Stagecoach staff from across Cumbria have been recognised for their long service with the travel firm.
An event was held at Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa in Windermere to celebrate workers’ dedication.
Tom Waterhouse, managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and Lancashire, praised the staff’s dedication.
The firm said: “Their milestones highlight the important role workers across the business play in delivering reliable bus services and supporting local communities across Cumbria.”
Married couple’s 55 years of service
Sharon and Darren Syverson, of Kendal, are celebrating 55 years of combined service.
Sharon, who works as a secretary with the operations team, has been part of the business for 35 years, while Darren has spent 20 years working as a coachbuilder in the engineering team.
Sharon said her career with Stagecoach began thanks to a tip from her grandfather about a job at Cumberland Motor Services after she was made redundant from K Shoes.
She said: “He said it would be a good place to work and thanks to my grandad, 35 years later I’m still here.”
Darren joined the business some years later after his previous employer closed down.
She added: “He was working for a small business that was shutting down and I mentioned there was a job going for a coachbuilder at Stagecoach and 20 years later he’s still here too.
“I’m hoping to be here until my retirement in eight-and-a-half years.”
Over the years the couple have experienced some memorable moments at the depot.
Sharon recalled one particularly eventful wedding trip involving a heritage AEC Routemaster that had been hired for a celebration.
She said: “We used to have one of the old London Routemaster buses based at the Kendal depot that was mainly used for weddings. On one occasion the bus was struggling to get up Orton Scar because it wasn’t built for hills.
“This resulted in me and all the male passengers getting off and running up the hill in the pouring rain to catch the bus up. One of the guests asked me if I was with the bride or groom and I said ‘neither; I’m with the bus!’ We were soaked through by the time we got back on, which the wedding party weren’t too pleased about.”
Darren remembers driving the Routemaster, including a moment that left him momentarily speechless.
“When he was parked outside the parish church in Kendal, a woman wearing a Union Jack dress came up and told him to get back to his own country,” Sharon laughed. “All he could say was ‘I was born here!’”
Working at the same depot has also suited the couple well.
“It’s actually not that bad working at the same depot,” Sharon joked. “As we’re in different departments I only see Darren once or twice a day and that’s normally when he wants a cup of tea.”
Mr Waterhouse said: “Sharon and Darren’s combined 55 years of service is a fantastic achievement and reflects the dedication and pride that colleagues across our Kendal depot bring to their roles every day.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the contribution Sharon and Darren have made over many years, and their commitment is a great example of the strong team culture we’re proud of across Stagecoach Cumbria and Lancashire.”
35 years behind the wheel for Carlisle’s Richard Mole
Richard Mole is based at Stagecoach’s Carlisle depot as a driving instructor.
He joined the business in 1990.
He said: “I wasn’t exactly inspired to come and work for Stagecoach. I was between sales jobs at the time and applied for a bus driver role because I enjoyed driving. I got the job through the manager at the time, Mike Armstrong, just before I was getting married later that year.”
He worked as a bus driver from 1990 to 2004, before moving into driver training as a relief instructor and later becoming a full-time driving instructor in 2013.
He added: “I’ve really enjoyed my career with Stagecoach; there have been far more ups than downs. As a driver I just got on with the job, driving whatever bus was assigned and working the rota and duties.
“Now I get a lot of satisfaction from training new drivers. Seeing trainees pass their test and begin a new career is probably the most rewarding part of the job.”
Like many long-serving drivers, Richard has experienced plenty of memorable moments over the years.
Richard briefly become part of a TV production when a local bus operator was unable to provide a vehicle for filming.
He said: “I got a call from the manager asking me to take a bus to a car park behind the castle where a TV crew were waiting. They’d been let down by another company.
“I ended up spending the afternoon driving a bus with camera crew, actors and actresses on board around the carriageway from Hardwicke Circus to Carr’s roundabout until they were happy with the filming. It turned into a long but enjoyable day and I even received a £50 thank-you at the end.”
Mr Waterhouse said: “Reaching 35 years of service is a fantastic milestone and Richard’s dedication to the business and to the people he trains is greatly appreciated.
“Over the years Richard has played an important role not only in serving our customers as a driver but also in helping train the next generation of drivers who will continue delivering vital bus services for our communities.”
Keeping Cumbria moving for 40 years
A bus driver from Whitehaven is celebrating 40 years of service with Stagecoach.
Dennis Nicholson said: “I was working for National Bus at the time, and getting a job with Stagecoach back then was a privileged thing. You often had to wait until someone retired before a role came up. So when the opportunity came along, I took it.
“It’s been great working here for such a long time. I’m not going to lie; I’ve seen massive changes from when I first started to today, some for the better and some not, but that’s part of life.
“For me, I come to work, get my head down, do my job and go home. Nobody bothers me at all and I like that; you’re effectively your own boss.”
Dennis says two of his favourite routes are the X5 and the 600, particularly because of the scenery.
He said: “I’ve lived here all my life and one of the things I love most is the scenery and the fells around West Cumbria. That’s another reason I enjoy the X5 so much – the views from my office window are amazing.”
On one occasion, he recalled stopping for a passenger who appeared to be signalling for the bus; only to discover the raised arm wasn’t quite what it seemed.
He said: “There was a man standing at a bus stop with his arm out, so I pulled over and opened the doors. He didn’t move at first so I shouted out to see if he wanted the bus. It turned out he didn’t; it was a false arm he’d taken off to relieve some pain and it just happened to be sticking out like he was hailing the bus.”
Another early memory involved an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction while changing the destination blind on a busy service.
“We used to have ticket clippers with us back then. I stood up to change the blind and the ticket clippers weren’t having it. As I stood up, my trousers didn’t and you can imagine the laughter from the passengers. Everyone left that bus smiling.”
Mr Waterhouse said: “Colleagues like Dennis are the backbone of our business and play a vital role in delivering the reliable and friendly bus services our communities depend on every day.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the enormous contribution Dennis has made over the past 40 years and there are still plenty of miles left in his journey with Stagecoach.”
Barrow’s Neil Bell marks 20 years
A driving instructor from Barrow is celebrating 20 years of service.
Neil Bell, a relief driving instructor at Stagecoach’s Barrow depot, joined the firm after spotting an opportunity that combined his enjoyment of driving with his background in customer service.
Neil said: “When I saw Stagecoach advertising it seemed like a great opportunity to combine what I knew and what I enjoyed.
“Working for Stagecoach for such a long time has given me the chance to move into training, which is something I was interested in.
“It gives me real satisfaction to teach people a job that I enjoy, and I also get to see another side of the business through the supervisory aspects of the role.”
While much of his time is now spent training drivers, Neil still has a favourite route; one that showcases some of the region’s most spectacular scenery.
He said: “My favourite route is to Windermere as you get to see the beautiful Lake District and interact with customers from all over the world enjoying their holidays.”
Like many drivers, Neil has also encountered his fair share of unusual lost property during his time on the buses.
He said: “The funniest things that have happened are the items people leave behind on the bus. I’ve had everything from muddy football boots to a false leg.”
Mr Waterhouse said: “Barrow has earned a deserved reputation as a top-level depot within Stagecoach, and that success is down to the consistently excellent contribution of individuals like Neil. We’re incredibly grateful for everything he has done over the past two decades.”
