Eighties music fan and former Redcoat Lindsay Garvey-Jones has been nominated as a Travel Gossip Legend finalist. The Holiday Extras National Retail Manager tells us what makes her tick…
I have been in travel for 38 years. It’s fantastic when I get to present to 16-year-olds and tell them I’ve been in travel that long. They must look at me and think “How old must you be?” It’s been a long time, but it’s been the most rewarding, fun, exciting and fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants career I could ever have had.
I remember the first time I went on a plane. I was 13 and we went to Majorca. I thought I was on a rollercoaster and hated every minute. It was a jumbo and I remember gripping onto the arms of the seat and feeling as sick as a dog.
Travel saved my life. My childhood wasn’t fantastic and I left home at 15. Getting onto a Youth Training Scheme for £29.50 a week at Co-op Travel in St Helens in Merseyside really did save my life and gave me direction, as I don’t know what I would have done.
I had the greatest time when I was a Redcoat at Butlin’s. I was based in Pwllheli in North Wales and I am still friends with all my Redcoats that were in the class of 1990-91. I was 18 and looked after nine- to 13-year-olds, playing the piano and singing most of the time. We weren’t allowed pets so I adopted a chinchilla from the pets’ corner area and looked after it when I wasn’t working.
I also worked for Shearings for a few years. Older people are fantastic and teach you so much. I used to host a tea dance in Stockport and I would ask the guests for their best piece of advice. They would say: “Stop worrying about everything now,” and I have never forgotten that.
Depeche Mode are life. They were the backdrop to my years growing up! All electric synth, New Wave and New Romantic sounds really are my vibe.
You will find me in the gym every day. The future 75-year-old Lindsay will thank the Lindsay who is now 53, as she will be strong and still be able to open a jar of pickles! The Christmas after COVID I got some roller skates and I go out on them a lot and love it. I also love to go walking with my wife and my dog in nature – it uplifts and restores me. So, I will either be in the gym, walking up a hill or on my roller skates listening to ’80s music.
I love making people happy and sharing my positivity because I want people to have a good time. That’s what we do at Holiday Extras now – I want all of my travel agency partners and business partners to be having a good time with our brand.
I’ve been at Holiday Extras for 13 years. If you told me 15 years ago I’d be selling tarmac and beds, I’d have said no, not me. But it’s the best job in the world – the company are amazing at treating you well – we have a great culture, freedom and flexibility.
I really admire my fellow roadies. Day in, day out, no matter what the weather is doing, or what is going on in their lives, they are out there on the road. I take my hat off to every single roadie, especially during conference season which is brutal, but we all show up and do what we’ve got to do.
People say I am good at working a room and ask how I do it. You remove the ego, remove the status, and ask someone: “How’s your year going? What are you doing in the summer?”. I’ve always spoken to Chief Executives and Managing Directors exactly the same as apprentices, because I’m a people person.
I was shocked to be nominated for the Travel Gossip Legend award. I’ve got absolutely no idea why I was nominated! It is difficult to put into words as to why you get nominated. What makes a good legend? Is it somebody that has been around for a long time? Is it somebody who’s always present and uses their platform for positive disruption? It could be that, but who knows!
I would love to go back to Japan. I went for the ABTA conference in 2019 before the world went crazy a few months later. I want to go from north to south in a sort of ‘Race Across the World’ style as I love that TV programme. I want to get on a bus, travel around and dive head first into the culture.
Dawn or Dusk? Dusk
Texting or talking? Talking. Always talking!
Driving or flying? Driving
Cats or dogs? Dogs – I have my Cockapoo, Reginald
The Travel Celebration featuring the Travel Gossip Awards takes place on 25 March at The Peninsula London.
