After over 60 years in the industry, Stanley Travel founder Robert Scott made the decision to retire in July. He discusses the progression of the business, from local taxi operator to a business with over 75 vehicles
Q: How did you come to start Stanley Taxis, which subsequently became Stanley Travel?
A: I got a taxi licence when I was about 18. I worked with a man whose wife worked at the local BBC transmitter station, and asked if I wanted a job as the BBC’s taxi man was hopeless. I had to take the BBC staff into the transmitter station three times a day. I went up to see the engineer in charge at the transmitter station, and he gave me the job if I could guarantee a good service. I ended up doing that job, three times a day, for 25 years. When all this was going on, I helped local taxi operators. They used to ask me to go down and help on a Saturday night. One night, one of them asked me if I fancied buying them out. I wrote him a cheque, he went out the door and I didn’t see him again. The other operator then asked me to buy him out too, and I was in the position to write him a cheque too.
Q: How did the business progress over the years?
A: I was the only one in the town operating taxis, and I did a lot of school work and still had the BBC contract. I kept increasing my fleet, and was financing the whole business myself. I eventually obtained a 28-seater Bedford in 1957. In 1961 I went full time into taxis and buses, and employed about 10-15 people. I did some work for a man who provided cars for funeral services. He ended up offering me the hearse and three funeral cars. We used to do maybe 3 funerals a day, and with the limousines on a Saturday we might do a wedding and a couple of funerals. We were brushing confetti out of the limousines to go on to the funerals. We faded the limousines out and began concentrating more on taxis and buses and we provided transport for Durham prison for 25 years. Our eldest son, Ian, was a Radiographer but decided to come work for us. Our youngest son, Andrew, also came to join us. They really developed the business. They were young, dynamic, and they took over the running of the business. They’ve really made quite the success of it. I’ve been in the background since I’ve been in my 60s. Ian looks after the garage and maintenance side, and Andrew looks after the office side. Ian has about five or six mechanics with him, and Andrew has about the same in the office with him. Our grandson, Gavin, has come into the business now, after being a professional footballer. So now my sons look after the business, and it’s doing quite well. We’ve got quite a big turnover, and the fleet has quite a few new coaches. We now also do coast to coast cycle transport, and have about seven trailers now. I didn’t expect that it would be this big, but I’m very happy with it.
Q: What have been some of the highlights of your career?
A: Both our sons got married, and we were able to build them both new houses – they started off married life without a mortgage. I thought that was quite a good wedding gift. On our farm now we have our own house, we have our granddaughter in what they called the head horse keepers house, Andrew is in the barn conversion, and Ian is in a brand new house built here. I couldn’t have managed this business without the help of my wife, Ann. She used to drive the taxis, and I couldn’t have managed without her. My mother in law ran the office for years, and my father in law used to drive for us for years. That’s the highlight, and I’m pleased our sons have gone into the business. It’s been a partnership, and the family has knitted together and made this business what it is today. It’s been great, and still is.
