Christmas with TourHound

It’s been another busy year here at TourHound, sniffing out the world’s most exciting tours and adding a whole host of new partners to our website. As we look forward to the Christmas break and some time spent relaxing with friends and loved ones, we thought we’d catch up with our team and quiz them on their Christmas memories, traditions and dream destinations.

For our Commercial Director Jo, Christmas as a child was all about the excitement of Christmas morning…

“I remember spending hours flicking through the Argos catalogue, so I could include all of the toys I wanted in my letter to Santa. I have lots of lovely memories of waking up to a stocking overflowing by the side of my bed!”

Toys featured heavily in our team’s top festive memories. Jane, our Operations Executive, speaks fondly of waking up to find a Barbie caravan at the end of her bed…

“It was enormous. I remember being very concerned as to how Father Christmas managed to carry it!”

Kerry, who recently joined TourHound as our Marketing and Partnerships Manager, had a real thing for He-Man as a child...

“My best Christmas memory is of opening Castle Grayskull, complete with accompanying Battle Cat. It later became a well-defended home for my ‘My Little Pony’ collection.”

One thing on which the team all agree is the ultimate Christmas dinner…

“It has to be the traditional dinner,” says Jo, “with ten tons of spuds, stuffing, cauliflower cheese and gravy flooding the plate. Although I’m not so keen on the prawn ring that my mother always insists on getting from Iceland...”

“I LOVE Christmas dinner,” agrees Jane, “with all the trimmings.”

“Yes, ALL the meats,” adds Kerry, “Turkey, beef, goose, duck. And stuffing. Loads and loads of stuffing! And pigs in blankets... roasted veg... giant Yorkshire puddings. Oh my goodness, I love Christmas dinner!”

On the subject of Christmas dinner, Jo has a particularly funny story of one Christmas past…

“My old Irish great aunt joined us at my parents’ house for Christmas dinner when I was in my mid-twenties. She was a typical staunch Irish Catholic. So picture this... I was starving and I immediately stuffed a roast potato in my mouth when the plate hit the table, but of course, she had other ideas – she wanted to say grace! I obviously didn't want her to see that I had a spud in my mouth, and I didn't want to chew, so I tried to join in with the potato stuffed in one cheek whilst sounding like a ventriloquist. It was also scalding hot, and if you know anything about Catholic prayers, you know they can go on for a while! 

“And if that wasn't enough, I insulted her by telling her that I knew a few words of Irish. Póg mo thóin, I said, not realising that it meant ‘kiss my arse’. I don't think she ever came for Christmas again.”

Spending time with family in the UK was a recurring theme when we spoke to the team - “It’s always loud and there is always alcohol!” - but we also asked them where they would go if they could spend Christmas anywhere in the world.

“Anywhere that’s snowy,” replied Jane. “Somewhere Christmassy, with mountains, log fires, twinkling lights…”

Kerry, on the other hand, is dreaming of Christmas somewhere a bit warmer...

“It has to be Manly Beach, Sydney. I spent Christmas 2001 there during a year away backpacking. The memories are wonderful and friends I made then have since moved to Australia. It would be amazing to recreate that experience 20 years later... plans for 2021 are already afoot!”

The only time Jo has ever been away for Christmas was one year on the Costa del Sol…

“It bucketed it down with rain the whole time, so I wouldn’t do that again. I'd love to spend Christmas in Sydney or Cape Town. Both pretty much guarantee sunshine, they're two of my favourite cities, and you can enjoy a barbie or a braai on a beautiful beach on Christmas Day.”

Wherever you’re spending the festive period this year, we hope you have a wonderful time, and all of us at TourHound would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!