Waymark Holidays 1973-2007
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THE WAYMARK STORY 2nd Edition The history of WAYMARK HOLIDAYS 1973-2007 by COLIN SAUNDERS Plus reminiscences from directors, staff, leaders and clients THE WAYMARK STORY Written and edited by COLIN SAUNDERS (staff member 1982 to 1989) In memory of Peggy Hounslow and Noel Vincent Second edition published online 15 March 2013 (replacing first edition published online 28 April 2009) by Colin Saunders 35 Gerrards Close Oakwood London N14 4RH [email protected] www.colinsaunders.org.uk © Colin Saunders 2009, 2013 2 THE WAYMARK STORY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Waymark Holidays owed its existence to the courage and foresight of its founders, Peggy Hounslow, Noel Vincent and Humfrey Chamberlain. The author is indebted to the following people and organisations, who have contributed in various ways: Mike Brace, Charlie Brown, The Cabinet Office, Alan Castle, Humfrey Chamberlain, Peter Chapman, Viju Chhatralia, Toni Clark, Dulcie Cringle, Rosemary Crosbie, Brian Fagg, Jill Hollingworth, Andy Hosking, Philip Hoyland, Nancy Johns, Anthony Jones, Ian Jones, Michael Mace, Bob Mason, Stuart Montgomery, Sue O’Grady, Tom Phillips, Elizabeth Philpott, Robert Pick, Adam Pinney, Martin Read, Brian and Gill Reader, Theo Rowlands, Paul Sibert, Alan Smith, Beryl Vincent, Nigel Watson and Jim Wood. Also many other former leaders and clients who have contributed material to Waymark News, much of which has been incorporated into this second edition. He is especially indebted to Peter Chapman, Stuart Montgomery and Martin Read for allowing him access to their collections of Waymark brochures, without which writing this work would have been immeasurably more difficult and devoid of detail. Finally, thanks to Exodus who have acquiesced in the publication of this document. The author has tried to contact as many former directors, staff, leaders and clients as possible, but inevitably some will have escaped the net. If after reading this document you feel that something noteworthy has been omitted, or if you believe any statements to be incorrect, please contact Colin Saunders*. Updates will be published as Waymark News on the author’s website www.colinsaunders.org.uk, including relevant communications from readers with their permission – though they may have to be edited. The author hopes to revise this document from time to time, so that any relevant updates can be incorporated. Colin Saunders asserts his right to be identified as the author of this work. Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this document, it is possible that some errors or omissions have occurred. The author accepts no responsibility for unforeseen consequences, but will be grateful for notification of such errors or omissions. * If you need to, please contact the author: [email protected]. 3 THE WAYMARK STORY CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements 3 Foreword 6 Author's introduction 8 An introduction to this document 10 Other publications by the same author 10 PART 1: THE WAYMARK STORY Chapter 1. History The Founders 11 In the beginning 16 Waymark and cross-country skiing 17 Finding its feet 18 On firm ground 19 A time for change 20 Maturity 20 The First Choice era 21 Epilogue 22 Turnover chart 24 Chapter 2. Policy Operational policies 25 Waymark and the governing bodies of skiing 31 Waymark and the blind skiers 32 Waymark and the cross-country ski clubs 36 Partnerships and associations 36 Chapter 3. Personnel Directors 39 Staff 41 Leaders 41 Chapter 4. Travel arrangements Airlines 45 Transfers 49 Rail travel 49 Waymark Transport Limited 50 4 THE WAYMARK STORY Chapter 5. The programmes Introduction 51 Walking holidays 58 Cross-country skiing and other holidays on snow 70 Independent holidays 78 PART 2: REMINISCENCES From directors 80 From staff 104 From leaders 118 From clients 128 From the holidays for blind skiers 136 In brief 139 5 THE WAYMARK STORY FOREWORD This second edition was published in 2013, mainly to include the names of leaders who were omitted from the first edition, also reminiscences and other items that have since been published in Updates and Waymark News* *See www.colinsaunders.org.uk/waymarkupdates.html. ‘Perfect travel companions’! For 34 years, from 1974 to 2007, Waymark provided walkers and cross-country skiers with memorable holidays that often led to lasting friendships and even marriages. It was a sad day when its last ever group of holidaymakers returned from Honfleur on 7 October 2007. Waymark Holidays Ltd. was taken over on 10 December 2002 by First Choice Holidays PLC, who in May that year had also acquired a similar operation, originally called Exodus Expeditions, but now plain Exodus. Waymark continued to operate independently from its Slough headquarters, then the Waymark newsletter for Spring 2007, included an article under the heading ‘Waymark and Exodus: perfect travel companions’. It said: “We are delighted to announce that Waymark has teamed up with leading adventure tour operator, Exodus, to offer you a comprehensive selection of trips right across the globe.” It highlighted the similarities: an excellent pedigree stretching back over 30 years and a commitment to responsible tourism. Goodbye Slough! Exodus offered a much larger selection of walking and trekking holidays, but a reason for the merger could be discerned from reading between the lines: “[Exodus’] small selection of cross-country and ski touring will be significantly enhanced by [Waymark’s] specialist programme of award-winning cross-country skiing holidays”. “We’re incredibly excited,” continued the article, “about this latest development here at Waymark, and we hope you are too.” A few months later, Waymark was absorbed into the Exodus operation, located in Balham, southwest London. Their Slough headquarters was closed and most of its staff were made redundant. However, not long before this ‘teaming up’, in March 2007, it was the turn of First Choice to be taken over: by TUI AG (Turistik International Aktiengesellschaft), based in Hanover, Germany, which already included in its empire the British travel industry giant, Thomson, and a much small tour operator called Headwater Holidays. Until the turn of the millennium, Headwater, like Waymark and Exodus, was a profitable independent operator of activity holidays, including walking and cross-country skiing, but now via several takeovers it has 6 THE WAYMARK STORY become just a trading name of TUI UK Limited. So Exodus and Headwater are now very similar operations in the same stable. ‘Where will it all end?’ one wonders. A dormant company Waymark Holidays Ltd. still exists as a dormant company among nearly 600 companies in the TUI stable – a subsidiary of a subsidiary (First Choice Holidays Ltd.) of a subsidiary (TUI Travel PLC). It has illustrious companions: as well as those already mentioned, stable- mates include names that will be familiar to seasoned travellers, though some have now disappeared from the market place: Air 2000, Britannia Airways, Canadian Pacific, Citalia, Horizon Holidays, Iberotel, Jetsave, Lunn Poly, Magic of the Orient, Olympic Holidays, OSL, Portland Holidays, Skytours, Unijet and many more. At the time of writing (March 2013), six years after the demise, it should be noted that Exodus continues to boast the Waymark name and logo in their cross-country skiing programme as ‘The Waymark Experience’, because its reputation persists among the cross- country skiing community. Some former Waymark leaders now work with Exodus, so it is to be hoped that former Waymark clients will continue to enjoy holidays under their guidance. Tourism is a dynamic and ever-changing industry, so all this could change tomorrow – may have already done so by the time you read this. It seems that, one way or another, the highly regarded Waymark name will sink ever lower in the pecking order for those that own it, and it is, sadly, the way of such things that it, too, may vanish from public view before long. In its small and specialist way, Waymark had reached the peak of the holiday industry, winning the Guardian/Observer Travel Award for Best Ski Company in 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2007. Sadly, though boasting the Waymark name, there have since been no awards for Exodus. There has been acid comment from some quarters that this story is an example of how big business takes over a successful small company and proceeds to wreck it! A big-hearted little company In some ways, Waymark was behind the times. It was reluctant to use colour photography in brochures; it was slow to adopt computerisation; and it grudgingly accepted credit cards. Yet it stubbornly refused to embrace growth for growth’s sake (it would have been easy to do so) and steadfastly put the care of its clients first. Waymark was a big-hearted little company, whose adherence to old-fashioned values may have contributed to its eventual demise. As one client reminisces later in this document: “We wished we had taken more holidays with Waymark: that aura of caring for you almost as a family, that knowledge of centres acquired over many years, was rarely to be found with other companies.” And another: “I was so impressed by the thoughtfulness and kindness shown to me – not an old and valued client at that stage but a complete newcomer – that I was pleased to encourage the waverers to use Waymark”. 7 THE WAYMARK STORY For those who remember Waymark in its heyday, its disappearance is regrettable, but the author hopes that this document will provide a suitable epitaph and ensure that the name will live on. It may even inform students of tourism. And it may allow those who enjoyed working for and travelling with Waymark to wallow in nostalgia for a while. AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION In March 1982 I attended the inaugural meeting of the London Region Nordic Ski Club. Sitting next to me was Noel Vincent. As we chatted, it emerged that he was a director of Waymark Holidays.