Last updated at 15:35, Wednesday, 13 May 2009

CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR
(Photograph taken in 1989)

A LAKE District tours company boss says his former business partner is a lucky man to have survived an A590 horror smash.

Peter Nattrass says he has known Christopher Taylor, the founder of Windermere-based Mountain Goat Bus Company, for 35 years.

The managing director said he was shocked to hear his friend had been in a crash and had actually been listening to the traffic updates about the accident while he was in hospital himself.

Mr Taylor was taken to hospital following the crash at Backbarrow on Friday afternoon.

The 72-year-old’s black BMW left the road and overturned on an embankment about 2.45pm.

Mr Taylor, from Brading, Sandown, in the Isle of Wight, was taken to Furness General Hospital and remains in a stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit.

Mr Taylor was the founder of The Mountain Goat Bus Company in 1972 before selling the business in 1993 to its current owners.

Mr Nattress bought the business off Mr Taylor with his partner in 1993 and still sees him when he visits.

He said: “It was shortly after he sold the business that he left the area and moved away. I still see him occasionally if he’s in the area at dinner parties held by friends or myself.

“His brother still lives in Windermere and his sister Mary was a very much part of the local community before she died of a heart attack four years ago.

“Chris was a great banjo player and often played locally with a jazz band many years ago.

“He is a charming man and very well liked.

“It was strange really because I was in hospital in Lancaster when the accident happened. I was reading and listening to the radio through earphones. I was listening to the news about the crash and the traffic updates.

“My wife picked me up on Saturday and it wasn’t until that afternoon that a friend of hers rang and said did we know Chris had been in an accident.

“He is a very lucky man and someone must have been on his side.

“Chris was one of the first people I met when I moved to the area. I had an outdoor activity centre in Windermere and I needed some transport and he ended up selling me a Ford Transit. Years later he asked me to go and work with him and in 1993 we took over the company from Chris.

“Our good wishes obviously go out to him and his family and we wish him a full recovery.”

Traffic was diverted through Backbarrow while the scene was cleared and the A590 was reopened at 6.10pm.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to the crash or anyone with information to contact Ulverston police on 0845 33 00 247.

First published at 11:56, Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk