Gail Bateman – Director & Founder
Travel Experience: I have worked in the travel industry since 1981 travelling all over the world. I started cruising in 1980 which has been my passion ever since, I think cruising runs in my blood, this has been passed down from my mother who does a World Cruise every year and her mother before her. The cruising bug has also now been passed down to my daughter Jess, our Operations Manager, who has cruised from being 6 months old. Travel Advisors UK Ltd (trading as Chatsworth Travel) was born from my dining room in 1999 and I am proud to say has gone from strength to strength based on personal service and experience.
My favourite destination: St Lucia
My favourite cruise ship: P&O Cruises – Aurora
You can contact me at – gail@chatsworthtravel.co.uk
Jess Bateman – Operations Manager
Travel Experience: My passion has been, and always will be, cruising (and going on different holidays in general of course!) Having cruised since I was 6 months old and having done my work experience throughout my school days at Chatsworth Travel I knew that this was the path for me! After completing all my qualifications, I decided to join Chatsworth Travel in 2013. My job here is to dot all the I’s, cross all the T’s, do all our advertising, running our social media and generally run the office on a day to day basis (and the odd cruise booking!) I have travelled to many places in the world; New York, Iceland, Niagara Falls, Puerto Banus, Rhodes, Barbados, Cape Town and San Francisco to name a few of my favourites! I am proud to work alongside my mum and our fabulous very experienced team and keep building this amazing business from strength to strength! We’re like one big family!
My favourite destination: There’s too many to choose from but one of my all time favourites has to be Aruba, Caribbean.
My favourite cruise ship: P&O Cruises – Britannia
You can contact me at – jess@chatsworthtravel.co.uk
Joanne Hallett – Travel Consultant & Solo Travellers Co-Ordinator
Travel Experience: I started in travel in 1984 aged 17 – in fact I was trained by Gail! My travel career has lead me to work for independent & high street agencies over the years. I was branch manager of ‘Going Places’, part of the Thomas Cook group, for 17 years. During my time there, I had many highs & lows – being awarded Managers Manager in 1999, shop of the year in 2000 and 2001, but sadly, also seeing the demise of a few travel companies over the years too. I have witnessed many changes in the travel sector, but nothing takes away from good old-fashioned personal service!
My favourite destination: During my time in travel, I have been lucky enough to visit many places – my favourites are California, we honeymooned in Mexico, & really enjoyed Barbados. I was lucky enough to fly First class to and from Nairobi for a luxury safari in the Masai Mara & Tsavo game reserves and see giraffes, elephants & antelope in their natural habitat, which was awesome – the safari was amazing but the champagne on the flights was amazing too! Over the past few years, my husband and I have enjoyed cruising more and more. I had my 50th birthday onboard Emerald Princess which was stunning, and I can highly recommend Princess service as second to none. This year we took my teenage son onto P&O Cruises Azura and saw cruising from a family perspective – this was a real eye opener, as there is so much for children of all ages to do, the facilities & entertainment for kids is top notch and my son really enjoyed himself with other teenagers. I can highly recommend family cruising and am happy to make recommendations or discuss this further.
It is an absolute pleasure & joy to be reunited with Gail – our lives may have gone down different pathways, but its lovely to be working together again and sharing the fun and laughter after all these years. I absolutely love being a travel consultant at Chatsworth Travel, making my customers dreams and wishes a reality into 2018 and beyond!
You can contact me at – joanne@chatsworthtravel.co.uk
Kathryn Hallam – Travel Consultant
Travel Experience: I started my career in travel back in the 80’s! My first job as a trainee being with one of the earliest independent travel agents in Chesterfield – Ellis Travel. A career of over 20 years in the travel industry has allowed me to travel the world, enjoying visits to: Australia, Mauritius, the USA and many many European destinations. The birth of my twin boys forced a career break, but having travel in my blood I rejoined the travel industry in 2018 working a Summer season with Jet2Holidays at East Midlands Airport! Going full circle I joined Chatsworth Travel in January 2019 and am thoroughly enjoying working in an Independent Travel Agency once again!
My Favourite Destination: My favourite destination has got to be Cyprus – The Louis Phaethon Hotel to be exact, as this is where I got married in 2017!
You can contact me at – kathryn@chatsworthtravel.co.uk
Jayne Hardy – Travel Consultant
Travel Experience: My travel career started in 1976. I was a foreign exchange cashier/ travel consultant at Thomas Cook. I took a break in travel to have my son and then carried on to work at Martins World Travel until I had my daughter. After having a couple of Customer Services related jobs I then rejoined the travel industry in July 2018, joining Chatsworth Travel as a travel consultant. Many would agree that ‘once a travel agent, always a travel agent’ and that is definitely the case for me!
My Favourite Destination: It has got to be the Greek Islands, particularly Kos & Western Crete.
You can contact me at – jayne@chatsworthtravel.co.uk
Kate Sadler – Travel Consultant
Travel Experience: I have worked in travel for 16 years, in various High street agencies, and feel very privileged to have joined a family run independent agency, where I can use a wide range of tour operators that are tailored to what you’re looking for!
What I love most about my job is: I can make dreams come true and memories that will last a lifetime even after your tan has faded!
My Favourite Destinations: Mexico and the Dominican Republic! – They never seem to disappoint with their swaying palm trees and white sand beaches, along with (almost) guaranteed sunshine and smiling island faces, as well as having an abundance of excursions on offer! I have been on a few cruises which has changed my perception on cruising completely, as there is so much more than meets the eye. There is something for everyone, young or old! I loved waking up to a new destination each day, and I would love to experience many more cruises to increase my knowledge and expertise.
I also specialise in holidays to the Red Sea, and have been lucky enough to visit Cairo, Taba, Sharm El Sheikh and Israel!- I love the sounds of bustling streets, markets & bazaars, exploring its ancient history, and not forgetting its colourful coral reefs and marine life!
I will soon be starting a Walking/Yoga Holiday group so look out for my posts via Facebook! – whether you fancy walking across an alpine meadow and breath-taking summer valleys with spectacular scenery and local wildlife then a walking holiday could be exactly what you’re looking for! If you prefer something a little less active, then a yoga holiday could be the well deserved break you need to recharge your batteries, and escape your day-to-day stresses! – Don’t forget to share my posts with your friends and family!
You can contact me at: kate@chatsworthtravel.co.uk
Laura Lowe – Travel Consultant & Cruise Expert
Travel Experience: I have worked in travel since leaving school aged 16 in 2005, I started work as an apprentice at The Co-operative Travel and have worked my way up from there. I was with the Co-op from 2005 until 2014, I was lucky enough to be in a store where every booking was completely different I could be booking a UK break in the morning and then a World Cruise in the afternoon, that is what I enjoy about being here at Chatsworth Travel as well, every day is completely different. After leaving the Co-op I started work with a Cruise Agent and gained a lot of knowledge and experience within the cruise sector. I am enjoying being in an independent agency where the customer comes first and the customer service is second to none.
My Favourite Destination: My all-time favourite destination is Zante, I have lost count of how many times I have been there, I love the laid back atmosphere, the locals, beaches and love dining out in the evening at a local taverna. My other passion is cruise, I have been lucky enough to try out quite a few ships with different cruise lines, so can give advice and recommendations based on my own experiences. I love cruising, I enjoy the entertainment on board, the meals and the fact that you are in a different destination daily – you can do as much or as little as you like!
You can contact me at: laura@chatsworthtravel.co.uk
