Long service awards for Stagecoach staff

Twenty-one dedicated staff who have helped thousands of bus passengers have been recognised for their hard work.

Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire has held an awards event for its long-serving employees at the Low Wood Bay Resort and Spa, Windermere.

Awards were given to people working across the business, recognising between 20 and 45 years of service.

Those receiving the awards have worked for Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire for a combined total of 562 years.

Among them was Jimmy Croft, who works as a depot allocator in West Cumbria.

After 36 years with Stagecoach, Jimmy finds himself at the heart of the company’s operation in West Cumbria.

He said: “I’m an allocator so I forward allocate all the work and all the shifts that we’ll be doing in the foreseeable future. I’m in control of 162 drivers at the last count.

“At our depot we operate services across Workington, Whitehaven and Maryport, as well as services towards Penrith, Carlisle and the Lakes.

“It’s one of those roles – if it isn’t done right the whole lot grinds to a halt.”

He came to Stagecoach in 1989 after the timber yard he had been working at went bust.

He added: “I thought I’d give it six months and see how it goes after that and that was 36 years ago.

“I just love the job. I love the bus industry. After 12 months, I just couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

“I’ve got a HGV class one licence, and all sorts of other qualifications, but I can’t see myself doing anything else but in the bus industry.

“It’s so unique. There’s no two days the same, and the people in the bus station at Workington just make the job.

“I was a driver up to about 12 years ago. Then I put in for a relief depot inspector, which is assisting the inspectors, and that’s another side of the job.

“You’ve got to learn how to run the station from the depot at Lillyhall, allocating the buses out and everything else.

“And then I became a full-time inspector about five years ago, and then I moved to my current role two years ago when the guy here retired.”

Reflecting on his career, he said: “There have been massive changes. One of the biggest I’ve seen come in over the years is the wheelchair accessible buses so disabled people can travel on them.

“When I first started driving, all the buses had steps, they didn’t lower down to pick people up.

“And the management is great. I remember when I first started, if I came to work without a tie on, I got sent home. Now the uniform is much more friendly, more approachable.”

There have been darker times too. Jimmy, now 58, worked through Covid and the lockdowns, training colleagues in social distancing and mask wearing.

“I just had to keep the services running.”

He said he had no plans to retire. He added: “I’m going to carry on as long as I’m fit and well enough to do this job. And if it comes to the point where I can’t do this job, I’ll come back part-time. I don’t think I’ll ever retire from the bus industry.”