"It’s an absolute privilege to take lovely people to lovely places"- meet the sisters running a coach tour company in Shrewsbury

And for sisters Jacky and Sue Burnell, a shared passion for horticultural havens and also historic houses was also the inspiration behind a new business.

For the past nine years they have been running Shrewsbury-based coach tour company Wisteria Tours taking day-trippers and holidaymakers to some of England’s best gardens and heritage properties. 

And, now due to popular demand, they are also branching out into Europe to offer itineraries which emphasise art, culture and beautiful countryside. The roots of the business, founded in 2016, can be traced back to their mother, Jackie Crick, who transformed her love of visiting England’s best gardens into a small business called Gardeners’ Delight.

“Mum started Gardeners’ Delight in 2006. She wanted to visit gardens but she didn’t want to drive.

“Friends of hers said ‘organise a trip and we will come with you’. She organised a coach and they all came,” explains Jacky.

After spending 15 years living in South America where she was president of the Pour L’Innocent children’s charity, Jacky returned to Shropshire in 2007.

Along with completing a degree and becoming a school governor, the mother of two led community projects bringing school children and older people together through gardening. 

As Jackie became ever busier with Gardeners’ Delight, Jacky joined the firm to work alongside her.

To begin with, while her two children were still young, Jacky remained in the office and didn’t accompany her mother on the trips.

As soon as the timing was right, she jumped at the chance to visit some of the places she had learned so much about while helping to plan and organise the itineraries. 

In 2014, Sue relocated to Shropshire from Surrey, with her husband and son, to be nearer her family. 

After many years running a consulting practice, she experienced a light-bulb moment while joining her mum and Jacky on one of their trips.

“We were on a coach going from one beautiful place to another,” she recalls.

“I was astounded – I didn’t want to go back to my consultancy business.”

Later, Jacky and Sue were walking up The Wrekin together and discussing plans and ideas for the future, both relishing the thought of a new challenge.

“By the time we had got to the top of the Wrekin, we had decided to form Wisteria Tours,” says Jacky.

With their mum looking to retire in the near future, the timing was perfect. Jackie continued to look after the day trips while Jacky and Sue took charge of longer tours.

Since then the business has continued to go from strength to strength and Wisteria Tours has built up a reputation for the high quality of care they provide to all customers from the moment they first enquire about a tour.

“Our customers say ‘it’s the Wisteria way’,” says Jacky.

“It’s a very welcoming and warm environment and very safe for women travelling on their own or anyone who is newly bereaved,” she adds.

The sisters personally oversee every tour and a lot of planning goes into making sure every aspect is as perfect as it can be.

Jacky adds: “When we start organising a tour, it takes two years from thinking about a tour and booking the hotels to going on the tour.

“What makes it really work is our attention to detail,” says Sue.

“We go out and recce the whole thing because if we’re going to take people there, we have to see where we are going to take them and make sure it has the awe factor,” she adds.

They pair make countless notes during their recce trips including their own reflections on how places made them feel and what was special or memorable about them.

Using their experiences, they will put together an itinerary that blends organised trips with free time.

“People can do as much or as little as they want,” says Sue.

They also like to provide a mix of well-known destinations with less-known gardens and, where possible, offer exclusive experiences such as private tours.

“We always end on a high – we save the best for last and we call it our ‘bling destination’,” says Sue.

They work closely with Hereford-based Norman Allen Group Travel, who book hotels and venues for their holidays.

Once a tour is under way, the sisters make sure that everything is taken care of so passengers can sit back and relax.

Between April and September, they usually offer one holiday a month of up to seven nights.

Each month, they will also offer two-day tours and a couple of two-night tours. 

Whether it’s a short break or a longer holiday, customers always travel in style.

The pick-up points are Lakeside Yard, Ellesmere; Abbey Foregate Car Park, Shrewsbury; and, depending upon the route, Telford services, M54 at J4.

Wisteria Tours partners with Lakeside Coaches, a family-run coach operator from Ellesmere.

“Our coach drivers on the tours are absolutely part of the team,” says Sue. 

“They get to know everyone and even after a long day of travelling they will always stay on the coach after everybody has got off and vacuum so it’s ready for the next day,” she adds.

This year, Wisteria Tours launched its first official European adventure – a Luxembourg tour in September – which followed a trial run to Normandy in 2024.

“We sent an email to our customers to find out how much interest there was in a tour to Normandy and by 3pm all of the rooms had gone and there was a waiting list,” says Jacky. 

Next September, they are offering a tour to Paris which includes visiting museums, galleries and cathedrals as well as lunch on the River Seine and  destinations including the Palace of Versailles and Château de Fontainebleau.

Both Jacky and Sue believe it’s the customers that make their job so enjoyable and rewarding.

“My favourite thing is hearing the laughter on the coach or at mealtimes. 

“I also like it when there are reluctant husbands whose wives have made the booking and half way through the tour they say ‘I didn’t want to come but I’m really enjoying it’,” says Jacky. 

“It’s an absolute privilege to take lovely people to lovely places on a fantastic coach – what more could you ask for?” adds Sue.

To find out more about Wisteria Tours, call Jacky on 07892 953 217 or visit the website at www.wisteriatours.com