The owner of a private hire service says he has met a lot of interesting people from all over the world during his first year in business.

After years of running his own decorating firm Gary Price, of Crabble Close, River, set up Horizon Private Hire when he found he had a bit more free time on his hands.

He said: “Like a lot of people I’m always thinking of new ideas that I could do but for one reason or another never acting on them.

"After finding myself with some free time I needed to do something new. I’ve always loved driving and meeting new people so the idea of starting my own private hire service came to mind.”

Although the 53-year-old dad-of-two admits it is not new idea, he thought he’d give it a whirl.

He carried out some research, acquiring all the relevant licences and investing in a smart eight-seater Ford Tourneo, with leather seating and air conditioning.

He also retook his driving test after 32 years and completed medical and criminal checks.

Since then, he has taken bookings for airport transfers, cruise connections, weddings, day trips to London and nights out.

He said: “The first year has been so exciting, meeting lots of very interesting people from all over the world.

“One lady called Ruth wanted a tour of the White Cliffs area and then taking to Heathrow the next day. I found out at the end of two days with her that she works as a journalist in tourism and wrote a story in The Vancouver Sun in which Horizon gets a mention.”

Other customers who have made an impression on Gary include a couple of deer farmers from Canada who he transported from Heathrow to Dover, and a pair from Houston, one of whom wore a cowboy hat during his journey, explaining it was a present for a friend and wearing it was the only way to transport it.

He said: “I’ve run my own business since my early 20s but was amazed at the steep learning curve Horizon has exposed me to. The coming year is already starting to get busy.”

Call 07737978566 for a quote.

To find out more, visit www.horizonprivatehire.co.uk or email info@horizonprivate hire.co.uk