The Golden Age of Coach Travel

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Timeshift, Series 10 Episode 6 of 9

Duration: 1 hour

Documentary which takes a glorious journey back to the 1950s, when the coach was king. From its early origins in the charabanc, the coach had always been the people's form of transport. Cheaper and more flexible than the train, it allowed those who had travelled little further than their own villages and towns a first heady taste of exploration and freedom. It was a safe capsule on wheels from which to venture out into a wider world.

The distinctive livery of the different coach companies was part of a now lost world, when whole communities crammed into coach after coach en route to pleasure spots like Blackpool, Margate and Torquay. With singsongs, toilet stops and the obligatory pub halt, it didn't matter how long it took to get there because the journey was all part of the adventure.

  • Coaches from the Golden Age

    Coaches from the Golden Age

    A 1907 'Slipper' Charabanc, popularly used for works outings.

  • Coaches from the Golden Age

    Coaches from the Golden Age

    Child boarding a 1950s coach bound for Eastbourne.

  • Coaches from the Golden Age

    Coaches from the Golden Age

    A 1969 Samuelsons coach bound for Gatwick Airport.

  • Related Programme - The Golden Age of the Liners

    Related Programme - The Golden Age of the Liners

    Paul Atterbury embarks on an alluring journey into the golden age of ocean liners, finding out how these great ships made such a mark on the popular imagination and why they continue to enchant to this day.

    Time Shift Series 9 - Golden Age of the Liners

Credits

Narrator
June Whitfield
Producer
Debbie Martin
Series Producer
Ben Southwell
Executive Producer
Michael Poole

Broadcasts

See all broadcasts of The Golden Age of Coach Travel (22)

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