MAUREEN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY’S FAVOURITE COLUMNIST
Slacks-off slip-up
The Fiorelli Restaurant in Bath
was the venue for the Carrier
2009 brochure launch recently.
I went along with other Preferred
Agency Partners to be treated to
a champagne reception and dinner.
While sipping the bubbly stuff, I
caught up with World Market Travel’s
Peter Giles, who, having read about
the Grand Dinner Jacket Mix-Up in
last week’s column, confessed that
it’s not just DJs that go missing –
he had once lost his dinner suit
trousers. I dared not ask what had
happened to them in case I could not
contain my blushes, but if you spot a
pair of black M&S dress trousers do
get in touch. They’re a 34in waist but
beyond that I can add no more – it
didn’t seem appropriate to offer to
measure his inside leg.
The reception over, we made
our way into dinner where we
enjoyed a splendid meal and good
wines. Carrier sales manager Gareth
Hulmston introduced us to the
brochure and outlined the new
destinations. Having recently
been acquired by Kuoni, Carrier
managing director Ian Pollitt was
keen to reassure agents that Kuoni
had promised that nothing would
change and that all staff would be
retained. In these uncertain times, it
was a relief to hear.
Informative presentations were
made by TAJ Hotels, The Residence
in Mauritius, One&Only and Evason,
all of which transported us from the
cold, dark and wintry October night
– quite the therapy for Seasonal
Affective Disorder.
Patrick Murphy from Thorntons
Travel expressed thanks on behalf
of those in attendance and spoke
for us all when he said we would
continue to support the company. I
am sure the quality of product it
represents will ensure it has a
The 3am poledancing sessions, the MickJagger
impersonations…sounds like one heck of afam
trip. I do a mean impression of Des O’Connor
–do you think there’saplace for me? www.travelweekly.co.uk
34 | Travel Weekly | November 7 2008
bright future in spite of the
current gloom.
Thai’d up with Jagger
I was not among those
members of the trade and
media lucky enough to attend
the launch of the Visit Amazing
Thailand 2009 event, but I hear
that it couldn’t have gone better.
Hosted by Thai Airways, 40 UK
delegates began their trip in the
stunning Star Alliance lounge at
Heathrow before fl ying to join trade
representatives from all over the
world. A reception for 1,000 people
got business under way before they
split up into groups, with some
heading south to Phuket while
others went north to Issan in the
company of Jo Cook and Kannika
Mac from Tourism Authority of
Thailand and Judy Feller and Serena
Kelly of Thai Airways.
Tall tales from the happy trippers
abound, but many are keeping
tight-lipped about the 3am pole
dancing sessions, the Mick Jagger
impersonations and the sleep
deprivation. This sounds like one
heck of a fam trip and I’m not
surprised that delegates are already
begging to go back next year. I do
a mean impression of Des O’Connor
– do you think there’s a place
for me?
Comeback queens
It was good to hear from two ladies
from my past this week. Abbey
Thomas was made redundant when
MAUREEN
XL Leisure Group collapsed, but
has come up smiling as the new
national sales manager of A2B
Transfers. I am so pleased that after
such a lousy end to the summer she
has bounced back – you just can’t
keep a good girl down!
My other visitor was Helen Tate
who used to call in on us when she
worked as a rep for Titan Travel.
She too was made redundant but
had already embarked on Plan B for
Baby, which materialised in the
form of little Noah.
Helen said she had really enjoyed
having time off with Noah and his
older brother but she had been kept
on her toes. Not only were the two
boys a handful, she was also being
given the runaround by the family
Jack Russell, Jake, who has
something of Houdini about him,
apparently, and is always escaping.
Countless times Helen has found
herself crossing the common to the
Royal Marines’ barracks in search of
the mischievous mutt who does a
great line in ankle biting. The
marines have told her to control the
dog or enlist him.
The excitement of daily visits to
fit, muscled men in uniform got too
much for Helen, however, and she
decided to go back to work, taking a
job as sales manager for Trafalgar
Tours. Her blood pressure has gone
down and she is now fighting fit.
Well done, that girl.
Maureen Hill works at Travel Angels,
Gillingham, Dorset
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