About British Heritage Chauffeur Tours

Promoting Britain’s Heritage for Over Thirty Years

BHCT aims to fulfill your dreams of a perfect vacation, then exceed your expectations.

From the very first contact you make with our team and the lengths to which they go to understand your requirements in order to create your perfect tour, here at BHCT your safety and comfort are paramount. Every member of our elite team of gentlemen takes great pride in being able to entertain and enlighten our guests while accompanying them on their adventures throughout the British Isles. Don’t take our word for it, our wonderful testimonials say it all….and, yes! They’re genuine!

We specialise in creating the most unique, bespoke tours that are filled with as much fun, culture and gastronomic delights as possible. We pride ourselves in taking the time to understand exactly what it is that our discerning clients want to experience and making their dreams a reality. Whether you are looking for a unique sightseeing tour of London, a personal guided tour of the UK, or have a particular interest you wish to explore, we will create a tailor-made tour for you to ensure that our days together are the most memorable time you will spend in Britain. Our video gives a brief insight into the quality of our service.

Please contact us if you would like to know more about what we can do to help. We would love to hear from you.

Meet Michael and Pam Frye.

Our Founder – The Michael Frye Story

Meet Michael and Pam Frye.

Michael and Pam met when they were teenagers in 1966 while both performing in the same orchestra in Liverpool. When Michael’s musical career took him to Scotland Pam followed and started work as a proof-reader in a large publishing house. They married in 1969 when Michael was invited to join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and by 1972 he was being pursued by André Previn to accept the role of principal percussionist in the London Symphony Orchestra where he had the honour to meet Stravinsky and perform with Bernstein, Karajan, Levine, Mehta, Solti and the now famous John Williams, to mention but a few. Concertos were written for him and he took Master Classes around the world. Michael became Commercial Director of the LSO and was instrumental in the Shell/LSO Young Musicians competition that has produced many of today’s star players.

He enjoyed a parallel career in commercial music which involved performing on over 100 albums, singles and soundtracks, receiving gold discs and awards culminating in co-writing the world-wide hit single Family Man for Daryl Hall and John Oates. Michael’s discography includes Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, The Who, Kate Bush, Barbra Streisand, Frank Zappa and many, many more.

In his capacity as performer/director he helped negotiate many famous series of film recordings and was at the embryonic stages of Steven Speilberg’s Star Wars trilogy, Superman, Indiana Jones, Aliens and others. He toured extensively with the LSO and performed in every major concert hall, in every major city in the world.

It was while travelling the world and experiencing other cultures that Michael became more and more aware of the wonderful history and culture that his own country had to offer and decided to make a major change in his life in order to explore his new interest and spend more time with his family.

They made a fantastic team: Michael with his great ideas and Pam putting them on paper and turning them into a reality and so in 1989 British Heritage Chauffeur Tours was born. (BHCT)

They wanted to make sure that the service BHCT offered was second to none and that the places visited really reflected British History and Culture. In the beginning it was Michael who drove the clients while Pam did all the administration. But it wasn’t long before their reputation grew and they realised they would have to enlist the help of other driver guides to cope with the demand.

BHCT has gone from strength to strength over the last ten years and now, after more than thirty years in charge of the business, Pam and Michael are sharing the increased administration with John Calthorpe. (Go to the meet the team tab)

The Team

Meet our team

At British Heritage Chauffeur Tours we have an elite team of drivers who take great pride in being able to entertain and enlighten our guests while accompanying them on their adventures throughout the United Kingdom.

John

John Calthorpe is the Co-Owner and Head Travel Planner of BHCT and has been building customised vacations for the North American traveler for over 18 years.

After leaving school at 16 John went straight into the Army and served 9 years with The Royal Artillery based in Germany. Having decided that becoming a travel agent was what he really wanted to do he entered Canterbury Christ Church University and studied European Business Studies and Management and then enlisted the help and support of his wife Diana who takes care of all the administration involved in the running of a successful travel agency.

They have enjoyed many wonderful trips around the UK, Ireland and Europe testing their itineraries and their main priority has, and always will be, the safety and enjoyment of their guests.

Ellie

Ellie works alongside John as a travel planner and focuses on creating trips that feel meaningful and memorable.

She joined the company after completing her A-levels and has worked hard to bridge the gap between herself and others in the industry with decades of experience.

She pairs her strong knowledge of Ireland and the United Kingdom with a personal touch to shape itineraries. Growing up, she travelled extensively around the UK with her family and has always loved exploring new places, something she brings into the itineraries she creates. She has already visited both Scotland and Ireland, meeting with suppliers and exploring the areas our clients love, coming home with fresh ideas and insight.

Olivia

Olivia is the Operations Assistant, working closely with Diana, she coordinates all the necessary arrangements to make sure your trip runs smoothly.

Her attention to every detail ensures you can relax and look forward to your trip. Olivia manages your bookings once they are confirmed and carefully finalises every detail of your itinerary before your trip. Her commitment guarantees a smooth, uninterrupted support throughout your trip.

Olivia has always been passionate about the travelling industry, and this comes from travelling with her family and going on many road trips. This allowed her to explore new places and new experience. Olivia now enjoys being able to help someone turn their travel ideas into a reality.

Diana

Diana

Behind all good men is a great woman, Diana takes care of all admin and accounts, making sure everything and everyone is paid.

John and Diana have been married for 25 years, brought up three children and worked with John since the start in 2008, they make a great team. She loves to go on their busman holidays exploring new places, and especially testing out new hotels and their facilities.

Testimonials

  • "Thank you for arranging such a full and delightful day for me to enjoy. I had a great time with Dave on our tour. He has such a personable style. You are very lucky to have him. He individualised the experience with some nice touches..... I hope to engage your services again when I come back."

    Paul Wilson.

    Sydney, Australia.

  • "We had a great holiday - the tour made our vacation. Ian was a wonderful driver/guide. One of our most relaxing vacations ever. We have no complaints at all. Thank you so much for all your help."

    Ann Wiggins.

    Burlington, Ontario, Canada.

  • "Pam. We had a magical day at Highclere and the Windsor Castle BONUS was just perfect. We absolutely enjoyed our day with David. He is a true professional and a fabulous representative for your company. We can't thank you and David enough for making our trip picture perfect. We hope to return to London soon!"

    Maria and Kara

    Marco Island, Florida, USA