BUS COMPANY SPONSORS KIDS PANTO TRIPS
A Tyneside based coach operator has once again sponsored a North East pantomime to ensure that school children from all over the region will go to the ball.
This year, more than 9,000 childreniu from North East schools will benefit from free coach travel supplied by Wallsend’s Premier Transport to get them to the Geordie Panto Company’s production of Cinderella at the Gateshead International Stadium. As Gateshead’s first and only professional Christmas pantomime, the company creates a modern theatre arena experience which includes a 700-seater family-friendly auditorium, state of the art light and sound technology and fully accessible facilities.
Celebrating their 20thanniversary, Premier Transport are one of the region’s largest independent bus companies with more than 60 vehicles ranging from minibuses to luxury coaches. Working with schools on a daily basis is part of Premier’s work providing transport for school trips and excursions. They also specialise in working with children with special educational needs and disabilities and have a wide range of minibuses with wheelchair access and specially trained drivers.
Tino Wilson-Ford, Manager of Premier Transport was delighted to once again offer the services of his transport fleet to the panto.
“Christmas is a magical time of the year and it’s all about the kids. Seeing their smiling faces as they get back on the bus after hours of laughing out loud is really heart-warming. The teachers love us too as everything is so well organised from the pick up at the school gates to the doors of the Stadium and return. We love working with the children and we’re glad to support the Geordie Panto Company once again.”
Panto Producer, Eric Armstrong said:” We all know that Cinders will arrive in style at the ball in her horse drawn carriage but more importantly each of our 9,000 school children this year will arrive and leave the panto in safely and in comfort.
“The free travel offer is being taken up by schools right across our region from Berwick to Sunderland and everywhere in between and already some schools have booked up for next year’s panto so that they don’t miss out. We’ve a few available dates left for this year but places are going quickly.
“Like Cinderella’s shoe, Premier Transport are a perfect fit for us and we’re very grateful for their support.”
Ends
Photo – Maxie Peters, Tino Wilson-Ford and Emily Swan (Highlights PR)
Interviews with cast etc available – contact Keith Newman keith@highlightspr.co.uk 07814 397951
Cinderella by the Geordie Panto Company runs at Gateshead International Stadium from 6 to 29 December. Ticket information: https://gatesheadstadiumpanto.co.uk
Editors Notes
This year’s production of Cinderella once again has a very Geordie feel to it with “fairy-tale” settings such as Dunston and Jesmond, plenty of Geordie humour and local references and of course, not forgetting the Company’s “World Famous” 12 Days of Christmas routine which has had audiences in hysterics for more than 20 years, all of which create the ingredients for a Christmas feast of family entertainment.
Despite moving from their long-standing Christmas residency at Newcastle’s Tyne Theatre and Opera House in 2016, audiences have remained loyal and followed them to their new home at Gateshead International Stadium.
It’s not just the internal transformations however, that make a visit to this pantomime a fantastic family experience. Located just 5 minutes from Newcastle city centre, with free car parking space for hundreds of vehicles plus great public transport links, including a dedicated Metro station just moments’ walk from the venue, leave city centre traffic jams, parking issues and delays behind.