Meet the grandfather and grandson duo working at Stockport's Belle Vue coaches
By Alasdair Perry
19th Jun 2023 | Local Features
The oldest coach driver in the team at Belle Vue Stockport is helping the youngest recruit to earn his spurs – his grandson.
John Gilbody, 73, was thrilled when 22-year-old Louie Mulcair joined the Stockport company after being made redundant from his previous job during the pandemic.
Louie – the son of John's daughter Joanne – started as a valeter and made such a good impression with his enthusiasm and abilities that his bosses soon offered him the chance to train as a driver.
He achieved all of his qualifications at the first time of asking, and was assigned to school bus routes and coach trips.
Louie and John, who both live in Stockport, have teamed up for a number of trips, including taking Manchester City fans to Wembley matches, a wedding party to London and charity bike riders to Blackpool.
"I get a lot of pleasure from seeing him thriving in his career", the proud granddad said.
As Belle Vue's most experienced driver with more than 40 years under his belt, John is frequently asked by his colleagues for advice, and Louie is no exception.
"Louie comes and asks me questions about routes he's been assigned to, and I try to help wherever I can, although he does a lot of the necessary research himself," John said.
"It's strange to think that, in a way, he is following the career path I took so many years ago.
"I, too, was made redundant from my job driving bulldozers and other heavy plant in 1979, and I switched to become a bus conductor and then a driver.
"I've travelled a lot driving coaches over the years. I've been to more than a dozen countries, and I still love the experience of visiting new and different places."
John joined Belle Vue 12 years ago and now mainly works on school bus routes as well as the occasional coach trip.
"Being a driver is a good, secure job and it gives you the opportunity to share experiences and the enjoyment of travel with lots of people, but you need an understanding partner because you can be away a lot of the time," he said.
Certainly, partners are required on long journeys, with colleague Dave O'Connell being John's most steadfast companion; the two remain friends to this day.
John describes things being 'very different' when he started driving coaches. With no Sat Navs, travel involved using maps and local landmarks. Before the EU was formed, there were also frequent border stops.
As for the new generation of driver, although practicalities may be different, the mentality and interest remains unchanged.
As Louie said: "I've been interested in coaches and buses since I was very young, and my grandad would show me his vehicles.
"Being a driver is a really good job – you are never doing the same thing every day and it's fantastic to visit different towns or cities.
"My first European tour was to Noordwijk in the Netherlands with a hockey team, and my grandad informed me that his first European tour was also to Noordwijk, nearly 40 years ago. History is certainly repeating itself!"
Phil Hitchen, managing director of Belle Vue, said: "I guess it's unusual to have a grandfather and grandson in the same driving team. John has been a leading driver with us for over a decade.
"His attitude and professionalism are first-class, and in 2016 he was a runner-up for the UK coach driver of the year award.
"When I first met Louie, he came across as an outstanding young man and it was a no-brainer to get him trained and qualified. We have many people from the same families working at Belle Vue, which helps to create a close working atmosphere, and John and Louie are no exception."
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