Ex-submariner now at helm of chauffeur business
Michael Hughes grew up in Croxteth in Liverpool and a career in the Royal Navy saw him serve on seven submarines – now he operates a fleet of luxury chauffeur-driven vehicles. Andrew Brown reports
When you’ve been entrusted to oversee a fleet of Royal Navy submarines, operating a fleet of luxury chauffeur-driven vehicles may seem comparatively straightforward.
Former Royal Navy officer Michael Hughes, owner of Pelorus Chauffeurs, runs his current business with exactly the same precision, quality of service, integrity and attention to detail.
It’s why he named his firm Pelorus Chauffeurs, after the nautical navigational instrument used on ships and submarines.
Pelorus Chauffeurs is based in Southport and Liverpool, and operates across the UK on a daily basis – and sometimes beyond. One recent booking saw it providing services for a corporate golf trip to Northern Ireland.
The company employs a number of full-time chauffeurs and operates luxury Mercedes vehicles – primarily the Mercedes S Class Luxury Saloons and Mercedes V Class Executive MPVs.
It is able to provide a single car or a large fleet of vehicles for major events such as when they provided all the transportation services for one of the main sponsors of The Open at Royal Liverpool last July, with more than 20 vehicles and over 200 separate journeys.
Pelorus provides services for a number of top North West firms, global companies and private clients all of who are looking for a real quality and reliability of service.
Michael established his company after a career of almost 25 years in the Royal Navy Submarine Service.
He said: “I grew up in Croxteth in Liverpool and left home at 18 to join the Royal Navy. During this time I travelled the world and worked my way up through the ranks.
“A highlight of my career was being selected for Officer Training and passing out of Britannia Royal Naval College as a Commissioned Officer. I served on seven submarines and two ships travelling all over the world.
“The second decade of my career was primarily spent serving onboard the UK’s nuclear deterrent submarines, before spending my final three years as a submarine controller at the headquarters in London.
“Responsibility has taken many different forms over the years, but when it is just you and a lookout standing on the conning tower of a Royal Navy submarine with the rest of the crew below, you learn the true meaning of responsibility.
“As my most memorable captain once told me, it’s the most expensive company car you will ever be left in charge of.
“Where possible, I have carried forward that military ethos, which enables Pelorus Chauffeur’s to provide a unique approach to every client with a positive ‘can do’ attitude.”
He added: “Reliability and punctuality are the most fundamental attributes of a good chauffeur. We have gained a number of corporate and private clients for this reason, after they have become dismayed due to the lack of these most basic principles.
“We carry out a lot of contract work for businesses, which need a quality service they can rely on.
“The range of work we carry out is vast. We take clients to and from sports events; business awards; airports; cruises; weddings and funerals. There are lots of ways for people to contact us to see what we can offer.”
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Some of the work Pelorus provides includes: Corporate & Business Travel Chauffeur; Airport Transfer Chauffeur; Golf Chauffeur; Chauffeur for Tours; Cruise Transfer Chauffeur; Football Chauffeur; Rugby Match Chauffeurs; Chauffeurs for a day at the races; Theatres & Special Occasions; Luxury chauffeurs for Weddings.
And the name behind the company? Michael said: “A ‘Pelorus’ is a nautical navigational instrument used on ships and submarines to determine bearings of remote objects or vessels.
“Similarly, a chauffeur guides you to your destination, providing secure and comfortable navigation services. Both the Pelorus and the chauffeur play crucial roles in accurate and safe navigation, ensuring a pleasant experience.”