Wallace Arnold's Slogans & Taglines

Wallace Arnold (Barr & Wallace Arnold Trust) was one of the UK's largest holiday motorcoach tour operators. Founded in 1912 by Wallace Cunningham and Arnold Crowe, the company merged with R Barr (Leeds) Ltd in 1926 to form the Barr & Wallace Arnold Trust. From its headquarters on Geldard Road in Wortley, Leeds, the operator built a reputation for reliable, quality coach holidays, running daily services to Blackpool from 1930 and pioneering European tours to Germany by the same decade. Post-war expansion saw offices established across ten northern towns, and by 1980 the fleet numbered 290 coaches. The company diversified into cruise-and-coach packages and air-inclusive holidays as competition from cheap overseas flights intensified. In 1997, the business was acquired by private equity firm 3i, and in 2005 it merged with Shearings in a £2 million deal to form WAShearings, commanding 14% of the UK holiday coach market. The Wallace Arnold brand was finally retired in 2007, fully absorbed into Shearings Holidays. Its distinctive cream-and-red livery and the affectionate nickname "Wallies" remain fondly remembered by generations of British holidaymakers.