Many of the HF Holidays' team have a wealth of experience which we use to develop the best special interest holidays for you. We have more than 250 highly skilled teachers, tutors and guides, with one common feature; they're not just knowledgeable, they're all very friendly,
approachable people. Below are just a few of the staff and Leaders involved in providing the vast range of holidays we are proud to offer.
John MacLeod heads up the Leisure Activity Holidays Team, looking after a wide variety of holiday types such as bridge, dancing and music. "This is an absolutely fascinating job" he says "I just love hearing the enthusiasm and commitment of so many specialist tutors and guides - they all have the knack of getting me genuinely interested in things that I never thought I would be". A self-confessed gadget man, John especially enjoys digital photography but also loves the outdoors; his favourite spots in the west highlands of Scotland provide the best places to indulge both hobbies. That is, when he finds time these days, with a lively two year old daughter persuading him that the Teletubbies and the Fimbles are interesting, too!
Lorna Askew is the Deputy Special Interest Manager. As a mother of two boys, an amateur musician and with an enthusiasm for many outdoor activities, she has a personal interest in a lot of our holidays. Lorna's remit includes contracting various suppliers eg coach operators, Leader recruitment and liaison, Health and Safety.
As a Special Interest Operations Executive, Nicky Beecham is involved in many aspects of the Special Interest holiday range, and enjoys the wide variety of tasks the job entails. As a singer and somewhat rusty oboe player she has a personal interest in music holidays. She has travelled widely throughout the British Isles and Europe, visiting many Heritage sites - her most recently adventure involved cooking for Spaniards touring Iceland!
Sheila Ripper, is the Operations Administrator for the Special Interest Department, working three days a week on completing the tasks involved in getting a holiday up and running, such as preparing Holiday Information leaflets and despatching final details to all our Leaders.
Having first come to HF Holidays to pioneer the development of Hotel to Hotel trails for the Walking Department, Sheila soon saw the light and began to lead Gardens holidays for the Special Interest Department! Although time now is more limited, with various other freelance commitments as well as looking after her own garden and walking the dog in the Cumbrian fells and dales, she still leads a few Gardens holidays a year and sees it as a great way to see fantastic plants in beautiful settings all over Britain. Hopefully her Leader's viewpoint can bring new insight into the office!
Judith Wallace conducts two operatic societies, one orchestra and a concert band in the Derbyshire and Sheffield areas. She is actively involved in playing and singing as well - she is a soprano and clarinet player. Judith was a guest on our holidays before getting involved as a Leader and works hard to meet the standards she herself would expect!
Terry Barfoot is Senior Lecturer in Music at South Downs College. He has written extensively on musical subjects for Classical Music, Opera Now and BBC Music Magazine, as well as two books on the history of opera and notes for leading orchestras and record companies. A well-known figure in the musical life of southern England, he enjoys close relationships with both the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He lectures at many venues throughout the country, including regular visits to Oxford University and the Lichfield Festival.
Val Abraham finds walking in the paths of great writers and poets through an awe-inspiring landscape inspirational. She loves to share her knowledge of the larger than life characters and the people (mostly women) who inspired them. Val is a blue badge guide living in the Lake District, with a special interest in literature. She enthuses "Cumbria is a magnificent county - no wonder we have produced so much talent!"
Tanya Loxham has worked in the fitness industry for 18 years. For the last
six years she has become specialised in using Pilates exercises to help
rehabilitate people with joint and spinal issues. Last year she qualified
to Level 3 in Modern Pilates, gaining the title Advanced Practitioner.
Further training on the Dynamic Stability Course using MBT has added further
to her skills, and she is now a provider of MBT shoes. She pursues knowledge
of her subject with total dedication and has a real gift for passing it on
to others.
Sandeep Mehta is a self-development, meditation and yoga teacher and facilitator. He has taught personal development workshops and courses internationally and for both private companies and public sector organizations. He has a professional background in business and production engineering and ran his own commodity trading company for four years. Sandeep is recognized for his creative and innovative style and for his warmth and passion for helping others to recognize their potential and create new lives.
Nick Jenkins specialises in both writing about and
photographing wild places. He has written three walking
books and a photography book covering the Brecon
Beacons National Park. His work has been published in
Outdoor Photography, Amateur Photographer, Lakeland
Walker, The Dalesman, High and Country Walking. The
Brecon Beacons are awash with his postcards, greetings cards and
calendars! Nick has an infectious enthusiasm for outdoor photography.
Holidays for everyone, what ever your interest - backed by 90 years experience.
The air holidays and flights are ATOL Protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 710. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom. Click on the ATOL logo if you want to know more
