As a teenager Nicky Lynn wanted to see the world – so decided she’d join the army.
However, the chance to work in a travel agency shop took her globe-trotting career in a different direction – without the need for square-bashing and saluting.
Now she’s the familiar face behind the desk at one of Huddersfield’s oldest independent town centre businesses as manager at Althams Travel in Cross Church Street.
The former Howden Clough Girls High School student says: “I was going to join the army, so I could travel, but I got a Saturday job at Going Places in Batley.
“They wanted me to work full-time, so I started training. I had been doing travel and tourism at school, so it was clearly what I wanted to do.”
Batley-born Nicky, who still lives in the town, spent three years at the travel shop before joining Going Places Holiday World at Junction 27 at Birstall.
But she found the work “too impersonal”. Says Nicky: “There wasn’t the chance to really get to know people. It was all about serving one person, then the next and the next.”
She left to become the first assistant manager of the Going Places branch at the newly-opened Kingsgate shopping centre in Huddersfield before being chosen to move to the New Street branch and serve as manager there.
She has held her current post at Althams Travel for the past nine years and enjoys the job immensely. “We are independent, which means we can source every type of holiday for people without being tied,” she says. “We can get whatever you can get online – and more so.
“The internet is important as it makes things easier for us. There is more information than ever, but there is also more competition than ever.
“Luckily, there is no substitute for personal service and personal recommendation, which is what we can offer.”
While a number of online travel sites have come and gone – and several agency outlets have disappeared from the high street – Althams Travel has been around for a century and is going as strong as ever.
The business was originally founded in 1875 when it rented its Cross Church Street premises to sell tea.
It began selling rail tickets as well before changing into a travel agency. The company bought the premises in 1914 and continues to operate from the same site.
“We offer experience and continuity, which means we have some very loyal clients,” says Nicky.
She says customers also value its status as an independent and its ability to offer impartial advice.
Today, Nicky and her six-strong staff have to keep up with technology – and the news. “Lots of things have an effect on the travel industry,” she says.
Most obviously, wars, civil unrest, strikes and health scares can seriously effect demand for some destinations. Notably, parts of Africa and the Middle East are considered areas of risk. Safari holidays to Kenya are among the tours to take a hit as a result of concerns about terrorism.
The horrific attacks of 9/11 hit the travel industry hard in the immediate aftermath, but did not have a lasting effect on people flying.
Even the loss of two Malaysian airliners did not lead to a wave of people refusing to fly with the airline, says Nicky.
“It’s great to be able to offer first-hand advice you can’t get from reading the holiday brochure,” says Nicky.
“People come into the shop seeking inspiration. They have their own idea of what kind of holiday they’d like, but it can be completely different to the reality.”
She says: “Holidays now are a neccesity rather than a luxury. Everyone was saying that the recession would hit us, but I have never felt it.
“People cut back on other things so that they could still afford a holiday – even if it was a holiday in the UK.
“All-inclusive holidays have helped – where everything is paid for and the customer knows exactly how much it all costs.
“People have been more savvy with their money. Now, we are seeing new clients every day.”
Working in the travel industry remains popular with young people, says Nicky. “It’s a fast-moving business,” she says. “A lot of people think it is going to be easy, but they learn the hard way!
“I gained my NVQ with a mixture of on-the-job training and training away once a month, but I didn’t stop learning. After I came here, I took another qualification in management.”
At present, Nicky and her staff are busy helping customers looking to book their summer 2015 holidays.
Spain, Greece, Florida, New York and sun-kissed beaches around the Indian Ocean are among the favourite getaway destinations – but Althams has also sold trips on the Trans Siberian Express.
Adventure holidays are increasingly in demand, especially among the town’s university students, with walking the Great Wall of China and diving expeditions among the most popular.
And Nicky’s well-placed to offer advice. She enjoys eating out and meeting up with friends, but her real “hobby” is entirely work-related. “I’m addicted to holidays,” she says. “If I have any time off, I go somewhere.
“This year alone I’ve been to Barbados, Majorica, the Costa Blanca and Greece. I will be going back to the Costa Blanca and I’ll also have a weekend in Dublin.”
What’s top of Nicky’s “must visit” list now? “Anywhere I haven’t been to yet,” she says. “There’s no one single place. I have lots. I’m happy enjoying the buzz of Las Vegas just as much as the Maldives, where there’s nothing to do but sunbathe. It just depends how the mood takes me.”
Role: Travel shop manager
Age: 33
Holidays: I am addicted to holidays. If I have any time off I try to get away
First job: Waitressing at the Masonic Hall in Heckmondwike
Best thing about the job? Making people happy. In this job, you are able to build up a good relationship with the customer
Worst thing about the job? When things happen that are out of my control
Business tip: Treat the customer how you would want to be treated. I have never sold someone a holiday I wouldn’t have been happy to go on myself
Work: Independent travel agency
Site: Cross Church Street, Huddersfield
Phone: 01484 546511
Email: huddersfield@althams.co.uk
Web: www.althams.co.uk
