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Where was your first holiday?

mw0njm. said:
my first real holiday was with my aunty and uncle at the age of 5. we went to ireland.a cottage on the mourn mountains.we travelled all night by train to the ship.when on board i spent the day on deck looking at the sea at the rear of the ships wake like Titanic. the cottage we stopped at was great, loads of things i learned to ride a bike by putting my foot through the frame,not over it. and rides on a jaunting cart to town.:grinning:

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:grinning:
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When I look back at holidays like that (there weren’t many) I always seemed to learn so much stuff in so little time!
 
mw0njm. said:
my first real holiday was with my aunty and uncle at the age of 5. we went to ireland.a cottage on the mourn mountains.we travelled all night by train to the ship.when on board i spent the day on deck looking at the sea at the rear of the ships wake like Titanic. the cottage we stopped at was great, loads of things i learned to ride a bike by putting my foot through the frame,not over it. and rides on a jaunting cart to town.:grinning:

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:grinning:
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Richard Dye said:
When I look back at holidays like that (there weren’t many) I always seemed to learn so much stuff in so little time!
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I also made a similar journey to the West of Ireland (Clare)
The journey began at New St station the boat train (change at Crewe) then to Holyhead, I remember getting of the boat train and seeing the ship the Hibernia I think was the name
it looked very imposing to a 8 year old , and a crossing then was 3 to 5 hours (depending on the weather and the Irish Sea) . Arrive in Dun Laoghaire and a train journey to the West of Ireland took another 6 to 7 hours.
All with it for the fun I had there living 2 minutes from the Atlantic and a beach, riding horses , feeding hens, watching cows being milked , mackerel fishing, setting pots for cray fish and lobster.
 
My first holiday was to Southsea in Portsmouth. My mother came from there, we always stayed at her sisters house so it was a cheap holiday for us. We went for two weeks every year and still go to this day.
 
John L said:
Yes, I went on several of those trips with my Nan with Andy's Coaches at Stockland Green in the 60s. The trips were run by "The Sons of Rest" who were based at Brookvale Park, where they had a hut with a snooker table. I was the youngest on those trips by some way on most occasions, with most of the day trippers being 60+ (I would now fit the bill nicely ;)). Destinations included Weston, New Brighton, Colwyn Bay, Symonds Yat and Magical Mystery Trips (just like The Beatles:)). My Nan and her friends would always make for Woolworths first.
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There was a Son’s of Rest in Digby Park off Somerville Rd , it got burnt down a terrible shame ☹️
 
Covroad said:
I also made a similar journey to the West of Ireland (Clare)
The journey began at New St station the boat train (change at Crewe) then to Holyhead, I remember getting of the boat train and seeing the ship the Hibernia I think was the name
it looked very imposing to a 8 year old , and a crossing then was 3 to 5 hours (depending on the weather and the Irish Sea) . Arrive in Dun Laoghaire and a train journey to the West of Ireland took another 6 to 7 hours.
All with it for the fun I had there living 2 minutes from the Atlantic and a beach, riding horses , feeding hens, watching cows being milked , mackerel fishing, setting pots for cray fish and lobster.
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I was spoiled having holidays as many of my schoolfriends' parents could not afford them. One of my most favourite holidays was my first trip to Ireland aged 17. I have a jaunting car photo too. My Irish mate with whose family I stayed with, remarked that the first thing I said was the pillar boxes were green. The first thing I actually noticed was the smell of the turf peat fires, in Dublin as we arrived, bleary eyes against the fog very early in the morning off the ferry. Shuttled on to a train from Dunlaoghaire, a train with a corridor, changing trains, and street names in Irish and English. And his aunty and granny's warm welcome and the smell of her frying sausages for us.
 
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Nico said:
I was spoiled having holidays as many of my schoolfriends' parents could not afford them. One of my most favourite holidays was my first trip to Ireland aged 17. I have a jaunting car photo too. My Irish mate with who's family I stayed with, remarked that the first thing I sad was the pillar boxes were green.
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I was amazed to learn there was red and white lemonade, Tayto crisps , and Kimberly biscuits
 
Covroad said:
I was amazed to learn there was red and white lemonade, Tayto crisps , and Kimberly biscuits
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I forgot about the biscuits. And pink and whites. Coddle, corned beef cabbage and potatoes, Yorkshire Relish sauce, a Baby Power for the granny, I didn't know what a Baby Power was, white puddin' Galty bacon and cheese. Smithwicks. A brown soda from Johnston Mooney and O'Brien, (bought a loaf for one an' nuyen') I kept going back. We had Cabbage Patch dolls, they had Cauli Dollies.
 
Covroad said:
I was amazed to learn there was red and white lemonade, Tayto crisps , and Kimberly biscuits
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I used the ruse of buying a bag of Tato every day at the local newsagents as I fancied one of the daughters. We had a 2 week holiday romance. £1.50 cover charge to the Country Club, Portmarnock, including Chicken and chips in the basket, a cabaret and dance.
I also rememberCider bar ice pops.
 
Nico said:
I used the ruse of buying a bag of Tato every day at the local newsagents as I fancied one of the daughters. We had a 2 week holiday romance. £1.50 cover charge to the Country Club, Portmarnock, including Chicken and chips in the basket, a cabaret and dance.
I also rememberCider bar ice pops.
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A bottle of cidona ( May be spelt incorrectly) and a screwball ice cream with a ball sweet in the bottom of the cone was my treat
 
John L said:
Yes, I went on several of those trips with my Nan with Andy's Coaches at Stockland Green in the 60s. The trips were run by "The Sons of Rest" who were based at Brookvale Park, where they had a hut with a snooker table. I was the youngest on those trips by some way on most occasions, with most of the day trippers being 60+ (I would now fit the bill nicely ;)). Destinations included Weston, New Brighton, Colwyn Bay, Symonds Yat and Magical Mystery Trips (just like The Beatles:)). My Nan and her friends would always make for Woolworths first.
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Stockland Coaches were at Stockland green until Bowen took them over. Andys were in Nechells I believe.
 
nickcc101 said:
Stockland Coaches were at Stockland green until Bowen took them over. Andys were in Nechells I believe.
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One of my part time jobs as a young boy was at Eatonways Coach’s cleaning the coaches inside and out. There were no auto washes in those days just a hose , step ladders , and gallons of water for the outside ; and a dustpan ,brush, vacuum cleaner,, mop and bucket, dusters, an endless supply of pledge polish A coach could take 3 to 4 hours.
When cleaning the inside ,, especially the seats you would find loose change (perk of the job) also some other interesting items
A family called Foy owned the coach firm then. ,but Bowen’s of Cotterills Lane took them over.
 
Covroad said:
One of my part time jobs as a young boy was at Eatonways Coach’s
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Eatonway's featured very much in my life. They took me from Garretts Green to Junior School in Bordesley Green while we waited for Blakenhale to be built. (1948-49) Day trips to seaside with my mom and brothers in 1950's. Transport to work at WB Umberslade in late 1950-60's. Apprentice trips to London Motor Show and Blackpool Illuminations in 1960's. A constant backdrop to my early life.
 
Hello
Eatonway’s in the 60’s / 70’s were set up on both sides of the Coventry Road (Opposite each site) with the main site and offices on the Bedders chip shop side of the road and the other site across the road neighbouring Smiths Industries .
The main fleet would be parked on the Smiths side as you could park 6 to 8 coaches adjacent the car showroom and 2 / 3 coaches on the Bedders side with some over spill parking on the crescent shaped area that led to Heybarnes rec. It was usual practice in those days for the drivers especially those on the school / works run to park their vehicles near to where the lived for an early start.
The whole group coaches , car show rooms went into administration in the late 60’s and eventually Bowen’s from Cotterills Lane took the coach part of the group over, with the dar showrooms sub let to an independent second hand car dealer.
 
Hello,
The mystery tours were normally ’planned’ for example a run to Symonds Yat would be ran in conjunction with another coach firm (Andy’s Smiths, etc) and the local pubs and restaurants in the destination would be advised so they could prepare for the influx of visitors and give the coach a prime parking spot and delivering 40 odd customers to a local pub.
Another ‘perk’ of my job was I would get to go on some of the trips to assist the driver , I would run the unofficial raffle on the coach , assist the passengers getting on and off, and most importantly taking the hat around on the return journey . Which lead to a very lucrative Sunday affternoon
 
Covroad said:
One of my part time jobs as a young boy was at Eatonways Coach’s cleaning the coaches inside and out. There were no auto washes in those days just a hose , step ladders , and gallons of water for the outside ; and a dustpan ,brush, vacuum cleaner,, mop and bucket, dusters, an endless supply of pledge polish A coach could take 3 to 4 hours.
When cleaning the inside ,, especially the seats you would find loose change (perk of the job) also some other interesting items
A family called Foy owned the coach firm then. ,but Bowen’s of Cotterills Lane took them over.
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During my 3 years working for Stocklands I would work nights during the main season repairing the coaches ready for service the next day. The cleaners would also work nights readying the vehicles for the next day. A really happy and enjoyable time of my life.
 
It was a similar set up at Eatonways they had workshop at the rear of the Coventry Rd site, but if I recall correctly any major works / repairs would be done in Coventry at Bunty and Godiva coaches who had a massive workshop .
 
Covroad said:
Hello,
The mystery tours were normally ’planned’ for example a run to Symonds Yat would be ran in conjunction with another coach firm (Andy’s Smiths, etc) and the local pubs and restaurants in the destination would be advised so they could prepare for the influx of visitors and give the coach a prime parking spot and delivering 40 odd customers to a local pub.
Another ‘perk’ of my job was I would get to go on some of the trips to assist the driver , I would run the unofficial raffle on the coach , assist the passengers getting on and off, and most importantly taking the hat around on the return journey . Which lead to a very lucrative Sunday affternoon
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The old time Drivers would know every trick in the book how to increase their, poor at the time,wages. Best tip was how to unload the boot and side lockers by handing cases to customers and not just emptying everything out with the passengers picking up their luggage and walking away. Another was lifting every seat squab on return looking for lost change as they new the cleaners would :) :)
 
We did everything in house including bodywork and engine reconditioning, the only time work was farmed out was major accident repairs.
 
Covroad said:
Hello,
The mystery tours were normally ’planned’ for example a run to Symonds Yat would be ran in conjunction with another coach firm (Andy’s Smiths, etc) and the local pubs and restaurants in the destination would be advised so they could prepare for the influx of visitors and give the coach a prime parking spot and delivering 40 odd customers to a local pub.
Another ‘perk’ of my job was I would get to go on some of the trips to assist the driver , I would run the unofficial raffle on the coach , assist the passengers getting on and off, and most importantly taking the hat around on the return journey . Which lead to a very lucrative Sunday affternoon
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i wondered were i had seen you was it Elsbels Palace Hotel?:grinning:
1663056257577.png1663056540733.png
 
nickcc101 said:
The old time Drivers would know every trick in the book how to increase their, poor at the time,wages. Best tip was how to unload the boot and side lockers by handing cases to customers and not just emptying everything out with the passengers picking up their luggage and walking away. Another was lifting every seat squab on return looking for lost change as they new the cleaners would :) :)
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Hello,
that was the first thing I was told ‘lift the seat, get your hand down the back’ the other lesson I soon learned was wear a pair of marigold gloves before you out your hands down
There was one very enterprising driver who would on the mystery trips, especially Stratford on Avon would ask the passengers did they want to go back to Birmingham a more scenic route and they would always say yes, but all he did was drive towards Evesham to a big island turn around go down a lane so you could see the river then back on the main drag to Birmingham his ‘hat’ was always full
 
Just after ww2 a family in our road had a small transport business and advertised a coach trip to Rhyll. Many people in our road booked on it but were surprised when a rather old West Bromwich single decker bus rolled up. The driver sat in a separate cabin and there was an open front entrance with only a leather strap to keep us in. I half expected to see a bus conductor!
We set off and found the Chester Road then trundled along the everlasting A5 with much gear changing, and regular top-ups of water in the radiator. About mid-day we arrived in Rhyll where the sky was grey, the sea was grey and not a bit like I had seen on postcards. We all went on the beach for a paddle but after a few hours it was time to go home. On the return journey, I remember crates of beer, stops to go behind hedges, and looking for streams to get water for the radiator. But everyone seemed jolly and and thought it had been a good day out ... :)
 
oldMohawk said:
Just after ww2 a family in our road had a small transport business and advertised a coach trip to Rhyll. Many people in our road booked on it but were surprised when a rather old West Bromwich single decker bus rolled up. The driver sat in a separate cabin and there was an open front entrance with only a leather strap to keep us in. I half expected to see a bus conductor!
We set off and found the Chester Road then trundled along the everlasting A5 with much gear changing, and regular top-ups of water in the radiator. About mid-day we arrived in Rhyll where the sky was grey, the sea was grey and not a bit like I had seen on postcards. We all went on the beach for a paddle but after a few hours it was time to go home. On the return journey, I remember crates of beer, stops to go behind hedges, and looking for streams to get water for the radiator. But everyone seemed jolly and and thought it had been a good day out ... :)
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Hello
What a wonderful recollection of a trip to Wales in what I believe they called a boneshaker in the day, I like the comment looking for streams to top the radiator up
 
Covroad said:
Hello
What a wonderful recollection of a trip to Wales in what I believe they called a boneshaker in the day, I like the comment looking for streams to top the radiator up
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I suppose some of the older adults on our Rhyll trip might have been on pre-war trips in charabancs like the one below so the windows and roof of the old bus we went in would have been a luxury !
rosie said:
Here are my Nan and Grandad standing up with Dad and Uncle.
Scan-021.jpg
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