Acklams Coaches

Currently run by the third generation of Acklam gentlemen, Acklams Coaches started off in 1953 as a taxi business on Ladygate.

Set up by Bernard Acklam, it ran six to eight taxis from its base on Ladygate, where the amusement arcade is now, transporting people around the local area.

His son Paul joined in the late sixties, and the company branched out into providing a minibus service for larger groups of people.

The first coach was bought in 1980 and they managed for 18 years with that vehicle, taking a steady stream of customers to wherever they wanted to go.

However, it was a fateful accident in 1998 which made them re-evaluate their position in the market and sowed the seeds for the coach company they are today.

The one coach they had slipped on some ice in Bishop Burton and crashed into a lamp post.

Rather than give up their coach services, they bought a reasonable second hand coach. Within the year, they had doubled their fleet by buying another second hand coach, to cope with demand.

By this time, Bernard’s grandson Alan had joined the company, having been washing cars since he was 13 and working in the taxi office when he was 15. He now runs the whole operation.

The start of the new millennium saw them purchase a brand new coach and, since then, they have bought a new one every year, as their business has continued to grow.

Acklams now just runs one taxi, but has 25 vehicles in total, ranging from a 78-seater double decker to a four-seater car, and everything in between.

They bought their current premises in 2007, which enabled them to have their garage and their office on one site. They have recently also purchased some land next door in order to continue their growth.

One of the main reasons for their success in recent years is the Coaches2Concerts, which sees them running 70 coach trips a year to various music, theatre and comedy events around the country. Return travel and a ticket to the show are both included in the price, and it has proved to be a very popular initiative.

On the back of this, Acklams has also increased its number of day trips to places including the likes of Alton Towers, the Harry Potter studio and the Coronation Street tour - appealing to both young and old.

Longer breaks are catered for by overnight theatre and hotel stays in London. While the more adventurous coach trippers can take a European holiday to places like Germany, France and Austria, taking advantage of Acklams’ door to door service.

This expansion has prompted Acklams to buy six additional vehicles, including two brand new coaches, and brand new minibus and three double deckers to cope with increased school work.

Looking ahead, Alan hopes to increase the amount of European holidays they are offering - they currently run one a month.

But he admits there has never been a plan. With contracts being awarded and running out on a regular basis, it is impossible to plan for what might happen, so they just go with whatever work they have got at the time.

He wants to keep improving their vehicles year-on-year, with all investment going back into the vehicles, so they can maintain the quality of service for their customers. They now employ two full-time mechanics, and have taken on another apprentice.

Despite Acklams Coaches being a family business, Paul actively discouraged his children from joining, telling them tales of working weekends and nights and it disrupting everything in your home life.

But the pull was too great for Alan, whose wife Natalie is also involved with the logistics and administration side of the business.

He clearly takes pride in the business which his grandfather started over 60 years ago, stating that quality is at the heart of everything they do, whether it be their vehicles, their drivers or even the hotels they book to go alongside their coach trip holidays.

With an attitude like that, and hundreds of satisfied customers who keep returning, Acklams Coaches could still be on Beverley’s roads in another 60 years.