Eventful journey

A Monikie reader recalls a trip to the continent by Dickson’s Coaches, about 1959. “We travelled from Dickson’s shop in Reform Street, Dundee,” he says.

“On reaching Dover we left the British right-hand drive bus behind and sailed to France. There, we continued on a bus which had its passenger door on the right-hand side. This was safer for holidaymakers.

“The eventual destination was at Biel in Switzerland where some of the party stayed in the town, whereas we chose the hotel up in a mountainside site at Macolin. From here we had a funicular railway to the town. We enjoyed a few coach tours of the area.

“On the last day we were all warned to rise early as we would be driving all the way to Brussels to arrive by evening. Unfortunately, the driver let us down by sleeping in.

“We set off about two hours late via France, Luxembourg into Belgium. We arrived at our hotel after midnight after a long day on the coach. I think most passengers turned down the offer of a very late supper, preferring to sleep.

“Next day we drove to the coast, crossed by ferry, and headed in a homeward direction.

“I can also remember that some of the tour buses had the European capital names painted on the windows. One of Dickson’s buses had a ‘shark fin’ feature on the roof at the rear.”

“Out walking during the festive break, we saw the male stonechat flying about the farm ditch near Auchterarder,” says reader Angela Mitchell.