WHEN Travel Choice opened a new shop in Sutton, who did it call to perform the ribbon cutting at the opening ceremony?
David Beckham, a Coronation Street star or perhaps an actor from EastEnders?
No, of course not. Instead, it chose Jeremy Skidmore, the editor of the leading travel trade publication, Travel Weekly.
The fact that Skidmore was cheap – well, free actually – and based just up the high street in Sutton had absolutely nothing to do with the decision, our editor told himself.
Skidmore duly turned up at the shop around half an hour before the opening ceremony was due to commence, just in case a large crowd had gathered. It hadn’t.
Inside the impressive Travel Choice shop, which has touch-screen computers, TV screens and a coffee bar and relaxation area, Skidmore didn’t receive the celebrity treatment.
Nor did any national TVprogrammes want to interview him on any travel-related matters.
One of the assistants assumed he was there to buy a holiday and politely invited him to take a seat and wait until one of the travel clerks was free to serve him.
Eventually introductions were made, the photographer turned up and Skidmore and the staff went outside to pose for some pictures. In the high street, bemused shoppers paused to watch the event with that look on their faces which said ‘if you’re opening this shop, you should be a celebrity, but I certainly don’t recognise you’.
Even the photographer joked:”They couldn’t get Posh Spice, so they had to get you instead.”
At that point, Skidmore thought it wise to move on to his next appointment – modelling hot pants on a catwalk.