COACHES AND BUSES AT THE GRAND NATIONAL.
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Passenger Vehicles Play a Prtnninent Part in Catering for Racegoers on the Occasion of the Aintree Meeting.
MHERE was a great assembly of _L motor Coaches and motorbuses on the occasion of the Grand National race meeting, which took place at the Aintree Race Course, Liverpool, on March 28th. Practically all the Merseyside owners set out to provide a very comprehensive service at rates which were decidedly attractive, ranging from 8s. 6d. for the return journey and admission to the course.,
to 30s. for the same facilities plus elaborately served meals.
The New Brighton Motor Coach Co., of New Brighton, turned out the largest single fleet of vehicles, consisting, of
eleven units—their entire 'fleet. This company conducted a party, of 240 pas, sengers, to who'rn meals were served in the coaches immediately upon their arrival in the carriage enclosure, all the
catering arrangements being undertaken • by a firm of contractors who had their motor commissariat department on the .course..
Although, motor coaebes formed a substantial .pcirtion -of the 'vehicles congregated on the course, it was noticed that saloon buses and :double-decker buses, especially those owned by the Liverpool
Corporation, were in good. force. The latter vehicles seemed to have been chartered by private 'parties, who used the lower deck for travelling accommodation and the upper deck for viewing the races. Nearly every coach owner made some arrangements for catering for his parties, and this was needed, because vehicles entered the carriage enclosure chiefly between the hours of eleven and twelve o'clock, and did not, leave until, in some cases, after 5 p.m. One coach owner had a motor pantechnicon in use from which to serve meals for the 100 or so passengers he had booked. Most of the coach
owners,.however,•had merely improvized -arrangements. The meals they served had been prepared in readiness for the occasion, and were taken in hampers to the course by the coaches. Thus, all that remained, to be done at the racecourse was to distribute to each passeeger his all-dted share of the food.
The Grand -National, by the way, is really the first big engagement that Merseyside Coach owners have to fulfil each year. Although there were snore motor coaches and buses on the course than usual, it was observed that the number of conveyances frean outside
towna. was fewer than usual. • Covering the Grand National is a full day's engagement for motor vehicles, and, considering that the charge of 8s. 6d. to 10s. was the usual figure for transport and admission to the racecourse and carriage enclosure, it will be seen that the rates for this early-season fixture were on the moderate side.,