Hugh (Hughie) Jones, 81, has died after a short illness. He started Manchester-based Jones Executive Coaches in November 1970, now run by his son Simon, as an offshoot of his brothers’ travel agency C & V Jones Travel.
He continued to run the business on a part-time basis until 1975 when he took the plunge to concentrate solely on coaching.
From the beginning the coaches operated were very high spec for the early ‘70s with toilets, tables, hot drinks and one coach even had draught beer.
The business concentrated on corporate work in its infancy and also carrying football teams such as Burnley, Bury and Manchester United along with the touring international cricket teams from 1990 until 2003.
Having retired in 1997 Hugh enjoyed travelling the world but still found time to come to the yard almost a weekly.
The funeral is at Manchester Cathedral – where he sang in the choir for 38 years – on Friday 24 November at 1130hrs.
