Silver Star Holidays
Encyclopedia
Silver Star Holidays is a coach
and local bus operating company based in Caernarfon
, Gwynedd
, Wales
. Founded in 1918, its primary operation was coach holiday tours. Local bus services in Gwynedd were run by Silver Star until November 2010, when they were sold to Express Motors
. Silver Star also traded under the Welsh name Seren Arian, with offices is both Caernarfon and Wrexham
. The company entered administration in October 2011 and ceased operation, but announced a month later than operations are to resume.
and Caernarfon
, expanding onto other routes and coach hire work after World War II
.
The local bus operations of Express Motors
were taken over by Silver Star in 1970. Following bus deregulation
in 1986 the company's established routes between Caernarfon and Cesarea faced competition from other operators, but the competing routes proved short-lived. A new competing route in the Nantlle Valley
was introduced by Silver Star, and a Bws Gwynedd contract for several routes in Caernarfon was won in 1990.
In 2008 Silver Star was named Best Coach Tour Operator at the Coach Tourism Awards. The firm opened a new travel office in Wrexham
in late 2008; this contributed to the company's ability to maintain its business levels through the recession in 2009 and 2010. In August 2009 a heratige tour operation branded as Snowdonia and Menai Strait Vintage Coach Tours was introduced, covering Anglesey
, Snowdonia
and the Welsh Highland Railway
.
Negotiations to sell the company's four local bus routes to Express Motors began in 2010, with operation ending at the start of a new timetable on 1 November. This ended almost 90 years of continual local bus service operation by Silver Star. Four vehicles and several staff members transferred to Express Motors. There were no redundancies.
Silver Star ceased trading and entered administration on 6 October 2011, with the loss of twelve jobs. A statement by the company's managing director blamed the closure on increasing fuel prices and the economic crisis
at the time. The company's closure affected around 800 people who had booked holidays with the firm. In November 2011 Silver Star announced on its website that the company was to be reformed and would resume operation.
Silver Star sponsor the Gwynedd Football League. The league was for part of 2007 styled as the Silver Star Holidays Gwynedd League.
initially built for local bus service.
The bus fleet was more varied. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Bristol
vehicles were used, including RE
and LH
class single-deckers and a small number of Bristol VR
double-deck buses. The award of a Bws Gwynedd contract in 1990 saw the purchase a new Dennis Dart
by the company. Two AEC Reliance
s were also operated.
More recently, Mercedes-Benz minibuses
were used on local routes.
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
and local bus operating company based in Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
, Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Founded in 1918, its primary operation was coach holiday tours. Local bus services in Gwynedd were run by Silver Star until November 2010, when they were sold to Express Motors
Express Motors
Express Motors is a bus and coach hire company based in Penygroes, Gwynedd. The company operates numerous public bus services in the Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Bangor and Llandudno areas, as well as the long-distance TrawsCambria service X32 between Bangor and Aberystwyth, though...
. Silver Star also traded under the Welsh name Seren Arian, with offices is both Caernarfon and Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
. The company entered administration in October 2011 and ceased operation, but announced a month later than operations are to resume.
History
Silver Star was established in 1918. It was initially managed by Edward Thomas, who was succeeded by his son Elfyn. The ccompany began operation on a single-vehicle route linking RhosgadfanRhosgadfan
Rhosgadfan is a Welsh village in the county of Gwynedd. It is notable as the birth place of Kate Roberts, the author of a book of short stories entitled Te yn y Grug. The Welsh TV programme C'mon Midffild was filmed in the village hall, prior to its destruction. The hall was destroyed in a blaze...
and Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
, expanding onto other routes and coach hire work after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The local bus operations of Express Motors
Express Motors
Express Motors is a bus and coach hire company based in Penygroes, Gwynedd. The company operates numerous public bus services in the Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Bangor and Llandudno areas, as well as the long-distance TrawsCambria service X32 between Bangor and Aberystwyth, though...
were taken over by Silver Star in 1970. Following bus deregulation
Bus deregulation
Bus deregulation in Great Britain came into force on 26 October 1986, as part of the Transport Act 1985.The 'Buses' White Paper was the basis of the Transport Act 1985, which provided for the deregulation of local bus services in the whole of the United Kingdom except for Northern Ireland and...
in 1986 the company's established routes between Caernarfon and Cesarea faced competition from other operators, but the competing routes proved short-lived. A new competing route in the Nantlle Valley
Nantlle Valley
The Nantlle Valley is an area in Gwynedd, north Wales, characterised by its large number of small settlements.Around 80% of the population of the Nantlle Valley speak Welsh as their first language. Some of the communities came into being as a result of slate quarrying in the late eighteenth or...
was introduced by Silver Star, and a Bws Gwynedd contract for several routes in Caernarfon was won in 1990.
In 2008 Silver Star was named Best Coach Tour Operator at the Coach Tourism Awards. The firm opened a new travel office in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
in late 2008; this contributed to the company's ability to maintain its business levels through the recession in 2009 and 2010. In August 2009 a heratige tour operation branded as Snowdonia and Menai Strait Vintage Coach Tours was introduced, covering Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
and the Welsh Highland Railway
Welsh Highland Railway
The Welsh Highland Railway is a long restored narrow gauge heritage railway in North Wales, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway...
.
Negotiations to sell the company's four local bus routes to Express Motors began in 2010, with operation ending at the start of a new timetable on 1 November. This ended almost 90 years of continual local bus service operation by Silver Star. Four vehicles and several staff members transferred to Express Motors. There were no redundancies.
Silver Star ceased trading and entered administration on 6 October 2011, with the loss of twelve jobs. A statement by the company's managing director blamed the closure on increasing fuel prices and the economic crisis
Late-2000s financial crisis
The late-2000s financial crisis is considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s...
at the time. The company's closure affected around 800 people who had booked holidays with the firm. In November 2011 Silver Star announced on its website that the company was to be reformed and would resume operation.
Promotion and sponsorship
In September 2008 Silver Star announced a plan to plant 12,500 trees, one for each passenger carried by its coach holiday business during the summer of 2008, in schools and public land to reduce its carbon footprint.Silver Star sponsor the Gwynedd Football League. The league was for part of 2007 styled as the Silver Star Holidays Gwynedd League.
Fleet
Silver Star's coach fleet consists largely of high-quality coaches of various designs. The heritage operation uses two vehicles new in the 1950s: an AEC Regal coach with 33 seats and 31-seat Leyland PS1Leyland Tiger (front-engined)
The Leyland Tiger was a heavyweight half-cab single-decker bus and coach chassis built by Leyland Motors between 1927 and 1968, except the period of World War II....
initially built for local bus service.
The bus fleet was more varied. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Bristol
Bristol Commercial Vehicles
Bristol Commercial Vehicles was a vehicle manufacturer of in Bristol, England. Most production was of buses but trucks and railbus chassis were also built....
vehicles were used, including RE
Bristol RE
The Bristol RE was a rear-engined single-deck bus chassis built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles from 1962 until 1982. It is widely considered the most successful of the first generation of rear-engined single-deckers....
and LH
Bristol LH
The Bristol LH was a bus chassis built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles in Bristol, England. Nearly 2,000 were built between 1967 and 1982 in a variety of sizes and body types, including some as goods vehicles.-Models:...
class single-deckers and a small number of Bristol VR
Bristol VR
The Bristol VR was Bristol's rear-engined bus chassis, designed as a competitor to the Leyland Atlantean and Daimler Fleetline.-Development:...
double-deck buses. The award of a Bws Gwynedd contract in 1990 saw the purchase a new Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
by the company. Two AEC Reliance
AEC Reliance
The AEC Reliance was a single-deck bus or coach chassis with a mid-underfloor-mounted engine, built by AEC in Southall, west London, England between 1953 and 1979. The name had previously been used between 1928 and 1931 for another single-deck bus chassis....
s were also operated.
More recently, Mercedes-Benz minibuses
Mercedes-Benz T2
The Mercedes-Benz T2 is a transporter built by Daimler-Benz. The T2 is also known as the "Düsseldorf transporter", since it was built until 1996 in Düsseldorf. The third series, built from 1996 at Ludwigsfelde, is branded the Vario. Some units of the T2 are assembled by Daimler-Benz Espana S.A. in...
were used on local routes.