Jackie Cook
I'm based in
Desborough
It's Nice To Meet You
Hi,
My name is Jackie Cook; I now live in Northamptonshire but have lived all over the UK and spent 8 years in France. I am married with one son who recently got married.
I have worked in the travel industry for nearly 50 years. I have gained experience in different areas of the industry and have been very fortunate to have travelled extensively during that time. Living in France from the age of 12 gave me an opportunity which only later did I appreciate. I speak fluent French and started my interest in working in the travel industry. I joined Seaspeed Hovercarfts in Dover when I was 18 which then became Hoverspeed and this is where I met my husband who is from Dover.
The summers were great down at the Hoverport but not so much in the winter!
My next positions really became as I followed my husband with his job moves so in 1984 we moved to Peterborough and I joined Thomas Cook. Their training then was fabulous and soon became a travel agent for the first time. We then moved to Leicestershire and like my husband we joined Page and Moy where I stayed for 11 years until I moved to Travel Counsellors in March 2000
My favourite European city has always been Paris, and some recent holidays have been spent cruising on a canal boat in different parts of France. Ask me more about that; it’s a wonderful way to relax and meet the locals. We do also love the Greek islands and have visited many over the years. This year was Crete for the first time but we need to go again as it is a large island and we only saw a small part of it.
I have been fortunate in that the companies I have worked for have seen a benefit in allowing me to travel for educational purposes to countries I would never have expected to visit. These include Peru and the magical Machu Picchu, South Africa and Kenya on exciting safaris, the Caribbean, cruising (on ships as well as canal boats!), Thailand and Malaysia and many more. They even tried to teach me to dive in the Great Barrier Reef. (I did not pass but at least I completed the course!). The latest trip was to New Orleans, what an exciting city that is.
If I have not visited a destination you may be interested in, the Travel Counsellors message board will allow me to find out the answers to your questions. Someone will know.
When you call my number, it will be me who answers; this allows me to build up a rapport with my clients, who then return to me year after year for their holiday arrangements.
We have a 24 hour duty office who are there at the end of a phone line when there is a hurricane , a cancelled flight, companies going bust at the last minute, helping us with clients who become ill or need to get home quickly. This is such a benefit to have when something goes wrong, but also they keep us updated with latest visa and health requirements.
Please give me a try and I promise you will not be disappointed. I will offer to you the best possible professional service you could hope to receive.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Jackie
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
City, beach and a jungle!
I had not been to Bangkok and Hua Hin for more than 20 years so when I was invited to visit this destination again with 20 other Travel Counsellors, I had no hesitation in accepting the invitation. We flew from Manchester with Emirates via Dubai. The airline is very well equipped with the latest inflight entertainment showing films still being shown in the cinemas. We had a change in Dubai whic
31 Jul 2018 6 min read
4 days in the Big Easy
In the early part of last year, I won a trip to New Orleans with some fellow Travel Counsellors. I have had to wait nearly a year for this trip to come around, but it was well worth it. We found out just before we left that BA had kindly upgraded us all but half on the outbound and then the rest on the inbound, so I found myself in Club Class for the outbound journey. This was fabulous. The fo
31 Jul 2018 4 min read
Mediterranean Cruise with Cunard
This was a special holiday for us, not that we were celebrating anything in particular but we had always wanted to do a Mediterranean cruise one day instead of our usual holiday to Greece. We decided on the Queen Victoria because the itinerary suited us best. The booking process was straight forward and the glossy brochure they sent us with all the itinerary and excursions you can book was v
10 Oct 2017 6 min read
The Beautiful Greek island of Lefkas
"Kalimera Jackie". “Kalimera Nikos". The same pleasantries that had been exchanged every morning for the last fortnight. "Unfortunately we go home today!" I said. "But have you had a great time?" enquired our genial host, and therein lies the fundamental question at the end of everyone's holiday, no matter the duration or the destination. Well simply put - Levkas or Levkada as the locals would
02 Sept 2016 3 min read
Dubai 12-16th September 2015
Sponsored by Emirates, Arabian Adventures and Dubai Tourism I was very fortunate to be offered this trip to Dubai having already visited this destination 3 times before but with Dubai, the changes with the skyline changes so quickly, the last visit being 8 years before, it was important I returned to see the difference. We flew from Birmingham and we were delighted to learn we had all been upg
30 Sept 2015 8 min read
South Africa
I was invited to visit South Africa with the tour operator African Pride. We were flying with Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow Terminal 3. We were given a tour of the Virgin lounge and waited for our flight in comfort and with a glass of champagne. Some of us were upgraded to Premium Economy. The flight was 12 hours overnight. We arrived at 11am the next morning. There is only a two hour differenc
26 Mar 2014 4 min read
Marrakech in French style
I was invited to attend a four day trip to Marrakech by the French travel operator "Club Med". I was very keen to visit this city but also to experience the Club Med concept, which I understood to be of a very high standard. We flew with Easyjet from Manchester and we were met by Club Med on our arrival. We then took a 30min transfer to our hotel Club Med La Palmeraie. My first impressions o
10 Jul 2011 4 min read
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Your holiday isn’t just a trip away. It’s a longed-for escape, time to reconnect with loved ones, or a dream adventure you never thought possible. That’s why I take the time to truly get to know you and understand your hopes and expectations, then use my experience, connections and passion for the destination to create a trip that makes those dreams a reality.
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When you plan a holiday with me, you’ll be given my personal mobile number from the very first call. I’ll listen to your thoughts and ideas like I would a friend and arrange accommodation, activities, and flights that are all personalised to you. And I’ll share my personal tips and recommendations, so you can experience the true beauty of each destination.
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