How to celebrate my 10th anniversary as a coach operator was a bit of mystery, apart from going out for a meal.
I own a ‘reverse steering’ bicycle and decided to ride it from Scarborough to Bradford, a distance of 86 miles, to raise money for the BBC Children in Need appeal.
The arrival was covered on television by BBC Yorkshire.
Apart from being a weird way to mark the anniversary, I was giving something back. When I was six years old my father died and my mother, unable to cope with four children, put us into children’s homes. I am now repaying that debt to society.
JA Wood Coaches was formed in February 1960 by Jim Arnold Wood and operated by Jim until he died in 2006. After his death his wife, Muriel Wood, sold the company to me. As it was well established, I decided to continue operating under the same trading name, making JA Wood Coaches one of the longest trading coach companies in Scarborough.
Today we run a 16-seater minicoach and a 29-seater midicoach, and hire in larger coaches as required.
My TV appearances have continued, as we were hired by the Let It Shine reality TV show to drive people to a venue where Gary Barlow would show up to request a local singer to appear on his show. But the fame has not gone to my head.
As for the future as an operator, I agree with other operators that the driver shortage, especially this month, remains a problem, but I still maintain that coach driving is what you make it, and can be the best job in the world for the right person.
Neil Maiden
Owner
JA Wood Coaches
