Having just returned from the Travel Convention – more on that next week – I have just read of the furore over comments made by Anton Du Beke to his dance partner on Strictly Come Dancing. He has apologised and she has accepted, however it has happened – it was unacceptable and whilst I agree that the world has gone mad on political correctness there is no room now or back in the good old 70,s and 80’s for this type of treatment and discrimination.

My dad now 83 years young still talks of the time moving from Ireland to Scotland in the early 50’s with the boarding houses all having signs saying “No Irish”  and of course the term “Mick” being used then an now – is that any more acceptable? In my own experience having travelled far and wild people the world over love a Scotsman especially in a kilt (yes I have one and no I don’t to question number two….); however some of my early experiences were not as rosy!

At the age of 16 in 1982 I did two months in Plymouth with the Royal Marines – who take no prisoners. I was thinner and a lot fitter and could keep up with the best of them – but my main problem was people shouting at me! “Oi Jock” was the normal one which did really begin to grate, however the other acronym was FRISP and I won’t even go into what that stood for. After two months I decided it wasn’t for me and jacked it in – but had a realisation that it was ignorance the terminology and not always malice.

After a few years going through various admin jobs and bar jobs I joined Club 18-30 – which was ten times more stamina than the marines however this is where I learned the best weapon is wit and a quick brain.

There is no room for bullies and or yobs and racists in any society – however these are not just mindless thugs we even see them in white collars and leading political parties so it’s no longer confined to the washroom or football pitch.

On a lighter note I met my friend, mentor and former colleague Andy Cooper in Barcelona at the Travel Convention. We were a formidable force at Airtours ensuring that the millions of brochures per year were all accurate and legally correct and part of my job was errata.

All of this reminded me of my famous errata story of two girls arriving at the Sahara Beach hotel in Tunisia in 1995 where I was one of the managers. They arrived at the welcome meeting and kicked off at my reps and demanded to see the manager – I was in the area got the message on my pager (no mobiles) and set course for the hotel. When I arrived the girls were there invoice in hand and looking a bit hot under the collar. I sat them down to calmly find out what happened. “This is blatant discrimination we only noticed it on the flight so we couldn’t complain in the UK, but we just work as hard as anybody else why would you not allow us in this hotel”. I am completely lost and didn’t have a clue but it was obviously something to do with the booking confirmation, so I asked for it and had a read. Under the errata section it stated “No hairdressers” she said – “we’ve both been through college and now been hairdressers for five years, so why can’t we be allowed in this hotel”. Once I explained that it actually meant the hairdressing salon had closed in the hotel the penny did drop ….. And that my friends is a 100% true story!

See you soon

Oakesy