History

A personal perspective by Phil Harrison

The accidental tour operator

George Harrison came from his native Lancashire to teach in West Norfolk in the late 40s. Not satisfied with returning to his beloved Lake District for his own holidays he wanted to share his love of the area with his pupils. Soon he was running school trips to the Lakes for the children and there are many adults who have fond memories of their school trips some still travel with Harrison Holidays after all these years!

Impressed by his organisational skills, his colleagues asked him to organise a holiday for them. In 1953 he ran his first ever holiday for adults and Harrison Holidays was born. At this time he had no intention or wish to turn his hobby into a business but as his reputation grew so did demand and soon he had a range of holidays throughout Britain.

They don’t make ‘em like they used to!

It’s too easy to look back and see everything through a rosy glow of nostalgia. In reality coach holidays were very different then and not in a good way! What is now an easy days travel in comfort was a bone shaking, exhausting journey in a cramped, noisy, sometimes smelly coach. Hotels were little more than guest houses with shared bathrooms along the corridor and definitely no frills! In spite of the fact that holidays were very basic, prices were proportionally similar to today's maybe more. Holidays are better value now.

Early learning

I travelled on my first coach holiday as a babe in arms, on one of the school trips. By the time I was a toddler the adult holidays had begun and I would sit on a pouffe wedged next to the engine cover (Health and Safety would have a fit!). I had a plastic steering wheel with a sucker to stick on to the dashboard and I would copy every move our driver would make! Later, as my legs grew too long my pouffe was moved to the door step and eventually I was promoted to a seat of my own. You could say I learnt the business from a unique, if rather uncomfortable, perspective.

Over from Dover

By the late 50s it was time to go abroad. Our first foreign holiday was to Austria and was such a success that soon we were travelling all over Western Europe. These were fairly early days for international coach travel and we were often the first British coach in what are now popular resorts. We would cross the channel as foot passengers and use a foreign coach once we were abroad. Even the Dartford Tunnel was not built so we travelled through London or across the Tilbury Ferry. One of our favourite stories was of a local lady who came to George after a ferry crossing of the Thames and said “That was marvellous - they didn’t even ask for our passports” – we had only crossed to Kent!

Milestones:

1953. Start of Harrisons.
1959-60. First ‘commercial’ coach holiday.
Mid 1960’s. First foreign coach holiday.
1986. First Air/Coach holidays.
1986. All hotel bedrooms with private facilities.
1986. All executive coach travel.
1986. Tour Manager/Courier on every departure.
1991. First ‘long haul’ holiday (China).
1993. Free Door-to-Door Service introduced.
1996. Mystery Breaks introduced.
1996. Air-conditioned Coaches.
1998. Ben, 3rd generation Harrison joins the firm.
1999. Purchased, renovated and moved to High Street shop.
1999. Membership of CITO.
2000. Info packs.
2002. Sea Cruising introduced.
2003. CITO Coach Cruising introduced.
2003. Extra legroom on tour coaches.
2004. First “Get together” holiday.
2004. Welcome home pack with fresh bread, milk etc.
2005. Choice at dinner and porters at every centre hotel.
2006. Full cooked breakfast on Dover Calais Crossing.
2006. Setra Grand Touring Coaches.
2006. Introduced – extra elbow room.
2007. Front Facing camera.
2007. Free hot drinks aboard, on all holidays.
2008. Award – Coach Tourism “Operator of the Year”.
2008. Carbon neutral travel introduced for every mile we do.
2009. Award – Coach Tourism “Brochure of the Year”.
2010. Award – “Brochure of the Year”.
2010. Award – “International Coach Tour Operator of the Year.”
2010. Multi page, full colour itineraries.