Heavy recovery is just one of the services we offer!

Quicksilver carries out a very broad spectrum of work, such diversity being essential for the survival of rural operators such as ourselves.

TOURS & EXCURSIONS:

A full programme of tours and excursions is operated, options ranging from short tours of the local area to week or fortnight-long European holidays, with various other exciting destinations in between. These include outings to concerts, sporting events, theme parks, theatre trips, 'Tinsel & Turkey', as well as good old day trips to the ever popular tourist destinations such as Stratford-upon-Avon, London and Oxford. These are sold through our network of travel shops and a glossy brochure is produced every six months. Bus enthusiasts are not forgotten either: trips to most major rallies and running days are planned, using one or more of the company's fascinating fleet, betraying the fact that proprietor Donovan Quick is himself a very keen enthusiast.

PRIVATE HIRE:

Quicksilver is well-known throughout Yorkshire and beyond as a high-quality and competitively-priced operation, and this reputation attracts a large number of private hire enquiries. We have one of the widest ranges of vehicle types in the area, and can cater for virtually any requirement. Vehicles are available with seating from six to over a hundred, in a variety of specifications. For transporting large parties over short distances, double-deck buses are ideal, or if more comfort is required, we also offer double-deck coaches. For fairly basic work such as school and works trips, our standard coaches offer a suitable level of comfort, while for the longer distances, the top-specification luxury coaches fit the bill, equipment including toilets, climate control, tinted windows, drinks machine, TV/video, and so on. Minicoaches provide a particularly useful service, allowing door-to-door travel for small parties, such as clubs and teams, but full-sized coaches are also kept busy.

CHAUFFEUR-DRIVEN CAR HIRE:

To complement the bus and coach fleet, we have a fleet of prestigious Mercedes cars available for hire. Please do not confuse these luxurious vehicles with ordinary private hire taxis; they will transport even the most demanding of clients in complete comfort and silence. All of our cars are maintained in immaculate condition and are manned by courteous and smartly-uniformed chauffeurs trained to the highest standards in both driving and customer care.

DIPLOMAT CLASS:

At the very top of the tree are our Diplomat Class coaches, featuring every conceivable creature comfort. They are fitted with finest quality reclining leather seats arranged around conference tables with power points and Wi-Fi Internet access to create a comfortable and fully-functional mobile office. Other equipment includes a full entertainment system capable of playing videos, CDs, DVDs and MP3s through individual flat-screen televisions, each with its own pair of noise-cancelling headphones. The kitchen is equipped with extensive storage space, a microwave, refrigerator, drinks machine and much more. It goes without saying that the vehicles are fully climate-controlled and have spacious toilet and washroom facilities. These coaches are very much in demand for corporate hospitality and special events, and we take pride in our personal service, attending to even the smallest details: we can arrange hotels, restaurants, ferries and full conference requirements. Flexibility is the key to our success!

LOCAL SERVICES:

Quicksilver currently operate ten services, created after extensive surveys to ascertain passenger demand, all of which are run commercially to avoid council interference. These are based on the two largest towns in the area, Tinglewick and Ashfordly, and serve all the other major locations within an approximately 40-mile radius, including Scarborough, York, Malton, Whitby and Middlesbrough. These are usually operated with coaches by popular request, and are generally infrequent to avoid competition with the major operators, the exception being our main service, route 1 connecting Tinglewick and Ashfordly. In addition to these all-year-round services, we also contribute to North Yorkshire County Council's seasonal network of 'Moorsbus' services; these operate from May to September and are primarily aimed at tourists, serving sites of interest in the area. Full details of the Quicksilver service network can be found in the route list.

OPEN-TOP TOURS:

Being such a popular tourist destination, North Yorkshire is the sort of place you would expect to find open-top buses, and Quicksilver operates one of the most popular sightseeing tours. This is the 'Heartbeat Tour', a 45-minute exploration of the moors, visiting many of the sights featured in the TV series, and all explained by an expert guide. Needless to say, the Heartbeat Tour only operates from May to September, but another open-top service is theoretically available all year round: this is unique to Quicksilver, the open-top coach, available for hire to attend such events as Epsom Derby.

CONTRACT WORK:

Our 'bread and butter' work is school and works contracts. Tinglewick School takes students from a very wide area, the moors being made up of many far-flung villages, and Quicksilver is currently contracted for six school runs. Many businesses also rely on us for their transport requirements, and we are an approved contractor for rail replacement services.

ENGINEERING, RECOVERY & TRAINING:

We have built up a sizeable fleet of ancillary vehicles, which are available for our own use but very rarely required due to Quicksilver's excellent reliability record. A profitable sideline is to hire out these vehicles to others requiring their services, at very reasonable rates. We offer a 24-hour recovery service for HGVs and PSVs, and are contracted to provide the council's recovery service for heavy vehicles which break down or are involved in accidents on the moors. Not only wreckers are available: we also have a 40-foot low loader specifically designed for transporting buses and coaches, the only one in the area.

Quicksilver has its own internal driver training department, and we will train outside candidates for a reasonable fee, which is refundable if they decide to join us. All our drivers are encouraged to take the advanced driving test to ensure the highest possible standard.

Ashfordly Motorworks, the long-established engineering works, is half-owned by Quicksilver, and provides major engineering facilities for our fleet; outside jobs are occasionally taken on in addition. The company also buys and sells PSVs and other vehicles, and provides parts, servicing and MOT testing, as well as breaking up scrap vehicles. Finally, the works incorporates a modern and high-tech paintshop, which repaints all Quicksilver vehicles to our trademark high standard.