Queues started forming early in the morning, long before Bolton’s travel agents were due to open, as bargain hunters did their best to grab cut price holidays in 1985. Queues form outside Thomas Cook in Bolton precinct in October 1985 (Picture: Newsquest) Various leading holiday operators had announced some special deals for the following summer to mark the launch of their new brochures for summer 1986 and the good folk of Bolton were determined not to miss out. Tour operator Thomson Holidays was offering one thousand holidays nationally for just £25 a week and £35 for a fortnight at selected destinations - they sold out within six minutes of going on sale.
Five hundred coach holidays to the South of France were also being offered by NAT Holidays. These too were snapped up within minutes, And Lunn Poly was another major operator offering a limited number of cheap deals At Thomas Cook in Victoria Square extra staff were brought in to try and secure deals for customers as the scramble for the sun began - but without success. Thomas Cook staff in Bolton were swamped with requests for cut-price holidays in 1985 (Picture: Newsquest) Queues had also formed outside Pickford’s Travel, also in Bolton’s town centre precinct and at Anglo Continental Travel on Deansgate with all travel agents reporting that such was the demand for these cheap holidays around the country, they could not get through to confirm any bookings.
Did anyone from Bolton get a cheap deal? Do you remember t.