‘IF IT’S Tuesday, this must be Belgium.’ Or it could be Holland, Norway, Sweden, Germany or Spain. For Vera Roper and her husband Stanley, travelling through European countries was part of life, taking countless Bradfordians on holiday. After setting up Ropers - the company that bears their name to this day - the couple took passengers on day trips from their Bradford base and to other parts of the UK including the south coast, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Wight. They later travelled across the Channel to explore Europe. “We used to call Mum Queenie for fun,” says her daughter Alison Grice. “She had spent so many years living in hotels and having everything done and meals cooked. “When we called her that she would laugh and stick her tongue out at us.”