Your Stories: Travel Counsellors’ Jim French on retirement after 52 years in travel

He tells Harry Kemble how he nearly missed out on a travel career and about the changes during his time in the industry

Q. When did you start in travel?
A. I was on the verge of starting an electrical engineering apprenticeship in 1970, but was not due to begin until August so I went to the youth employment office to see if they had any work for me beforehand. I said geography was my best subject, and before I knew it I was working at Monteith Travel in Glasgow as a frontline agent. I was there for two-and-a-half years before I went into tour operations at Horizon Holidays, also in Glasgow. I joined its reservations team in August 1971 when I was 18.

I said geography was my best subject, and before I knew it I was working at Monteith Travel in Glasgow as a frontline agent

Q. What was your first memorable booking?
A. I was only 16 when I made my first big booking. It was in the days when you had to write every ticket by hand and the tickets for this booking took me a whole afternoon to write out. The booking included seven tickets and 24 flights around the world, all of which had to be booked over the telephone as there were no computers back then. The whole trip lasted around two or three months. I delivered the round-the-world tickets to the client myself in our company car, which they appreciated.

It was in the days when you had to write every ticket by hand and the tickets for this booking took me a whole afternoon to write out

Q. When and why did you join Travel Counsellors?  
A. I joined in 2009. At the time I was going to a lot of trade functions and found that most people would go to these events simply to see how much they could eat and drink, but I preferred going round the room talking to people and discovered the Travel Counsellors agents were asking a lot of the same questions as me. It took me over a year to join after first meeting them. It was a massive move to go from being sales manager of Dixons Travel in Glasgow to being self-employed.

Most people would go to these events simply to see how much they could eat and drink, but I preferred going round the room talking to people

Q. Tell us about being part of the Scottish ‘TC Clan’.
A. Looking back, I should have joined Travel Counsellors far earlier. Everybody knows I’m a team player so nobody could believe I was prepared to work from home on my own. After the first three days of training at Travel Counsellors I knew I’d made the right move. I had an arrangement with someone at head office who would tell me about any new starters who were Scottish, and I would then write to them to welcome them as a fellow Scot. The group then grew arms and legs. We were all very close. I was the oldest in the group and, because of my age, I had life experience that others lacked.

Someone at head office would tell me about any new starters who were Scottish, and I would then write to them to welcome them as a fellow Scot

Q. In 2013 you won the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association’s ‘Best Homeworker’ award. What did it mean to you?
A. Winning the award was an incredible feeling because it was industry-wide and not just within Travel Counsellors. I picked up the award in front of 200 people. I remember looking around the room and recognising a lot of faces. I also won the ‘Most Helpful Travel Counsellor’ award during my time as a homeworker, which was a really nice pat on the back.

I also won the ‘Most Helpful Travel Counsellor’ award during my time as a homeworker, which was a really nice pat on the back

Q. What have you been doing for Reuben’s Retreat?
A. I became involved with the charity after winning a three-night trip to New York through Travel Counsellors in a company raffle. The business fundraises for Reuben’s Retreat every year. However, my wife Diane did not want to go to New York so I asked Travel Counsellors if I could instead auction off the prize on TC TV, and pledged that I would cycle the same mileage as the amount raised. On September 24, I passed the 1,500-mile target on the 68th outing on my bike.

I’m not entirely sure how I’ll spend my retirement, but I definitely won’t be spending it watching endless daytime TV

Q. What are your plans for your retirement, and how does it feel to be retired after so long in travel?
A. I’m not entirely sure how I’ll spend my retirement, but I definitely won’t be spending it watching endless daytime TV. I hope to do a lot more cycling and backpacking. When I backpack it allows me to visit remote places. Three generations of my family are out in Australia, so we’ll go and visit them this winter as well.

I’ve also rejoined the library and hope to read more books, and I’m aiming to complete a bowls coaching qualification at Eaglesham Bowls Club next summer. I have a lot to keep me occupied!

I hope to do a lot more cycling and backpacking. When I backpack it allows me to visit remote places

What changes have you seen in 50 years?

One question I get asked a lot is how we booked holidays back in the day when we didn’t have computers. That is one of the main differences between then and now; all of the bookings were done over the phone when I started out.

Not many people have done the amount of time that I’ve done in the industry, and technology is certainly the biggest change I’ve witnessed

That also made it tricky when you were trying to get hold of suppliers. I recall that Intersun once said they were going to launch a brochure on a Sunday. At four o’clock in the afternoon, we finally got through to them. It was frustrating. The phone bills we racked up then would pay for two extra staff now; there were no mobiles, after all.

I have also seen the industry go through a lot of difficult periods and I think it still has a long way to go before it finally comes out of the pandemic

As you get older you’re not as on the ball with technology – the speed of it these days is incredible. Not many people have done the amount of time that I’ve done in the industry, and technology is certainly the biggest change I’ve witnessed. I have also seen the industry go through a lot of difficult periods and I think it still has a long way to go before it finally comes out of the pandemic – there are still many people who do not feel confident about travelling.