Since 2018, Arrive Relax Travel has operated as homeworking agency, with its head office in Southend. However, at the start of this year, Angie Akister and her husband Max decided to relocate to the countryside like the prospective buyers featured in the BBC One series. 

Akister said: “We found Harleston because we went looking at the beginning of the year. We wanted to relocate from Southend. We knew that we could not set up a travel agency in Southend, so we started looking along the Suffolk-Norfolk border. We did watch a lot of Escape to the Country. Weirdly, the week before we moved BBC One featured Harleston on Escape to the Country.”

Akister said the number of independent businesses in the south Norfolk town caught her eye. “We were looking for somewhere that supports independents,” she explained. “Harleston is a small market town with lots of independent businesses. It’s very pro independent retailers.

“If there’s an event in the town the whole community comes along – that’s the kind of community we were looking for.” 

Akister, who is currently working in the shop with her husband and another agent, believes the last time Harleston had a travel agency business was in 1990. 

“A customer, who has just left my shop and has given me the biggest enquiry for next April, said she didn’t want to book online anymore,” Akister continued.

“I believe the closest travel agency to here is Framlingham Travel in Suffolk, so we’re supporting the local area.” 

Akister spent “a four-figure” sum on refurbishing the 17th century property which is opposite The Cap pub in The Thoroughfare. 

Asked if she plans to recruit more staff to join her team which includes three homeworkers, Akister said: “Before we recruit more staff, we just want to see how we go with the overheads. 

“I would love to have another agent here. I’m just being cautious – every business is talking about how much they have to pay now.” 

She admitted her husband may have to make a booking if the team is stretched over the festive period. “Max has not made a booking yet but he has taken some enquiries,” she added. 

Arrive Relax Travel’s first booking as a bricks-and-mortar agency was an easyJet holidays one from Southend. “Our first booking was an easyJet holidays one which is funny because we’ve just moved from Southend,” Akister explained. 

“Our closest airport is Norwich. The customer wanted to travel over specific dates so we had to fly them from easyJet’s new base in Southend.” 

Akister said the agency had received “all sorts” enquiries including – multi-centre trips to Thailand and Philippines, three-week cruises and battle field tours – since opening on 12 December. 

“It’s mad at the moment,” she said. “We decided to soft launch in the weeks before Christmas because some suppliers still had us listed as a homeworking agency. 

“It has not stopped since we opened. It’s been amazing – we’ve not done a huge amount of marketing.” Akister confirmed her and her husband have already identified the location for their second shop. 

“We’ve already found somewhere for shop number two, but I’m not going to tell you,” she said. “The town was on our list when we found Harleston. It’s not far from here.”