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ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...0
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I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...1 -
First I have heard of this. Not a Bromley boy only moved there in 2013 but I'd be Interested in hearing more regarding the centre of the UK package holiday industry and how it came about.jimmymelrose said:
I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...0 -
ILG was set up in Forest Hill, SE London by Harry Goodman - he took advantage of the collapse of Clarksons Holidays in 1974 to get ILG really going - he paid a backhander to the printers of Clarksons brochure for the upcoming holiday season, he and some others in ILG then flew to Spain and went to as many hotels as possible, and offered to take the Clarksons bookings of their hands, but at 50% of what Clarksons would have paid - the hotel owners by and large bit their hands off - he then got the printers to reprint the Clarksons brochure, but with the name Intasun on it ( it was essentially a carbon copy of Clarksons brochure other than that) and sold the holidays at the price Clarksons were going to pay - within weeks ILG was awash with cash
Selling package holidays in the 70’s was like the ‘wild west’ with very little regulation
Air Europe was created late 70’s to enable ILG to control its flights, but Goodman soon had dreams of a European airline flying dedicated routes rather than as a charter - if it had succeeded it would have beaten EasyJet and Ryan Air to be that type of operation by years
Goodman was a real character - liked the ladies, booze and parties - he was a maverick
It was Air Europe which brought down ILG - Goodman refused to buy 2nd hand planes, and thus Air Europe carried enormous debt - when Gulf War 1 started, ILG’s bookings dropped, as did Air Europe’s bookings - lower income, but with massive debts killed it
My Mum’s husband was booted out in 1988 because - as Finance Director - he could see the debt was too high, and urged Goodman to only buy 2nd hand planes - Goldman’s cronies on the board got in Goldman’s ear, and urged him to sack my mum’s husband, and he did
Mum’s husband had to sign an agreement not to work in the European travel industry for 5 years, in return for a handsome payoff
That was fine by him - he set up an American ‘fly drive’ travel company called JetLife and did very well because flydrive was popular with Brits in the early 90’s
I believe ILG being based in Bromley was because they were offered incentives to take space in the brand new offices built in Bromley late 70’s / early 80’s
Look up Harry Goodman on google - some amusing stuff about him and what he got up to3 -
TV Travel Shop was started by Harry Goodman after the collapse of ILG - think he was still the main man when you worked there - if he ran it in any way similar to ILG I bet your Christmas Parties were good !!jimmymelrose said:
I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...0 -
Lordflashheart said:
TV Travel Shop was started by Harry Goodman after the collapse of ILG - think he was still the main man when you worked there - if he ran it in any way similar to ILG I bet your Christmas Parties were good !!jimmymelrose said:
I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...
Oooooh bloody hell, yes!
My first one in '98 surprised me but it was a very young crowd; hardly anyone except those in the top posts were over 30. Thinking about it now I suppose that the liberal attitude at that party came from Harry as no-one cared to control any 'over enthusiasm.' I clearly remember one couple, whilst still clothed, shagging on a table at the back of the hall. Consequently I myself pulled a colleague that I didn't really fancy, and woke up the next morning in her bed in Swanley, needing to hurry back to work.
In 99 it was less sexually liberal from my memory but maybe I spent too long on the karaoke stage. I loved karaoke at the time: I used to go to a karaoke in Gravesend every Thursday night and so I new what songs I could pull off well.
At the party it was heaving around the stage and I had a great time performing and coming on to the girls at the front. It was a great load of fun, and I wasn't even one of those that socialised a lot with colleagues.
There was a separate room with a disco but I think I spent too long around that time trying to get with a girl who was a bit of a tease and who didn't knock me back as such, but with whom I never even actually got on a date with.
There is now a Facebook group for old TV Travel Shop employees where many fond memories are shared. One old employee died a couple of years ago that shocked us all. He was younger than me, RIP Billy.0 -
My Mum remembers an ILG Christmas Party in the 80’s at the Beaverwood which was way over the top - ILG were banned from Beaverwood after that partyjimmymelrose said:Lordflashheart said:
TV Travel Shop was started by Harry Goodman after the collapse of ILG - think he was still the main man when you worked there - if he ran it in any way similar to ILG I bet your Christmas Parties were good !!jimmymelrose said:
I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...
Oooooh bloody hell, yes!
My first one in '98 surprised me but it was a very young crowd; hardly anyone except those in the top posts were over 30. Thinking about it now I suppose that the liberal attitude at that party came from Harry as no-one cared to control any 'over enthusiasm.' I clearly remember one couple, whilst still clothed, shagging on a table at the back of the hall. Consequently I myself pulled a colleague that I didn't really fancy, and woke up the next morning in her bed in Swanley, needing to hurry back to work.
In 99 it was less sexually liberal from my memory but maybe I spent too long on the karaoke stage. I loved karaoke at the time: I used to go to a karaoke in Gravesend every Thursday night and so I new what songs I could pull off well.
At the party it was heaving around the stage and I had a great time performing and coming on to the girls at the front. It was a great load of fun, and I wasn't even one of those that socialised a lot with colleagues.
There was a separate room with a disco but I think I spent too long around that time trying to get with a girl who was a bit of a tease and who didn't knock me back as such, but with whom I never even actually got on a date with.
There is now a Facebook group for old TV Travel Shop employees where many fond memories are shared. One old employee died a couple of years ago that shocked us all. He was younger than me, RIP Billy.
Harry Goodman also ‘lost’ 3 Jenson Interceptors in London, because he was so drunk, he couldn’t remember where he parked them - 2 were found by the Police, the 3rd was never found - on all 3 occasions, he simply went down the local Jenson dealer and bought a new one0 -
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https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/mar/26/harry-goodman-obituaryTotal legend - he was lucky enough to be in the industry when an ‘anything goes’ attitude prevailed, and regulation was very light touch at best - my Mum’s husband went to some dinner with Harry in the early 80’s and Prince Charles was there - they all lined up to be introduced, but Harry already knew him, so he just chatted to Harry - Harry introduced my Mum’s husband Peter to Charlie Boy, and he asked what he did in ILG - Peter said ‘I do Harry’s worrying for him’
Peter used to hide the company cheque books in the early days to stop Harry spending too much money on wine, women and song0 -
As with many industries, once a big company has a geographic base, others centre around it because you have a close pool of talent. Bromley had (at various times) ILG, Cosmos Holidays, Avro, TV Travel Shop, Contiki, Funway Holidays etc etc as well as a host of other smaller operators - other travel hubs were in Luton (Thomson) and Peterborough (Thomas Cook).orpingtonRED said:
First I have heard of this. Not a Bromley boy only moved there in 2013 but I'd be Interested in hearing more regarding the centre of the UK package holiday industry and how it came about.jimmymelrose said:
I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...1 -
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I worked at cosmos in Bromley for about 3 years in the mid 70s.SporadicAddick said:
As with many industries, once a big company has a geographic base, others centre around it because you have a close pool of talent. Bromley had ILG, Cosmos Holidays, TV Travel Shop, Contiki, Funway Holidays etc etc as well as a host of other smaller operators - other travel hubs were in Luton (Thomson) and Peterborough (Thomas Cook).orpingtonRED said:
First I have heard of this. Not a Bromley boy only moved there in 2013 but I'd be Interested in hearing more regarding the centre of the UK package holiday industry and how it came about.jimmymelrose said:
I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...
The money was crap but there must have been at least 8 times as many women as men working there.
Very happy times indeed.1 -
Pretty sure ILG were the first in Bromley - their offices in Forest Hill were in a pokey, run down building, and as they grew they would have expanded staff rapidly - my Mum and her Husband lived in Orpington and I’m pretty sure Harry Goodman and other senior directors lived Kent / Surrey borders - plus of course Gatwick is not far away, and ILG ran nearly all its holiday flights for SE England out of Gatwick - much cheaper rents in Bromley and large population pool to hire staff fromSporadicAddick said:
As with many industries, once a big company has a geographic base, others centre around it because you have a close pool of talent. Bromley had ILG, Cosmos Holidays, TV Travel Shop, Contiki, Funway Holidays etc etc as well as a host of other smaller operators - other travel hubs were in Luton (Thomson) and Peterborough (Thomas Cook).orpingtonRED said:
First I have heard of this. Not a Bromley boy only moved there in 2013 but I'd be Interested in hearing more regarding the centre of the UK package holiday industry and how it came about.jimmymelrose said:
I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...0 -
Or to quote one of my mate’s ‘you were like a dog with 2 dicks when working at Cosmos’ 🤪blackpool72 said:
I worked at cosmos in Bromley for about 3 years in the mid 70s.SporadicAddick said:
As with many industries, once a big company has a geographic base, others centre around it because you have a close pool of talent. Bromley had ILG, Cosmos Holidays, TV Travel Shop, Contiki, Funway Holidays etc etc as well as a host of other smaller operators - other travel hubs were in Luton (Thomson) and Peterborough (Thomas Cook).orpingtonRED said:
First I have heard of this. Not a Bromley boy only moved there in 2013 but I'd be Interested in hearing more regarding the centre of the UK package holiday industry and how it came about.jimmymelrose said:
I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...
The money was crap but there must have been at least 8 times as many women as men working there.
Very happy times indeed.0 -
Cosmos was based in Bromley in the 60's, ILG (Intasun) started in 1973, so I think the history went before ILG, though they certainly became the largest (until 1991...)Lordflashheart said:
Pretty sure ILG were the first in Bromley - their offices in Forest Hill were in a pokey, run down building, and as they grew they would have expanded staff rapidly - my Mum and her Husband lived in Orpington and I’m pretty sure Harry Goodman and other senior directors lived Kent / Surrey borders - plus of course Gatwick is not far away, and ILG ran nearly all its holiday flights for SE England out of Gatwick - much cheaper rents in Bromley and large population pool to hire staff fromSporadicAddick said:
As with many industries, once a big company has a geographic base, others centre around it because you have a close pool of talent. Bromley had ILG, Cosmos Holidays, TV Travel Shop, Contiki, Funway Holidays etc etc as well as a host of other smaller operators - other travel hubs were in Luton (Thomson) and Peterborough (Thomas Cook).orpingtonRED said:
First I have heard of this. Not a Bromley boy only moved there in 2013 but I'd be Interested in hearing more regarding the centre of the UK package holiday industry and how it came about.jimmymelrose said:
I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...0 -
He got aroundLordflashheart said:https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/mar/26/harry-goodman-obituaryTotal legend - he was lucky enough to be in the industry when an ‘anything goes’ attitude prevailed, and regulation was very light touch at best - my Mum’s husband went to some dinner with Harry in the early 80’s and Prince Charles was there - they all lined up to be introduced, but Harry already knew him, so he just chatted to Harry - Harry introduced my Mum’s husband Peter to Charlie Boy, and he asked what he did in ILG - Peter said ‘I do Harry’s worrying for him’
Peter used to hide the company cheque books in the early days to stop Harry spending too much money on wine, women and song
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😋😋😋Lordflashheart said:
Or to quote one of my mate’s ‘you were like a dog with 2 dicks when working at Cosmos’ 🤪blackpool72 said:
I worked at cosmos in Bromley for about 3 years in the mid 70s.SporadicAddick said:
As with many industries, once a big company has a geographic base, others centre around it because you have a close pool of talent. Bromley had ILG, Cosmos Holidays, TV Travel Shop, Contiki, Funway Holidays etc etc as well as a host of other smaller operators - other travel hubs were in Luton (Thomson) and Peterborough (Thomas Cook).orpingtonRED said:
First I have heard of this. Not a Bromley boy only moved there in 2013 but I'd be Interested in hearing more regarding the centre of the UK package holiday industry and how it came about.jimmymelrose said:
I was there: I worked for TV Travel Shop from 98 to 00.SporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...
The money was crap but there must have been at least 8 times as many women as men working there.
Very happy times indeed.0 -
Go Travel, probably one of the only ones that stayed locel, went tits up the other weekSporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...0 -
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Cosmos still going strong (albeit an offshoot of the beach holiday company that failed in 2017) as an escourted touring company (round the corner from Bromley South)i_b_b_o_r_g said:
Go Travel, probably one of the only ones that stayed locel, went tits up the other weekSporadicAddick said:ILG were based in Bromley (as I'm sure you know). In fact, for many years, Bromley was the centre of the UK package holiday industry with a number of other companies in and around the town...1 -
I'd never even heard of Harry Goodman before reading this thread, he's a legend!1
