We all love a day out, but prior to the advent of the motor car residents of Halstead were restricted to using a pony and trap, the railway or a coach outing.

Coach outings are still popular, but in the early days of the internal combustion engine a trip in a “Charabanc” (from the French Char-a-Bancs - carriage with benches) were the thing.

To be able to travel together, in what was then the latest form of transport was exiting, but by modern standards rather primitive.

Charabancs were a combination of a standard (probably lorry) chassis with the seating area added by a specialised company. Hence the term “Coach Builders”.

They were mostly “open topped” with a rough canvas cover stowed at the rear in case of rain.

Minimum weather protection, uncomfortable seating and a high centre of gravity made them unstable, especially when overloaded.

These shortcomings resulted in production changes after the early 1920’s.

From our archive we show photographs of the following local outings.

Firstly, a group of employees of Adams Brewery departing to Wembley for the Empire Exhibition in 1924.

Then, in what appears to be the same, somewhat overloaded, vehicle, a picture taken in August 1924 of a family trip to Clacton.

To complete our set we show a group of, probably non local, ladies posing with a “double decker” owned by Berry’s Bus Group of Chelmsford.

This was probably later in the 1920’s and is taken in Hedingham Road with the old Baptist Church shown in the background.

Www.halsteadhistory.org.uk.