24
talking shop
WISE COUNSEL
Hugathons, Corrie and fall foilage Barbara Charlton
HAPPY BIRTHDAY US! Travel Counsellors marks its 20th anniversary this
year so we knew the 2014 annual conference would be really special and not only because we won the Queen's Award for the second time this year.
With 1500 delegates attending, including TC’s from seven other countries, the logistics of getting us all together is no mean feat. But Manchester rose to the challenge and it was more like the biggest family reunion ever than a conference. Friday night was a 'hugathon' as
we caught up with colleagues and head offi ce staff we hadn't seen for a year, and the whole weekend was a fabulous reminder of how far TC has come since David Speakman started it above his small travel agency in Atherton in 1994. There are now over 1300 TCs in eight countries and it is a testament to the underpinning family ethos that so many of the original staff are still with the company, albeit as directors now. This year's conference included a good few surprises. TV presenter Amanda Lamb led the weekend conference sessions and on Friday and Saturday night we had the wonderful Vernon Kay giving us belly laughs. We were serenaded by the amazing
"IF YOU HAVE
CLIENTS
WHO DON’T WANT TO DO THE LONG TRIP OVER THE ATLANTIC TO SEE THE FALL COLOURS, THEN THE PEAK DISTRICT IN OCTOBER MAY WELL BE A SUITABLE SUBSTITUTE. IT'S BEAUTIFUL"
Barbara.Charltontravelcounsellors.com 0845 0587 290
CHECK ONLINE FOR DAILY TIPS AT
SELLINGTRAVEL.CO.UK
Hot tips galore!
“Croatia is famous for its coastline, but there’s far more to it. The Plitvice Lakes are among the most photogenic places in Europe”
A life-long fan of 'Corrie,' Barbara fulfi lled a dream by signing up for the Coronation Street tour
Russell Watson, and amused by comedian Sean Locke, and were amazed to see Mick Hucknall and Simply Red headline our evening entertainment. A phenomenal live singer and faultless performance.
CORRIE AND ME After 12 years as a TC, I have learnt that a few days R&R is required after conference weekend so this year I took advantage of being in Manchester, and indulged my lifelong enthusiam for Corrie with the Coronation Street Tour. I absolutely loved it! It was fascinating to see where they fi lmed it for decades, and to wander along the actual cobbled streets and be photographed in the iconic exteriors. From there I headed an hour out
of Manchester into the depths of the beautiful Peak District and stayed in a cutesie stone cottage with log fi re, low beamed ceilings and crooked fl oors. This was my fi rst visit to this lovely area and reminded me of my trip to New England fi ve years ago. It was all so beautiful, but just a shame about the lengthy journey on Britain’s horrendous motorways to get me back to the offi ce. Now I'm back I'm cracking on with
renewed vigour to further grow my business. 2015 looks like being a
sellingtravel.co.uk "CLIENTS WILL
NEVER GET FROM A COMPUTER THE SERVICE THEY GET FROM US, SO JUST SHOUT ABOUT IT"
great year and I wholeheartedly look forward to taking my piece of the pie from the great travelling public.
TIPTO IN BRIGHTON I attended a TIPTO evening at The Grand Hotel in Brighton. It was a fun night of learning and one of the loudest speed networking events I have been to, with lots of quizzes to top up our knowledge. It helped remind me how we agents all have our own personal experiences to share with clients. They will never get this kind of service from a computer – so we just have to shout as loud as we can to tell everyone that we will carry on doing what we already do so well.
WILL SARSON, TRAVELSPHERE & JUST YOU
“Some Mexican resorts now offer an authentic Mayan experience – the temazcal steam bath”
REBECCA EVANS, FUNWAY HOLIDAYS
“Mauritian tours to Black River Gorges offer some of the world's rarest birds and plants”
DEREK SCHUURMAN, RAINBOW TOURS
Be inspired!
BARBARA SAYS
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