Island Holidays Blog

Another miracle

Every year, around the middle of June, I can be heard muttering "I'll never get this done in time - it's impossible".   And every year it gets done - just.   "What, I hear you pondering, "is THIS?"   Those of you who know me reasonably well don't even need to hazzard a guess - you hear it year in, year out and then receive a copy of the "THIS".  For newcomers (and welcome), it's the dreaded annual task of getting a brochure out in time for the British Birdwatching Fair.  Well, it was "signed off" yesterday - which means that if I find any mistakes now it's too late, so I simply don't look any more!  Now I've got a week to finish sticking stamps on to polylopes, plus catch up on everything else.

Of course, this weekend is the Comrie Fortnight open day (or two days to be accurate) for the 7 1/4 inch guage railway (The Comrie Railroad).  "The Boys" (plus a few ladies) are assembling and last night I made the mistake of falling in with good company - not beneficial for work the next day but great fun at the time.  Here's a picture of one of the trains:

Thanks to www.discoverlivesteam.com - I nicked this off their website.  But as one of the station's is called "Libby's Halt" I'm sure they won't mind.   Libby's Halt is in woodland - this is the part of the railway which goes through "Boris's Field" - so called in memory of a Guanaco called Boris who lived there for quite a while and caused a few near misses on the nearby back road when people did a double take.  For those of you who don't know, the Guanaco is a close relative of the Llama so it's hardly surprising that people couldn't believe their eyes - they thought they were in Scotland!

Anyway, I'd better stop wittering on.  As well as all the catch up from the past few weeks when I've been concentrating on the dreaded  brochure, I've got to make meringues topped with cream and strawberries for the boys - plus a summer fruit salad for 40 for tomorrow night's bbq.  Well, I haven't GOT to - it's just I did the meringues once and it became an instant tradition.  As for the fruit salad - I might have to leave the country this time next year!!!!

Phew!

Well, the annual miracle has happened again and the brochure is now with the printer.  There's now a slight lull (at least in terms of the brochure) until the final proof arrives - probably at the beginning of next week.  Meanwhile it's catch-up time on everything else.  Karon is now away for her "proper" holiday so the pressure is on.   Still, there's always time to do a quick blog!  Not that there's that much to say - it's been brochure, brochure, brochure for weeks!

Now you won't believe this.  The phone just rang and it was the printer.  They're bringing the final proof out to me this morning!   So much for a break from the brochure - and time to get those final three prices.   Still, the sooner it's done the sooner I can move on I guess.  It would have been nice to have a wee break though.  Perhaps I'll just leave it till the weekend: sometimes when you look at something too much too often you fail to see it, if you know what I mean.

I'm really pleased with the front cover this year - Strule has done another brilliant job and it's totally different from any other we've had.  I'm not going to spoil the surprise by letting you see it now: that's a treat in store.  

Got another booking for St Helena this morning - it really does seem to be the destination of choice at the moment which delights me as I love going on that trip and can't without clients!  Our October tour is full booked, as is the one for Tristan da Cunha in 2011 but we've got spaces on all the others - so roll up!

Better get back to work - Keith Fairclough has written a brilliant report on the Orkney Shetland holiday which I need to format and get out to the clients.  Itell you - it's all go!!!

Our conservation fund

It's that time of year again when I have no idea how the brochure is going to get to print on time! Experience tells me that it will, and I know that miracles happen - every year in the case of the brochure.
I'm lucky to have a totally unflappable and brilliant designer and several proof readers with a great talent for spotting silly mistakes.   As far as I can make out not a single one got through last year (mistake, that is).   Usually there's one.  I think the most embarrassing was a panel for the British Birdwatching Fair on which "Caribbean" was spelt wrong - two r's and one b.  And there it was for 3 days for all the world to see.   Cringe!

The sun's streaming in the office windows and I'd so much rather go for a stroll down to the village or over to check on the ospreys.  Heigh ho - it's the price you pay for all the wonderful experiences with which the past 21 years of Island Holidays have been peppered.   I was thinking back over the past year the other day and, as well as having visited wonderful places and had tremendous experiences of the natural world, I'm also proud that we were able to donate a reasonable amount to several charities.  During our birthday cruise we raised an amazing amount just from 38 passengers - and that was divided between the Old Haa' Museum at Burravoe in Yell (where Bobby's memorial is to be found), the RNLI and our own conservation fund.   Over the past year the latter has contributed to the British Birdwatching Fair Project for Endangered Birds, AMUS in Extremadura in Spain for their bird hospital and Montagu Harrier research, Langkawi Island in Malaysia for the fantastic conservation and educational work Irshad and his team do and Fair Isle Bird Observatory which is being completely rebuilt this summer.  Not bad for such a small business as Island Holidays.  If you'd like to make a donation you can send a cheque to us payable to Island Holidays Conservation Fund - check out our website for the postal address.  Sorry, but we can't accept credit cards for this.

Now.  Back to that brochure.

Thank you

What a day it was yesterday, and a big thanks to all of you who contributed to making my 60th birthday such an overwhelmingly happy day.  My house is full of flowers, cards, champagne and much, much more and seldom has a girl felt so cherished.   Now, of course, it's back to business with a few pages of the 2010 brochure still not written and the deadline approaching rapidly.

On top of all the delights yesterday, Andy Murray got through to the semi finals, the final brood of chaffinches fledged from their nest outside my bedroom window and the sun shone.  But aren't we a wonderful nation?   We grumble like mad at cool, wet summers.  Then we get some glorious weather and complain it's too hot.  Just never satisfied - or is it simply our obsession with talking about the weather.  I remember being in the Seychelles one time and commenting to the person at the next breakfast table "What a fabulous day" which drew the response "So?".

Anyway, enough of all this.  It's time to come down to earth, still delighting in the sunshine pouring in to the office and reveling in the flowers and cards - shame about the hay fever!

Oh - and Happy 60th birthday Helen (you know who you are!).