A RUNCORN firm has driven home with a top award at a national awards.

Anthony’s Travel are celebrating after being crowned small coach operator of the year at the prestigious Route One Awards held at Hilton Metropole Birmingham/

After a three year break due to the pandemic the Bus and Coach industries came together for a sell-out awards evening earlier this month with an attendance of 800 industry professional and guests.

The award was presented to Oliver Bamber and his father Richard Bamber by actress and comedian Sally Phillips, alongside Matthew Squires MAN Truck and Bus and Tim Deakin Route One Magazine.

Richard Bamber, managing partner of Anthony’s Travel, said: “It was a real honour to receive this unexpected award.

"When you looked around the room there were so many hardworking people, companies and operators, all deserving of recognition and all doing a great job in the industry through the most challenging of circumstances so for the judges to select Anthony’s Travel was a big surprise and a testament to the hard work of all our team so it was bottles of fizz and chocolates all round “

Richard’s son Oliver Bamber, grandson of the late founder Tony Bamber, collected the award on behalf of the company. Oliver recently joined the company as an apprentice and is third generation to enter the family company which has been trading for 37 years.

Richard added: "It was a proud moment for myself to see Oliver take the lead in accepting the award, it certainly would of made his grandfather smile.

"When we founded Anthony’s Travel in 1985 I was not much younger than Oliver and he shares the same enthusiasm and passion I do. Whilst in my mind I still see myself as the same young kid entering the industry when I look in the mirror there is someone much older looking back, so great to have the next generation onboard.“