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'It was a great time - people queued out the door on a Saturday'

'It was a great time - people queued out the door on a Saturday'

Eaves’ love for her team is clear. “They are all so loyal and dedicated – three have been with us [for] more than 25 years,” she said.

 

The bulging ranks of Garstang today seems a world away from when the shop first opened its doors on January 31, 1984.

 

It was a time when Eaves had “big dreams and big hair”. “Think Farrah Fawcett,” she chuckled.

 

Having spent five years working in a travel agency in Blackpool, she partnered with her mum, Joan (pictured left), and opened Garstang Travel in the Lancashire town, 10 miles north of Preston.

 

But just a year in tragedy struck when Joan passed away at the age of 50 from cancer. “It was devastating,” Eaves recalled. “Having to deal with the death of my mum and run a new business, single-handedly. I’d been thrown in at the deep end and had to learn quickly.”

 

But Eaves persevered, and the business went from strength to strength. “It was down to hard work, determination and a will to succeed,” she said proudly. “It was a great time in travel, when people used to queue out of the door on a Saturday to book lates.”

 

With the rise of the OTAs in the mid-1990s, Eaves “moved away from the bargain hunters” to focus on tailor-made, adventure and long-haul.

 

“It really has paid off,” she said, with Garstang organising its own escorted departures ever since a 40-passenger tour of Austria sold out in two weeks in 2013.

Investment pays off

Investment pays off

In 2014 Garstang underwent a £30,000 shop refurbishment, which helped to create buzz in the local area. “Clients like to see you doing well and investing in the future,” she said.

 

The investment paid dividends two years later as the agency was named the UK and Ireland’s top agency at the inaugural TTG Top 50 awards in 2016.

 

“It was a major game changer for our business, and the recognition we received helped us attract new clients from far and wide, as well as locally,” she said. “It was lovely to see our community so proud of the business and the team.”

 

Since then, Eaves has not sat still, with a recently refreshed shop in November. “High street travel agents are here to stay – I believe that so strongly – and there’s a great future for the smaller player with a will to do well,” she smiled.

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