‘Emotional’ moments as Beverley Travel Group opens in Driffield

The Beverley Travel Group has opened a store in Driffield in East Yorkshire, with two members of staff who had previously worked in the town.

 

Royston Potter and Natalie Codd are back in the East Yorkshire town after joining Beverley Travel last year, shortly after being made redundant because of the closure of Ashley Adams Worldchoice in Driffield.

 

The pair, who were without jobs for more than a month, had spoken of their relief about being recruited by Beverley Travel owners Kelly Cheesman and Karl Douglas.

 

Commenting on the opening of Driffield Travel, Codd said: “It feels surreal to finally be back in Driffield, but also amazing.

 

“Opening day was more than we could have hoped for. We had old and new customers popping in throughout the day, with plenty of bookings and enquiries to keep us busy.

 

“It was so lovely to see familiar faces again and to welcome new ones.

 

“I was also very touched to receive some beautiful flowers from customers who used to book with me, along with cards saying how happy they are that both myself and Royston are back in Driffield.

 

“There were definitely a few emotional moments, but in the nicest possible way.

 

“We’ve been truly welcomed back and can’t wait to see our new store go from strength to strength.”

 

Potter said the return to Driffield has been “amazing” and a “crazy” experience, with customers from their previous agency giving them “the warmest welcome”.

 

“We also had a lot of new people who had seen us from the door-drops we did, our social posts which gathered a lot of attention, and from the local paper. It was so lovely to be welcomed back by so many,” he said.

 

“Since joining the Beverley Travel Group, everyone has made me feel so welcome. Over our five branches, I have met people who are so inspirational and I’ll always look up to them because they have taught me so much.

 

“We have such an amazing team here. I’ll always show my appreciation to Karl Douglas, Kelly Cheesman and Hayley Bolton, for making Driffield Travel possible and for putting their faith in me.”

 

Douglas and Cheesman now have five managed shops – two in Beverley; Driffield Travel; Wicstun Travel in Market Weighton; and Hedon Travel – plus a franchise store called Swanland Travel and 15 self-employed travel partners.

 

Cheesman said on LinkedIn that the opening of Driffield Travel is a “real milestone for us as a business, and one we’re incredibly proud of”.

 

She said changing government policies and rising costs that mean businesses like Beverley Travel “have to fight harder than ever just to survive”.

 

“We had two choices… shrink back or grow forward. We chose growth. We chose belief. We chose backing our people, our communities and our high streets,” she wrote.

 

“Like all of our stores, this one will be led by a dedicated local team, and I honestly couldn’t be prouder of Royston Potter and Natalie Codd.

 

“We welcomed them into our business last summer after the heartbreaking closure of their previous agency, and now they’re about to lead the next exciting chapter of theirs.”

She added: “Every time we open somewhere new, people thank us for investing in the high street. We all know town centres are struggling, and they only survive if we choose to use them.

 

“Natalie and Royston…this is the biggest opportunity of your lives, and we know you’ve got this.”

 

More: Beverley Travel owners open second shop in same town

 

Former Ashley Adams Worldchoice staff ‘blown away’ by new employer