Cowboy Traders – Channel 5
"Our students were made to feel really special and had the most amazing weekend after having been let down so dramatically."
Meole Brace School
Not many companies would say this but we were really excited to have made our television debut on Channel 5’s Cowboy Traders which aired on Thursday June 27, 2013.
The programme was investigating a school travel company which had let down hundreds of pupils and dozens of schools by not passing on the payments for accommodation, transport and ski hire. Dozens of schools had to cancel their trips.
Cowboy Traders wanted to help at least one group who’d been let down and turned to Halsbury Travel.
Cowboy Traders’ presenter Melinda Messenger - who was just as glamorous in the flesh - came to our head office in Nottingham to ask for our help. And guess what, we said yes!
Our MD Keith Sharkey says “Channel 5 told me we had been recommended as a school tour operator with an excellent reputation. I used to be a teacher and I knew how disappointed the kids would be.”
"We have the all important ABTA and ATOL bonding and we’re STF (School Travel Forum) assured so they felt confident that we would deliver all elements of the trip to an excellent standard. The last thing they wanted was for the school to be let down twice.”
We chose the 2006 winter Olympic venue Bardonecchia in Italy because it’s always been voted the best by our groups. We provided the flights, accommodation, equipment hire, ski tuition, lift passes and a hoodie for each passenger as a memento of the trip.
Meole Brace school ‘we were blown away by the depth of interest and care taken by the company’. Says Jess Sanders, a PE teacher who went on the holiday “Our students were made to feel really special and had the most amazing weekend after having been let down so dramatically. The whole programme ran smoothly and efficiently and the provision of accommodation, hotel facilities, ski hire and lessons were of a very high standard.”
The party stayed in the Villaggio Olimpico, a 3 star complex that was originally built to house the Olympic athletes. Facilities include a swimming pool, games room, fitness centre and television lounge ideal for keeping students entertained with après ski activities in the evenings.