It was celebration time when Pamela Burn marked 50 years to the day since she joined the family business, Stoke-on-Trent coach operator Copeland’s Tours.
On 12 November 1969, Pamela took up an office-based role with Copeland’s. That later grew to include minibus driving as and when required. Fittingly, last week’s surprise dinner also occurred on what would have been the birthday of her late husband Mike, who passed away in 2014.
Organised by Jason Burn, Pamela and Mike’s son and current head of Copeland’s, the evening was attended by representatives of several other Staffordshire operators. Among them were Boydons Coaches, Paul’s of Stoke, Robin Hood Travel and Stantons of Stoke.
Also present was a member of the Bostock family, formerly of Bostock’s Coaches of Congleton. Current and former employees of Copeland’s also attended. Others from among the many friends that the firm has made in the Potteries filled out the tables.
Fond memories of Copeland’s
Copeland’s moved to its current Meir base in 1976. Pamela has many fond memories of the five decades that have passed since she joined the business that she still attends five days per week.
“The main thing for me is that I enjoy coming to work. If I didn’t and I was miserable, I would stay at home. While we’ve seen some great highs and lows, the industry has always been very good to me.”
Once selling a coach to a pair of Irishmen who made payment with a briefcase full of punts, much to its regular driver’s chagrin, is among those memories, as are many others.
One of the many reasons for Pamela’s decision to remain with Copeland’s past retirement age is its staff.
She credits them greatly with helping the family to grow the business to its current 22 vehicles. Among the many current and former employees that attended last week’s celebration, several measured their years of service to Copeland’s in double digits.
A strong pedigree to build on
Copeland’s traditional two blues and orange livery will be well known to many in the industry. One of its DAF-engined Bova Futuras, already named after her, has gained a commemorative sash to mark Pamela’s service. But Copeland’s was until not long ago a bastion of British-built coaches.
“In the 1980s my father favoured Fords with Plaxton bodies,” says Jason.
“Stoke-on-Trent was a different place in those days. We had lots of work for collieries, hospitals, potbanks, schools and working men’s clubs. Coaches would leave the depot at 0430hrs and not finish for the day until 2230hrs. I look back now and wonder how the Fords did it.”
Jason became involved with the family business at a very young age as Pamela returned to work 13 days after giving birth. Another of her endearing memories is of strapping Jason’s carrycot, complete with him in it, into the driver’s seat of a coach that was being cleaned and forgetting about it until getting halfway home.
“We put in long hours in those days, but the work justified it. Office staff, drivers and engineers all pulled together to ensure that the job got done. That has always been the case at Copeland’s,” says Pamela.
Indeed, affixed to the rear of each coach is a simple phrase of which Jason and Pamela are equally proud: The Family Firm.
A coaching community
Both Jason and Pamela speak highly of the service still given by their staff. Commitment comes from those in every role, whether it is members of the garage team reporting for work at 0300hrs to do a job before a coach goes out to drivers who stick together and help each other wherever possible.
Jason’s particular area of pride was inherited from his father. It concerns fleet maintenance and presentation.
“For as long as I have been here, we have always been adamant that coaches are kept to the highest standards,” says Pamela. “It is a particular thing for us.” That has served the business well. Partly thanks to its livery, Copeland’s is almost a household name in Stoke-on-Trent.
Another thing that has stood Copeland’s in good stead is its relationships with other operators. Countless connections have been made with companies both near and far. The sense of community is strong here.
What’s the bottom line, the thing that has kept Pamela in the family business – and the coach industry – for five decades? It’s simple, she says. “Because I love it.”
