Gill Lindley
I’ve been at Hallmark Travel for 18 years and quite early on l gained a reputation for acquiring the more unusual enquiries. I can’t remember if l just naturally gravitated towards them, they just found me or they were saved for me!
For example, I had a chap who wanted to drive his car to Greece, another who wanted to get to Madeira – without flying, a young member of the clergy going on a solitary retreat to a remote Scottish island which, like the film, involved Trains, planes and automobiles but also ferries and buses!
However, the stand out one for me was, again like the film, our own Saving Private Ryan.The gentleman involved was one of four brothers who all joined up to fight in World War 2. Tragically one was killed in the Far East, another at Dunkirk and a third in France during the D-Day landings. He wanted to visit the
graves of the two brothers buried in France and would be accompanied by a family member. They didn’t want to drive and the older gentleman wasn’t that steady on his feet so they would be taking a wheel chair. They travelled to, across and back from France by train, ferry and taxi - breaking up the journey as much as possible and stayed in hotels and guest houses along the way. The Gentleman was very pleased to have visited both graves and came in to thank me for making all the arrangements, he was also very pleased with himself as he didn’t use the wheelchair once. Something which I’m sure the person who had carried it all the way round was not!
I have had a few enquiries of a similar nature since, two for Belgium another for a Croatian Island one for Gallipoli and even a D-Day Veteran himself wishing to make the journey back there for a remembrance service.
It’s always a pleasure to be involved with arranging a holiday for someone but it’s also a privilege to be involved with a trip of this kind.
Why not contact me now?
....and hear about my staycation this year!