SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I've been looking for some information on google for the history of Wallace Arnold. There is some bits & pieces but not much. I wonder if anyone has any info about it? I'm sure a few tales of drunken day trips to Blackpool will follow lol

Erm I know my dad used to work there. Other than that no idea.

Not much info here either Phil, I remember getting up v. early on weekends to go down Wally Arnolds to get the coach,with my Mam and my Gran, and have the odd day out in Scarborough, Brid', or Filey. We used to stop half way on the A64 at a cafe called (I think) The Four Alls, it was a huge place (I think, things seem bigger when you're younger!!). Then on to Scabby for the day.

I worked there for a summer in 1988 whilst at Uni. The red brick HQ off Geldern Road is now strangely derelict (it only being bulit int he 80's I think. There where several travel agents and there was also WASS (Wallace Arnold Sales and Services) on Hunslet Road (now Evans Halshaw after being Reg Vardy for a while).So the Wallace Arnold name has totally gone now I guess.

I worked at WA from 1993 until I was made redundant in 2005. I worked at the offices which were on Gelderd Road and then the business moved to Lowfields Road around 1999.The (now derelict) site on Gelderd Road was used as a garage and interchange as well as the Head Office offices. I think (but I could be wrong) that Reg Vardy bought the site. There was a management buy out (from the Barr Brothers) around 1997. I remember at the time there were rumours that it was going to be bought out by Shearings and when the board had a meeting at the Gelderd Road Site all the staff had a "protest" outside (chanting "no to Shearing, save our jobs" ) it was on the local TV news at the time. In the end it was bought out by the Managment.In 2005 there was a "merger" with Shearings and most of the WA staff were made redundant later that year. Wallace Arnold started it's charabanc trips in 1926.

Phill_d wrote: I've been looking for some information on google for the history of Wallace Arnold. There is some bits & pieces but not much. I wonder if anyone has any info about it? I'm sure a few tales of drunken day trips to Blackpool will follow lol Wallace Arnold was owned by a holding company " Barr & Wallace Trust " which about 1998 sold the coaching and travel business to Leisure Plus the owner of " Shearings " in order to - as it said at the time - " to concentrate on its motor trade activities .It now owns a number of motor dealerships and is known as TMG ( Trust Motor Group ) .Ian Allan Publishing Group has published a history of " Wallace Arnold " titled " Wallace Arnold - The Glory Years " .

In my childhood(1960s) Wallace Arnolds had a booking office at the end of St. Michaels Lane,facing Burley Road.It's now a dental practice but prior to Wallace Arnolds the premises was occupied by J.A Hudson,tour operator.Courtesy of leodis.    

Chrism wrote: Not much info here either Phil, I remember getting up v. early on weekends to go down Wally Arnolds to get the coach,with my Mam and my Gran, and have the odd day out in Scarborough, Brid', or Filey. We used to stop half way on the A64 at a cafe called (I think) The Four Alls, it was a huge place (I think, things seem bigger when you're younger!!). Then on to Scabby for the day. Yeah the cafe was huge,but its apub thats called the four alls and is still there.I used to love going through the ginnel off kirkgate into the Wallace Arnold coach yard (which is now an office car park.)It meant i was going on a big journey to far off places such as Rhyll,Mablethorpe and the mecca of all holiday destinations,Great Yarmouth.That journey was so long that we had to catch the coach at about 10 o clock the Friday night before,stopping of at a pub called the Cross Keys somewhere in Norfolk for a break.Love to know where that pub was.Im not as excited about getting on a plane now as i was getting on a Wallace Aernold coach then.

Phil,here you go matehttp://www.ianallanpublishing.com/product.php?productid=56615

Thanks for all this input and info folks. I'm suprissed how little is documented about the company. Hopefully I'll get a little bit done about them and add all your best bits. Cheers