and spotlessly clean, and that includes our drivers, who wear uniforms.
“Repeat business is strong for us. If you look after your customers, you’ll get them back,” she adds.
Memorable moments
A big year for Thirlwell’s was 2012 as it worked for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games as official transport for the London 2012 Summer Olympics.
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Says Sue: “We were proud to have been part of the Olympics, when two of our touring coaches spent six weeks in London with four of our drivers.”
It was a particularly memorable year for the company, as it was also the year the yard developed a sinkhole.
A thunderstorm in June – dubbed ‘Thunder Thursday’ – resulted in the hole in the yard.
“Our fitter called me in the evening to tell me there was a hole the size of a dinner plate in the yard,” says Sue. “It was growing in size as we were talking and by the time I’d got there, it was the size of the roof of a car.
“We just stood and watched it get bigger and bigger. It was sinkhole from the old mine workings. We had the police and the fire brigade here.
“A police officer told us we had 15 minutes to get the coaches out and she organised for them to be parked at the Metrocentre overnight.
“Fortunately it wasn’t too deep. It was eventually filled in and everything was back to normal by November.”
Celebrating 100 years
Thirlwell’s held an open day at Millers Bridge on 24 August to celebrate its 100-year anniversary.
Along with its own coaches, there were preservation vehicles for customers to see, including a Daimler bus, as well as refreshments, stalls, and deals on coach holidays.
“We also organised some special tours to celebrate the anniversary, which we showcased at the open day,” says Sue.
Sue’s two daughters and son – who help out with the business during busy periods – attended the open day with their families.
“My children have their own careers,” says Sue. “Since John and Ian don’t have children, I can’t see the company going on for another 100 years, but I’d hate to see the Thirlwell name go completely.
“We don’t know what the future holds, but we’ll just keep going until we decide enough is enough.”
