Tributes have been paid to Designer Travel’s Angela Mayall, who passed away on Saturday.
Mayall, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, was described by industry friends and peers as a “real one in a million who could light up any room”.
Mayall joined the travel industry 16 years ago after, persuaded by her friend and Designer Travel managing director Amanda Matthews.
The two met in hospital when their children were both born, and shared what Matthews describes as “an instant connection” which led them to having 22 years of adventures together.
Paying tribute to her friend and colleague, Matthews said: “My beautiful best friend Angela Mayall has gained her angel wings and will now be the brightest star in the sky, shining like the biggest diamond.
“Life is so cruel, our beautiful Angela taken too young and so quickly. We’ve been best friends since our babies were born. We met in hospital and when I say an instant connection I mean one that you may never get in your lifetime. So whilst I am so very sad, I am also grateful for every experience we’ve had – a full 22 years of doing everything.
“I convinced her to join the travel industry 16 years ago and she never looked back. She was the best, a multi award winning professional travel expert who cared so much for the people who trusted her with their travel plans.
“We’ve travelled the world, we’ve stayed in the most amazing places, but to be honest it didn’t matter where we were, we just loved our adventures together.
“Angela was the perfect mum, a perfect wife, a perfect daughter, a perfect sister and the most perfect friend I could have ever wished for.
“Thank you, Angela, for being you, for the fun times and for being there when I needed you. My heart is broken and I will miss you every day.”
Mayall picked up numerous industry awards during her career, including Aspire’s Homeworker of the Year in 2017. More recently she was highly commended for Luxury Seller of the Year at last year’s Aspire Awards ceremony.
Lisa Fitzell, managing director of Elegant Resorts and If Only, described Mayall as “a truly wonderful person that everyone loved to be around”.
She said: “The travel industry has lost one of its best luxury travel experts, recognised with numerous awards, which I know meant so much to her. She was a truly wonderful person that everyone loved to be around. Ang was a true professional and she was so committed to being the very best she could be and always learning and making sure she exceeded expectations every time. Her clients adored her, as we all did.
“We loved working with Ang and I considered her a dear friend. She was so much fun and a joy to be around and I am so grateful for the times we shared together and will always cherish the memories we made.”
Fitzell reflected on an Elegant Resorts fam to Capri and Sorrento where Mayall performed a play with Amanda Matthews and Sandra Corkin from Oasis Travel. “We laughed about it for days,” she said.
“We will miss her so much. Ang was a devoted mum and wife and my heart goes out to her family and daughter Liv, husband Simon and all her colleagues at Designer Travel.”
Oasis Travel managing director Sandra Corkin described Mayall’s death as a “huge loss for the travel industry”.
She said: “I was absolutely stunned to hear the tragic news about Angela.
“She was a truly beautiful girl inside and out and had a magnetic personality. She was passionate, great fun and a wonderful person to be with. My heart just breaks for Amanda and her colleagues at Designer Travel, as well as her family.”
Inspire managing director Lisa Henning said: “Angela was one of life’s shining stars. She was so very kind and warm. I had the pleasure of sharing one of the best fam trips I have ever been on with her, she was filled with so much fun and happiness. I will always remember her with a huge smile.
“My thoughts at this time are with all her family, friends and colleagues.”
If Only sales director Tracy Docherty said Mayall was a “pleasure to work with”, adding: “Not only was she a great supporter of the If Only product but also a great sounding board and point of reference when we wanted to get an agent’s view.
“She was a member of our VIP agents club and was great at sharing feedback and ideas on how we could improve our offering
“She was passionate about her job and her clients weren’t just her customers, they were her friends. She knew exactly what they needed to make sure that they had their dream holidays, and she would spend hours making sure she had found the perfect villa for someone, or that they had the best table booked in a special restaurant to celebrate an anniversary.”