AS – After Show          * Denotes Entry Included

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Excursion Brochure


















The Brochure can be obtained from Marchants Booking Office and/or from TIC in Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud
Dear customers,
Welcome to our new style day excursion brochure which has lots of new features for 2013, our 65th Anniversary year.
  • The brochure covers the whole summer season so that you can plan a lot further ahead.
  • Lots of new exciting days out this year, we have found that our passengers prefer variety and that tours which offer an inclusive price are the most popular because we can negotiate cheaper fares and entrance tickets and so be extremely keen on value.
  • Look out for our very special anniversary celebration trip to Torquay on 7th July at a very special fare! We are also having a celebratory lunch there which you are welcome to join us for!
  • We have slightly revised our pickups to include the Racecourse Park and Ride which should offer an attractive alternative to those passengers who need to use their cars to get into town in time for the earlier departures or later returns.
  • We now have some very smart air conditioned midi coaches and these have allowed us to offer some specialised destinations such as the BBC studio tours and Highgrove Gardens which are limited to smaller groups.
  • Look out also for our separate brochures detailing our quality holiday tour programme and day visits to theatres and shows, picking up from the local area.
Have a good look through the diary and come and celebrate 65 years with us on our journeys of discovery!

Roger Marchant
Managing Director

PS Don’t forget to look at our theatre day trip list and extended holiday brochure.
 

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JUNE DIARY
(SHADED DATES GLOS.CC SCHOOL HOLIDAYS)

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Wed 19

Burnham on Sea via Chew Valley Lake
We head to the lakeside café at Chew Valley and a cup of tea. Then we drive down the Cheddar Gorge and into Burnham for lunch and time to wander along the front.
Albert Hall Tour*
Our driver will give you some free time in central London before transferring you in the afternoon to the famous Kensington concert hall, home of the ’Proms’. There we have a guided tour followed by tea and biscuits before rejoining the coach for the return trip.

08:30 £19 AQ

 

08:00 £32 AC
Thu 20

Exmoor visiting Dulverton and Dunster
After a comfort stop on the M5 we head through Wiveliscombe to Dulverton by the Exe in time for lunch. Then we head up through Winsford and Exford to cross the moor and arrive at the top of Porlock Hill. We then descend to historic Dunster for tea.

08:00 £21 AQ
Fri 21

Weymouth
We head down the M5 to Dorset to visit this resort with its fine sandy beach.
Severnside Afternoon Walk visiting Purton Hulks
Something different this afternoon! Our coach drops us at Purton by the Gloucester and Sharpness for a gentle 2-3 mile level guided walk. We visit and hear the story of the Severn Hulks, a string of barges and river craft sunk into the bank to protect it from erosion. Then we go along to the remains of the cross river railway bridge and hear the story of the 1966 disaster. Finally we head up to Sharpness to rejoin our coach and head for a cup of tea*.

08:00 £21 AQ

12:30 £17 AQ
Sat 22

Plymouth including cruise*
We arrive in Plymouth in time to take a one hour cruise around the Hoe and up onto the Tamar. You then have the rest of the day to shop or explore further.
Bristol Cribbs Causeway, Zoo or Shops
You can choose to shop at Cribbs Causeway, visit the zoo or explore the city centre on this trip.

07:30 £27 AQ

 

09:00 £14 TAQ
Sun 23

West Midlands Safari Park*
We start with a drive through the Safari Park before giving the rest of the day to visit the rest of the animal enclosures or to enjoy the theme park rides.
Swanage via Sandbanks Ferry with Train Ride*
We drive past the homes of the rich and famous in exclusive Sandbanks before catching the ferry over Poole Harbour to Studland for the short drive to Swanage. At 15.20 we take a return steam train ride up past Corfe Castle.

09:00 £24 AT

 

07:30 £29 AC
Mon 24

RHS Rosemoor Gardens* North Devon
We head to picturesque Bideford in time for a lunch break by the River Torridge before heading to the 65 acre valley garden near Great Torrington, begun by Lady Anne Palmer in 1958.

07:30 £27 AQ
Tue 25

Chichester or Bognor Regis
Choose from the spectacle of the magnificent cathedral in Chichester or a day by the sea in Bognor.

07:30 £22 AC
Wed 26

Bristol Cruise and Avon Valley Railway with Cream Tea*
We start the day with a guided harbour cruise around Bristol before heading into the Avon valley for our steam train ride which includes a cream tea.
Richmond Poppy Factory Tour with Lunch*
We take a trip up the M4 to Richmond, arriving in time for lunch in the works canteen. Then weare given a full guided tour of the factory devoted to manufacturing the poppies so familiar to us each autumn. We are given tea before setting off home.

09:00 £33 AQ

 

07:30 £29 AC
Thu 27

Sherborne
We head down the M5 with a comfort stop before heading over the Polden Hills and into historic Sherborne. Here you can shop in the famous Pannier market as well as visit the ancient Abbey. In the afternoon we drive up to Stourhead visitor centre and pause for a cup of tea before heading home.
Weston super Mare
Our local seaside resort with recently re-opened Grand Pier.

07:30 £19 AQ

 

09:30 £15 TAQ
Fri 28

Bletchley Park*
This wartime intelligence centre is now open to the public so that we can appreciate the importance of its code breaking role. We are given a guided tour and have further time to explore alone.
Cirencester Water Park and Market
We take a short drive around the park before calling for coffee at the visitor centre. Then we head into Cirencester o the popular street market day.

 08:30 £29 AT

 

09:00 £15 TA
Sat 29

Wellesbourne Market or Stratford
Your driver will drop you off for a full day in historic Stratford or you can continue on to the coach for a visit to the large open market before returning to Stratford for a few hours in the afternoon.
Westfield (Stratford) shops
We head round the M25 and into Stratford for a day shopping at the Westfield centre built for the 2012 Olympics. There is also a direct Jubilee Line connection from here to visit the Shard at London Bridge.

08:30 £14 AT

 

07:30 £21  A
Sun 30

Horseshoe Pass, Llangollen and Canal cruise over Pontcysyllte Aqueduct*
This super day out in North Wales begins with a trip up the M5 with a toilet stop before heading up through Llandegla to the top of the Horseshoe Pass where we take coffee. We then call in Llangollen for lunch before going round to take our mid afternoon cruise over the famous aqueduct.
Dawlish and Teignmouth
Two favourite smaller Devon resorts today. We head to Dawlish for a lunch stop before going down the coast to Teignmouth for the rest of the afternoon.
Scenery to Seaside Mystery
This tour takes in a scenic drive before arriving at a well known resort for a seaside day out.

07:30 £30 AT

 

08:00 £20 AQ

 

07:30 £20 A

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|July|August|September|

Theatre List in PDF format can be accessed HERE

top left         top right

2013

          
Lion King   Saturday 20th July  

Lion King

Hippodrome   Birmingham  Matinee Show

Adult £75     Senior £73     Child £70

Set against the Majesty of the Serengeti Plains and to the Evocative rhythms of Africa, THE LION KING will transport you to a dazzling world that explodes with glorious colours, stunning effects and
enchanting music. A firm favourite for both young and old.

  
Volcano   Friday 23rd August  

Life & Death In Pompeii & Herculaneum

British Museum        London

     Adults £ 43     Senior £40     Child £35

In Spring 2013 the British Museum will present a major exhibition on the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. It will be the first ever held on these important cities at the British Museum, with many of the objects never before seen outside Italy. The exhibition will have a unique focus, looking at the Roman home and the people who lived in these ill-fated cities. Buried by the catastrophic volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in just 24 hours in AD 79. This event ended the life of the cities but at the same time preserved them until rediscovery by archaeologists nearly 1700 years later.		  
Phantom   Thursday 5th September  

Phantom Of The Opera

       Her Majesty’s Theatre     Matinee

  Adults £65       Senior £63       Child £60

This long running show, first seen in 1986, starts its 27th Year on the London stage, and it still is one of the highest selling shows in the West End. Based in the Paris Opera House, this strange tale of love and beautiful song keeps the legend alive.		  
Jersey Boys   Tuesday 8th October  

Jersey Boys

Prince Edward Theatre      London      15.00 Show
Adults £70      Senior £68      Child £65
JERSEY BOYS, The internationally acclaimed hit musical, tells the remarkable rise to stardom of one of the most successful bands in pop music history. Discover how four New Jersey boys form the wrong side of the tracks invented their own unique sound, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and sold 100 million records worldwide. With spectacular performances of all their hits, JERSEY BOYS is the true life story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
  
cats   Wednesday 23rd October  

Cats 

Hippodrome  Bristol

      Adults £38 Senior £37 Child £30   Matinee

Since CATS first opened on the West End stage in 1981, it has become one of the world’s best known and best loved musicals. With a plot based on T.S Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and     award-winning music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber; This grand European tour finally comes to Britain. 

 
War Horse   Saturday 26th October  

War Horse

        Birmingham Hippodrome - 1430 Performance

           Adults £75       Senior £73        Child £70

War Horse is a thrilling and spectacular production based on the celebrated novel by Michael Morpurgo. The First World War is the backdrop for this tale of bravery, loyalty, and the extraordinary bond between a young recruit and his horse.		  
Dare to Dream   Saturday 2nd November  

Disney On Ice - Dare To Dream

NIA Birmingham

Adults £40        Senior £39        Child £35 

Join a celebration of royal proportions when Rapunzel, Tiana and Cinderella star in “Dare To Dream”, with stories from ‘Tangled’ Cinderella and Princess Tiana it will be a stunning spectacular show.		  
Snowshow   Saturday 2nd November  

Slava’s Snow Show

      Bristol Hippodrome

Adults £35       Senior £33       Child £25 

It will be snowing in Bristol next Autumn Slava's Snow Show has taken the world by storm, delighting and touching theatregoers in over 90 cities across the globe and transforming sensible adults into awe-struck children. It has been lavished with critical praise and awards including Olivier, Time Out and Drama Desk awards
A global phenomenon Slava's Snow Show is unlike anything you have seen before – a world of wonder combining hilarity and poignancy with stunning spectacle and breathtaking images.  This unmistakably unique comedy masterpiece now comes to The Bristol Hippodrome for the first time.
The ensemble cast of clowns use water, cobwebs, bubbles and dry ice to dazzling effect; a world of wonder in which a bed becomes a boat, a web of cotton envelops the audience and one tiny piece of paper begins a blinding, heart-stopping snowstorm that engulfs an awestruck audience in a blizzard of sparkling snowflakes
Slava's Snow Show touches the heart and the funny bone, packed with laughter and wonder for the whole family.		  
Billy Elliot   Thursday 14th November  

Billy Elliot

Victoria Palace Theatre London

     Adults £70      Senior £68      Child £65

One of the most celebrated, award-winning musicals on stage today, Billy Elliot has been dazzling London’s West End since 2005, and has gone on to captivate audiences around the world Set in a northern mining town, against the background of the 1984/’85 miners’ strike, Billy Elliot is the inspirational story of a young boy’s struggle against the odds to make his dream come true. Follow Billy’s journey as he stumbles out of the
boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever		  
Tatton Park   Sunday 24th November  

Tatton Park Christmas Spectacular

Includes 2 course lunch in Cottons Hotel & Tickets to see the 2 hour spectacular show

Tatton Park

Adults £80      Senior £78      Child £60

       The North West’s “Thursford”

New for 2013, Christmas Spectacular show in the Grand Pavilion Tatton Park plus a   2 course lunch in Cottons Hotel Knutsford.  A magical day out for a truly unique Christmas experience! Be wowed by a cast of singers, dancers and speciality acts from stage, screen T.V. and the West End in a magical Christmas extravaganza of show stopping display of song and dance from around the world. From dazzling dancers and glittering costumes to a collection of festive favourites and traditional carols, enter the Christmas Spirit that is the Tatton Park Christmas Spectacular.

 

  
Ghost - The Musical   Friday 20th December  

Ghost

New Alexandra Birmingham

 Adults £52     Senior £50      Child £45

Based on the phenomenal Oscar-winning movie that captured the hearts and imaginations of a generation back in the 90s, Ghost is a timeless fantasy about the power of love.
Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next trying to communicate with girlfriend Molly through a phoney psychic in the hope of saving her from his murderer.		  
Andre Rieu   Monday 23rd December  

Andre Rieu

Wembley Arena

Adults £100      Senior £98      Child £95

Following his successful 2012 tour, Andre Rieu returns to the UK for Christmas 2013 with an exclusive short tour of restricted Venues. We have obtained 2 blocks of seats in Block D, Ground Floor facing the stage. In 2012 these tickets sold very fast and this years show is selling just as well. Don’t Miss out on this fantastic show.		  
Cinderella-Bristol   Saturday 28th December  

Cinderella

 Hippodrome Bristol Adults

Adults £49      Senior £47      Child £40

100years after its first Panto the Bristol Hippodrome welcomes you to Cinderella, a timeless classic fairytale which is a firm favourite with all the family. Cast and details of the show to be advised.		  

2014

          
West Side Story   Wednesday 29th January  

Westside Story

Hippodrome Bristol

     Adults £50      Senior £48      Child £45

Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and packed with unforgettable songs
including Maria, Tonight, Somewhere,
America and I Feel Pretty, this production of  West Side Story has been described as 'one of the towering achievements of musical
theatre of the last century.' Guardian 		 
Matilda   Wednesday 5th February  

Matilda

Cambridge Theatre London

      Adults £70  Senior £68  Child £60 19.30pm Show

The Royal Shakespeare Company production of the Roald Dahl story of the power of imagination and the adventures of a young girl “Matilda”		  
Eat Pray Laugh   Thursday 20th February  

Eat*Pray*Laugh

Dame Edna & Friends Farwell Tour

 Hippodrome Bristol

Adults £51      Senior £50      Child £49

As announced on “The One Show” BBC1 on the 21st March Dame Edna and her friends are doing their final UK tour. See Barry Humphries and all his famous characters in this funny and entertaining show full of Comedy, dance, even cooking, a great night out.		  
Dirty Dancing   Saturday22nd March  

Dirty Dancing

    Hippodrome Bristol

Adults £60      Senior £58      Child £55

The Classic Story On Stage is an unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance and sensationally sexy dancing. Seen by millions across the globe this worldwide smash-hit tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds, who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives		  
Wicked   Wednesday 6th August  

Wicked

Hippodrome  Birmingham

Adults £65      Senior£63      Child £58     14.00 pm Show

WICKED tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two girls who first meet  as sorcery students. Their  extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.		  

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PLAN AHEAD – FUTURE EVENTS BOOKABLE NOW

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  Day   Date
Tour Name or Destination
*Entry or Admission Included
NB: On some events we can sell transport or tickets separately
  
Ads
£
SC
£
Chd
£
Dep. Royal Well
Start
Rtn
Home
Pick
Up Code.

 

Special Events will appear here as they become available.

Conditions of Issue of Ticket and Excursion Notes:

Your ticket is also a receipt for payment and acceptance by you and all other passengers travelling on this ticket of the terms and conditions stated below.

Tours and excursions operate subject to minimum numbers and occasionally we may be forced to cancel a departure if bookings fall short of the necessary target. If we do have to cancel you will be notified at least 48 hours in advance and offered a full credit, refund or an alternative tour.

If you cancel your booking more than 3 days before the departure we will refund the amount paid less £2.50 per person cancellation fee (maximum £10.00 per ticket). For cancellations within 3 days no refund is due. If your booking included a charge for meals, theatres, entrance or admission charges etc. refunds will be subject to our recovering these costs.

All tickets must be paid for in advance. Drivers cannot accept payment direct.

No animals other than guide dogs for the blind are permitted on the coach.

No takeaway food i.e. sausage rolls, fish & chips, pasties etc may be consumed on the coach without prior approval or permission. We operate a strict No Smoking policy.

Correct departure times are shown on your ticket. We cannot be held responsible for missed departures due to passengers being late or at the wrong location. If in doubt, please check. The driver has been given a pick-up list schedule; if you wish to change your boarding you must notify us in advance.

All wheelchairs, prams & child buggies MUST be pre-booked.

We endeavour to depart at the advertised times but occasionally circumstances may prevent this. If times do alter, we will do our best to notify you by telephone or letter but we do recommend that you contact us 3 days before your departure to re-confirm the times. Arrival and departures times may be affected by traffic conditions or diversions to the itinerary. Marchants shall not be liable for any missed events or connecting transport arrangements if due to unforeseen circumstances i.e. heavy traffic, accidents, diversions, weather, etc.

No luggage is permitted on excursion trips unless involving accommodation booked by or on behalf of Marchants Coaches.

On trips to hypermarkets, weight restrictions apply to the coach and passengers may be restricted on the number of cases of beers and wines. The driver will announce any restrictions during the journey.

All passengers’ personal effects and property are carried at the owner’s risk.

Marchants shall not be held liable or responsible for consequential loss due to the curtailment, closure, cancellation, amendment or withdrawal of any display, event, show, exhibition or service advertised as part of the tour.

We reserve the right to refuse carriage to any person who in the opinion of the driver, is under the influence of alcohol or drugs or whose behaviour or demeanor may cause offence, disruption or distress to other passengers or the driver. No compensation or claim for loss is due to any such passenger refused carriage.

Drivers are not permitted to pick up or drop off passengers at points not listed on the itinerary or timetable.

Pick-Up Codes

Pick-Up Codes Effective from April 1st 2013

PICK UP POINT CODE A CODE EX
Marchants Garage 100, Prestbury Road
45 Mins Before
15 Mins Before
Bishops Cleeve Bus Stop Opposite Swallow Inn 30 Mins Before
XXXXX
Race Course Park and Ride Bus Stop (Subject to Approval) 25 Mins Before 10 Mins Before
Cheltenham Royal Well As Diary As Diary
Old Spirax Sarco Bus Stop St. Georges Road As Royal Well
XXXXX
Opposite Old St. Thomas More's Church 5 Mins Later
XXXXX
Coronation Square Bus Stop By Farmfoods 7 Mins Later
XXXXX
Bus Layby Opposite GCHQ 9 Mins Later 5 Mins Later
Bus Layby Before Golden Valley Roundabout 10 Mins Later 5 Mins Later
Outside Hare and Hounds Churchdown 20 Mins Later
XXXXX
Bus Stop Opposite Greyhound Gardens Longlevens 25 Mins Later 15 Mins Later
Lister Buildings Bus Stop, Station Road Gloucester 35 Mins Later 25 Mins Later

AS = AFTER SHOW
* Denotes Entry Included.
Drivers are not permitted to pick up or drop off passengers at points other than those shown above
Any traffic delays or any other circumstances beyond our control which may cause delays Marchants cannot be held liable.

TO BOOK CONTACT MARCHANTS COACHES 61 CLARENCE STREET, CHELTENHAM 257714

OR TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES AT : 
CHELTENHAM, CIRENCESTER, GLOUCESTER, STROUD and  TEWKESBURY