Belle Vue Company History
Remembering the old Belle Vue Manchester.
The Company, Belle Vue (Manchester) Ltd originally world
famous for pleasure rides including 'The Bobs' and the
beautiful zoological gardens, is now one of Manchester's
leading brands in Fun packed Coach Tours. Based on the theme of
a fun packed day out from the old Belle Vue, the new Belle Vue
is gearing towards fun packed excursions and holidays for
everyone. From a variety of coach tours from our group
excursion brochure, visits to fun filled theme parks for the
kids, to door to door coach tour holidays for senior citizens!
We provide a comprehensive professional service that ensures
all our passengers receive a fantastic experience. We also
provide a range of private and corporate coach hire services
across Manchester, the North West, the UK and Europe.
The original company started trading in 1925 and became the
country's leading pleasure park. With a vast site featuring
pleasure rides, zoo, circus, dance halls, wrestling, boxing,
roller skating, bowling, bingo, speedway, stock cars, greyhound
racing, a lake and beautiful gardens to name just some of the
attractions.
The memories of the original Belle Vue still linger in the
minds of those fortunate enough to have experienced the
pleasure of such an outstanding theme park. The company was
broken up into sections and sold off in the seventies. The
original site was sold for redevelopment. Today the site hosts
a bingo hall, cinema complex, a private housing estate and a
vehicle auction centre.
You can view videos of the old Belle Vue Manchester
here:
Belle Vue Tribute - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofr5jcl1Vnc
Belle Vue Zoo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rbd3xarG0k
Belle Vue Memories - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJBdWyjscdk
The Start of the new Belle Vue (Manchester) Ltd.
Opposite the site of the old speed way track (now vehicle
auctions) is where the new Belle Vue was first incorporated.
The business has developed consistent growth from 1992 to the
present day. The company was formed in 1993 by the present
directors. The company was formed when Philip Hitchen (Managing
Director) had a burning desire to bring an Executive Taxi
(Private Hire Car) service to the city of Manchester. Philip
Hitchen joined Ian Braggs company Belle Vue Cars in December
1992 and he started to expand the business quite successfully
in a short period of time. Philip Hitchen then purchased the
business of Mount Road Cars and joined forces with Ian Bragg in
1993 and merged the two companies of Belle Vue Cars and Mount
Road Cars and made the company into one of Manchesters leading
private hire car company's. The Company rapidly built up a
client base of hundreds of blue-chip companies. With uniformed
professional drivers and quality executive cars, the companys
growth soon started to materialise.
The company changed its name from 'Belle Vue Cars' to
'Belle Vue (Manchester) Ltd' and restructured to a Limited
Company in 1996 and the company expanded into the PCV minibus
and coach market in 1997 through the direction of Ian Bragg.
Belle Vue also acquired the purchase of VIP Cars, a local
private hire company to expand its local customer base.
The purchase of Griffiths Coaches - Hyde.
In 1997 Belle Vue expanded into the pcv coach business,
which saw rapid growth between 1997 and 1999. In 1998 Belle Vue
purchased Griffiths Coaches of Hyde, Cheshire.
In 1999 a Chauffeur Driven Car & Limousine department
was expanded with a fleet of Mercedes, Jaguars, Rolls Royces
& American Stretch Limousines. Belle Vue was now highly
geared to serving the corporate client. With this in mind the
taxi side of the business was sold in 1999 and the company
reinvested in its coach fleet by purchasing a number of
Executive Coaches. With a fleet of new minibuses and quality
coaches the company had a diverse fleet of executive vehicles.
At the turn of the Millennium the company expanded it's
services into Coach Tours & Holidays. With a variety of day
excursions, Weekend Breaks & Holidays, the company rapidly
built a reputation for value for money holidays! A classic
example of this is door to door holidays, especially favoured
by our senior citizens.
Recruitment of Kenny Walsh.
In 2001 Belle Vue installed it's own Maintenance &
Service Division, managed by Kenny Walsh. With enthusiasm and
dedication Kenny has proven to be a valuable player in the
Belle Vue management team and has since been promoted to
Maintenance Director in 2009.
With coach tour operations in 2002 expanding to France,
Germany, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland the company's desire
to conquer new shores travelled on. With commitment to training
and reinvestment in the fleet the consistent growth of the
Company was assured. Belle Vue played a major part in the
transportation of the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.
The start of the Yellow School Bus Service.
In 2003 Belle Vue pioneered a new Yellow School Bus Scheme
in conjunction with the GMPTE. Belle Vue have been working
diligently in providing transport solutions for home to school
travel resulting in less rush hour madness and poor antisocial
behaviour on the school buses. All students are committed to
behaving in an acceptable fashion and our Yellow Bus Scheme is
proving to be a relaxed and reliable means of Transport. We
currently operate Contracts right across the City in Tameside,
Stockport, Trafford and Manchester and we are pleased to
offer our brand new fleet of Yellow School Buses for Hire and
Reward for all School, College and University based
Transportation.
New purpose built Maintenance Facilities.
2004 saw Belle Vue sustain major growth in all areas of the
business. The coach fleet was expanded with quality vehicles
and Belle Vues policy of staff training and fleet reinvestment
saw major returns in the quality of service that the Company
provided. Many major contracts in the education sectors of the
business were expanded and Belle Vue also expanded into Stage
Carriage Bus Services. Belle Vue also recruited and quality
approved many other coach suppliers throughout the Northwest to
ensure the range of services was extended beyond the existing
fleets capacity. The Maintenance Department was also expanded
as a new site was secured and new garage facilities were
purpose built to ensure the future development of our fleet
maintenance program.
In 2005 Belle Vue had already developed a high reputation as
a quality coach tour holiday provider over the previous five
years. With many senior citizens relying on our door to door
holiday service and the personal care and attention of our
Office Staff and Tour Managers, the expansion of this
department was continuous. Belle Vue put three senior managers
through CPC Courses (Certificate of Professional Competence) in
2005 ensuring that the Industrys professional coach management
requirements were installed right throughout our Company. This
included the Transport and Sales Offices, the Accounts Office
and also our Maintenance Department which was rapidly
becoming a major contractor of vehicle inspections and
maintenance services to other operators.
The purchase of County Coaches, Stockport and the
relocation of Belle Vue to Discovery Park.
In August 2005, Belle Vue expanded its Wheel Chair
Accessible Coach Service by purchasing 5 wheel chair accessible
coaches, one standard coach and the private hire client base of
County Coaches Ltd who were based at Stockport. The Directors
from County Coaches had decided to retire and a deal was struck
by Belle Vue, which ensured Belle Vue would continue to provide
a professional and comprehensive wheel chair accessible coach
service to the client base of County Coaches. Belle Vue
recruited some of the driver team that provide a quality
service. At the end of September after the County business had
been incorporated into the Belle Vue system, Belle Vue
relocated to the former premises of County Coaches. With other
expanding travel services the new premises could accommodate
the projected growth plans of the business in the coming
future. The new operating centre would create improved customer
services in our bus and coach operations, our door- to-door
holidays and our maintenance inspection services.
The purchase of Lambeth Coaches, Stockport.
In 2009 Belle Vue acquired the business of Lambeth Coaches
Ltd of Reddish, Stockport. Having traded for 35 years the
owners decided to retire amidst growing competition in a
competitive market place. Belle Vue had been a major competitor
to Lambeth in the late 90s and early 00s and the acquisition
resulted in the loss of a local operator. Belle Vue took only
three vehicles and two staff from the business and acquired the
customer base to expand further.
The future.
Belle Vue are continuing to grow at a steady and well
planned pace ensuring a high quality service is maintained on
all its services. With plans for quality accreditation and CPC
training for the driver team the business should remain in a
strong position despite a tough economic climate.
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