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This was my first Traveleyes holiday, so as you can imagine, I was nervous. I needn't have been! From the moment I got to the airport and started meeting the other members of the group, I began to relax. Everyone was so friendly, chatty and kind! Putting you at ease in no time. The 5 day short break seemed to whiz by. Auschwitz was a real highlight for me. Having always wanted to visit, it was both moving and an amazing experience. But then there was the wonderful raft ride down the river in the Pieniny National Park! Relaxing and yet fun too. As my wife and I both enjoy shopping, we found some wonderful items to remember the holiday by. The evenings too were a joy, eating out at different restaurants each night, trying out different cuisines, ranging from Jewish to Mediterranean. We were thoroughly spoilt for choice and sheer volume of food. The whole holiday was fabulous, and I came away with lovely memories, great friendships and a wonderful feeling of having shared something special. If you are in any doubt about going on a Traveleyes holiday, don't be! I can guarantee you will have the time of your life! Thank you Traveleyes for this fantastic opportunity. |
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Joy Platt, Yorkshire Dales 2010 |
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The holiday was my first experience of being with the visually impaired. I found it very rewarding and enjoyable. I met some lovely people, and found everyone very friendly. I have the greatest admiration for Amar.He is such an incredible man, and I am sure that he has helped many V.I's to realise their full potential. To achieve things that they never thought possible. This experience has certainly made me feel that I would consider other holidays with Traveleyes in the future. |
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Gavin Phillips, Tuscany June 2010 |
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I had been keen to be able to go on a holiday in which I could learn new experiences, meet great people and experience new parts of the world for a few years when I found out about Traveleyes. After some research, I quickly booked onto the holiday to the Tuscany area of Italy which proved to be one of the best decisions I had ever made. The holiday was superb, it was brilliant to meet such a great group of people and the organisation and guidance given by Amar and Jo who led our holiday was just fantastic. As a new -comer to Traveleyes, I was made to feel extremely welcome and as if I would have a fantastic holiday within seconds of first meeting them. I will never forget the brilliant holiday we had which was such a wonderful experience. I would thoroughly recommend booking onto a Traveleyes holiday to anyone considering it - You will have the holiday of your lifetime which you will always cherish. |
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Sue Pitt, Tuscany June 2010 |
I returned home from my first Traveleyes holiday today and despite being very tired and with a suitcase full of dirty washing, one of the first things I did was to log into the website and look to see what holidays are coming up! I had such a great time. We were a very diverse group in all respects but we had amazing fun. My personal highlights: The wine tasting afternoon; teaching Darren the tango (sort of!); watching the England v US world cup match on Italian TV - 11 Brits, 2 Americans and 1 "neutral" at a pavement cafe with our own Welsh commentator - how great is that?!!
I learned to take more notice of my surroundings, I learned tricks and tips how to be a better guide (special thanks for that to Irene and Judy)and felt amazingly honoured that people who really did not know me could put such trust in me. I know I have made some real new friends. If you are reading this and wondering if you should take the plunge and try your first Traveleyes holiday then I would say - go for it. You may become a regular or you may even decide only to do the one, but I bet you'll have a great time anyway! I could eulogise for hours but you really need to experience it! |
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Gerard Meuleman, Egypt 2010 |
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I joined the group from Toronto, The trip was all that I hoped it would be. The guides were terrific. I saw lots of terrific sights, took lots of beautiful pictures. The owner of Traveleyes was very good. I had lots of fun. When I get enough money together again I will definitely be picking a Traveleyes trip again. |
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If like me you are an independently minded visually impaired person with a taste for adventure and culture you will love to go on a Traveleyes holiday. This was my first trip with Traveleyes but it won’t be the last. Two very good friends told me about the Egyptian holiday and we all agreed to go. I had previously been to Egypt but not on a Nile cruise which I always wanted to do. I was in no way prepared for what an awesome experience it would actually turn out to be, I will never forget cruising the Nile looking at the lush and abundant fields and trees with the bleak desert mountains beyond or the magnificent size and complexity of the ancient temples of Egypt. These experiences were enhanced all the more by being in a group of friendly enthusiastic people who love and live life to the full, especially the two holiday leaders Vicky and Amar who were great fun and very helpful. The Traveleyes experience wasn’t the least bit ‘institutional’, there was no feeling of ‘poor VIs needing sighted help to enjoy a holiday’ or of ‘the fully sighted people being charitable volunteers’. It felt like you were on holiday with a bunch of mates and some of you just needed a bit of help from some of the others. Certainly the equal footing between everyone meant that everyone enjoyed it all the more. A few drinks in the bar also helped. Cheers! |
John Rae is blind and lives in Toronto. He is 1st Vice President of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC).
LIMA, PERU–Most visitors to Peru are lured by the marvels of the so-called `Lost City of the Incas,' and most of the 16 participants on the two-week August tour to Peru organized by Traveleyes from Britain, were no exception.
But this group of adventurous travellers was somewhat different. Half were blind, and the other half sighted.
For me, an experienced traveller who is blind, this was my 26th country, my first time on South America, and I was excited about the places I was about to visit.
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Eileen Schott, Tunisia 2009 |
If you are widely travelled or new to travelling abroad a holiday with Traveleyes is an intriguing option. Sighted or visually impaired travellers travel together and benefit from being together, sharing new experiences, in a unique holiday package together. You will meet people you wouldn't have met on an ordinary package holiday and if guiding, you have the opportunity to slow down and to focus on what it is that makes a particular moment or scene special. Instead of a quick glance or a rapid sweep of a room before passing on you stop to think what is different about this place, how can I transmit some of what is here - by touch, by description. Although more tiring than a holiday with friends or family where everyone does their own thing, a Traveleyes holiday is richer experience and an opportunity to learn from others, share the holiday experience with others and dig deeper than the usual commitment to enjoying yourself by sharing the experience with a group of diverse, interesting people you might not have known otherwise.
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A great winter sun escape with plenty of things to do and plenty of time to relax. The Traveleyes team were absolutely brilliant and the group were a pleasure to be with. I wholeheartedly recommend a Traveleyes holiday to anyone who has a sense of adventure. This Tunisian break was just what I needed!
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Morag Munro, Paris October 2009 |
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I've just experienced my very first Traveleyes trip and I know it won't be my last. It was evident from first contact that a lot of thought and skillful organisation had gone into making our holiday run smoothly. My fellow travellers helped calm my initial nerves and keep the fun going. I'm now home with lots of happy memories. So, to anyone considering joining a trip as a sighted traveller: go for it. qualifications? common sense and a friendly disposition - it's not rocket science :) |
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Elizabeth Owens, Sicily September 2009 |
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When I said I was going to Sicily with blind people, reactions varied. The itinerary and group list arrived; 10 sighted and 10 visually impaired or 'VIs'. The VI people had no more in common with each other than I did with them. This adventure was a series of blind dates. The Roma football team, including Francesco Totti, occupied the front rows on the plane from Rome to Palermo. I described them excitedly with words like 'chiselled' and 'fit'. Every day was with a different person. I visited the Monreale cathedral with a young woman who just held my arm and followed my movement. In the street market we tried prickly pears - the vendor peeled them for us. At the Valley of Temples descriptions of colours weren't needed as my new friend had been blind from birth and preferred shapes. We felt a 2000 year old olive tree and the chalky, ribbed columns of the temple of Heracles. I went to the Sant' Agata cathedral in Catania, then found the Roman Amphi-theatre with a woman, recently blind, hungry for detail about patterns and colours. We observed the beggars around the piazza. My partially-sighted companion used her white stick just for discounts and road crossing. We caught a bus to Taormina and found the club where Frank Sinatra performed. The funivia took us down to the little beach to listen to the waves. I was fortunate on this trip, both in sharing my vision, and gaining memorable insights. |
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Helen Williams, Iceland August 2009 |
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It was really special to share discovering Iceland - a country I have wanted to visit for a long time - with such a great group of people. Guiding really means you are taking in all the senses of a place and culture. The partnerships you have over the week are really special. Thanks for a holiday to remember! |
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Anne Nelson, Iceland August 2009 |
Travelling with Traveleyes was a rich end expansive experience. On previous vacations, I realize that I was focusing mainly on my visual surroundings and experiencing a country through the confines of a camera viewfinder. With Traveleyes, I became acutely aware of sounds, scents, tastes and tactile objects, making every experience deeper and more alive. Instead of my memories being in print, they are now imprinted.
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Liz Frankland, Peru August 2009 |
Traveleyes has enabled me to realise a number of dreams that I had previously thought unrealisable. I have wanted to go to Peru in particular for over 30 years and Traveleyes have met my wishes with flying colours.
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Barbara Young, Peru August 2009 |
If you have ever had a dream of travelling to a particularly unique and staggeringly dramatic country, then this could be the trip for you.
Some years ago I discovered a strong desire to visit that star of the Americas, the 'lost city of the Incas', Machu Picchu, possibly taking the 4-day Inca Trail from Ollantaytambo to get there. Fifteen years later, laughably unfit to do any part of that legendary trek but still passionately keen to see Machu Picchu, I was delighted when Traveleyes gave me the opportunity to travel to Peru and get the flavour of that wonderful country. And Machu Picchu was just one of the cherries on the cake.
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John Rae, Peru August 2009 |
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The Traveleyes Peru tour represents one of the best trips I have ever taken. Most people come to see Machu Picchu, but Peru has so much more to offer the visitor, great food, a well run country and most particularly very friendly people everywhere.
I joined the group from Toronto and made many international friends.
It seemed that almost every day of the tour, at least one participant experienced something that far exceeded their expectations, and I was no exception.
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Joyce Bamford, Ireland 09 |
A group holiday and a new challenge is what I needed to get me travelling solo, after losing my husband and having been married for over 30 years. I decided to book the trip to Ireland, and found the Traveleyes website very professional and easy to navigate. I was a little apprensive when I set off, having no experience of guiding v-i's, but I need not have worried as from the minute the group all met at Luton Airport everything was taken care of by Amar and Jo. Amar was our perfect Holiday Guide, assisted by Jo who made multi-tasking look easy! It was a happy, interesting and memorable week.
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Gerald James, Sorrento 2009 |
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This trip to Sorrento was everything I had hoped for. The included trips to Sorrento, Pompeii and the Amalfi coast were very well organised and much better than I had imagined. Before travelling I thought the Amalfi coast would not have been suitable for visually impaired travelers but was amazed to find this not to be the case because of the descriptions given by the official guide and the sighted guides. The sensation of the coach being manoeuvred along the steep twisting roads and the hills we encountered, together with vivid descriptions of the many dwellings built into the hills.
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Anne & Ken Howell, Cape Town 2009 |
Our January holiday with TRAVELEYES to Cape Town 2009 satisfied all the criteria that my wife and myself hold as important when we go away.
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At the end of November 2008 I travelled to Tunisia with Traveleyes.
Having seen the Director of the company, Amar Latif, receiving an entrepreneur award on Breakfast News earlier this year I thought I would check out the website and it didn’t take long for me to decide to book on their trip to Tunisia.
Travelling as a sighted guide for visually impaired travellers offers a fantastic experience – a great way of seeing the world, making new friends and all at a discounted price! I had not done anything like this before but I had wanted to do some kind of voluntary work for some time. This proved to be a perfect opportunity as it combined the idea of volunteering with some winter sun. |
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Timothy Bamber, Tunisia 2008 |
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This holiday I would describe as the "relaxing" type, which lends itself of getting to know the group both VI (which I am myself) and sighted travellers alike; and the organised "fixed" excursion/tour holiday, call it what you will. This holiday was the first one I went on in the first category with Traveleyes, and really enjoyed it more than any adjective can possibly manage to describe it as!
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Sayka Hussain, Tunisia 2008 |
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I've always wanted to travel but until this trip, holidays were something to be got through, with very little detail to attention and visual impairment was an inconvenience to be put up with by others.
As soon as I looked on the Traveleyes website I knew that any holiday with them would be different, so in a fit of enthusiastic zeal, I booked myself on this trip and the next one to Gran Canaria.
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Maureen Newell, Cape Town 2008 |
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I have just returned from a wonderful trip to South Africa organised by “Traveleyes” so I thought I would share some of the highlights for me. Eighteen of us – nine vision impaired and nine sighted guides went out on the 3rd November to Capetown. We met at Heathrow and were each assigned a guide to accompany us on the journey. Weather was splendid except for a big storm the day before we came away. I thought the plane wouldn't get off the ground it was so big and the winds were so great - a huge machine - 75 rows with 8 seats across.
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My first visit to Canada and my first Traveleyes experience and I enjoyed both thoroughly. I had high expectations of the holiday as a whole, the arranged excursions and the Traveleyes leaders but all of these were fulfilled completely. Although the holiday was fantastic, it is discovering new places and meeting new people that I like the most and that’s exactly what I got. If you are thinking of booking yourself on a future trip then don’t think, just do it. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much as I did with some of the new friends I made on this holiday. As soon as a destination pops up that I’d like to visit, I will be straight on the phone to Traveleyes.
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Darren Gresham, Iceland 2008 |
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I joined the trip from California. If you’ve been a reluctant traveller because everyone’s always telling you what you can’t do… Then sign up with Traveleyes right now! And don’t forget to bring a camera so you can show off to those nay Sayers!!!!
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Sue Sanders, Iceland 2008 |
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When it boiled down to it ….it wasn’t Iceland that was important, it was the people and the company and Iceland happened to be the location in which we experienced it. Lovely, warm, funny, thought provoking…. I went without huge expectations and came home exhilarated and ready to make Traveleyes trips a regular event. Thank you.
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Kate Toynbee, Iceland 2008 |
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Iceland is a land of such variety this trip has made me want to see more. I was a little nervous about how to assist the VI’s but they put me at ease immediately and the holiday was a rewarding and fun filled experience.
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Steve Plumpton, Iceland 2008 |
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Taking a holiday is not just about having fun, it's an important thing to do; Whether you work hard in some job, or looking after a family, or even if you are retired, taking a break is important and travelling with Traveleyes is great fun! They are lovely people and you won't find a more professional service anywhere.
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Sarah Jordan, Iceland 2008 |
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Up until the morning of the Traveleyes holiday I didn’t feel particularly nervous, however sitting the airport (3 hours early!!) waiting for everyone to arrive a sudden attack of nerves hit. This was my first Traveleyes holiday! The first VI that I guided immediately put me at ease and we were soon chatting away and laughing, at that point I knew that I had made the right decision.
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Christian Landre, Iceland 2008 |
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I joined the group from France. It was my first travel experience with Traveleyes, and it was marvellous! I look forward to travelling again with them, as soon as possible when I will have my next holiday.
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Liz McLuckie, Iceland 2008 |
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A most interesting and enjoyable holiday with friendly people, which re-opened the overseas travel “book” , which I thought was closed when I lost my sight four years ago.
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Brett Rogers, Iceland 2008 |
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This was an excellent holiday and my main highlights where the Golden Circle Tour and the Whale watching and Fishing trip where the fish we caught were prepared and cooked for us at a local restaurant.
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Audrey Cushing, Iceland 2008 |
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An experience not to be missed for those of us with an adventurous spirit, plenty of energy and physical ability and, above all, a bottomless purse. This is my second holiday with Traveleyes. Travellers, both sighted and visually impaired, are welcomed from beginning to end, the Traveleyes tour leaders constantly checking to ensure everyone is comfortable and included.
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Barbara Young, Sorrento 2008 |
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Listening to Amar talking about Traveleyes on ‘Excess Baggage’ on Radio 4 back in January, I was completely smitten with the whole concept of sighted/visually impaired group travel and I couldn’t wait to get online and book my place. It was his easy, congenial manner and engaging descriptions that had me hooked and within a couple of days I was on the Sorrento group list. |
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Vidar Hjardeng, Sorrento 2007 |
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I have never previously experienced a Traveleyes holiday and am pleased to report that I very much enjoyed the week based in Sorrento. A group of 16 travellers - eight visually impaired and 8 sighted guides - is an ideal number and the fact that everybody without exception wanted to get the most out of their week in Italy helped to ensure that people got on and had a good time. |
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Andy Williamson, Tuscany 2007 |
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As a first time sighted traveller, the trip fulfilled all my expectations and represented an incredible journey of exploration. The friendship and companionship of the group was clearly evident throughout and shrieks of laughter were often heard at the breakfast table, as the events of the previous days and indeed nights were retold. Highlights for me included scaling the heights of the Duomo with two intrepid VIP's, walking the walls of Lucca, the Uffizi Museum where several hours seemed to race by in an instant, being given a fast track to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and too many jokes to mention, usually at the statue of Michaelangelo's David. I am already looking forward to next year and the chance to join another Traveleyes adventure.
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Sipping cocktails under palm trees; a vibrant music scene and salsa dancing;
current news stories about Fidel Castro; . As my trip to Cuba drew nearer, I had some basic impressions, but realised how little I actually knew about the place and its people. |
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Christine Saunders, Gran Canaria 2007 |
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As a first time sighted traveller with Traveleyes, and feeling somewhat nervous of the unknown, I have to say that as soon as I met the Traveleyes rep and my fellow travellers at the airport I felt completely at ease and I wondered why I had felt so nervous at venturing on this amazing journey. I just knew that it was going to be good and it just got better and better. Our accommodation was great and we were all in rooms close to each other so it felt like we had our own little community. |
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Julie Bart, Andalucia 2006 |
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Out for a pre breakfast jog with Amar Latif to the nearby village of Algamitas in Andalucia on the third day of the Traveleyes experience, I could be forgiven for thinking that life couldn’t get much better than this. Running alongside one another with his folded white cane between us like a baton in a running race, we set off in the spirit of mutual independence that he speaks so fondly of. I also got my first lesson in orienteering from Amar, the director of Traveleyes, when I missed the right turn for the Cortijo, the exclusive base for the group for the week. It was Amar who had remembered the barking dogs at the corner of the right hand turn on a road otherwise bereft of the usual customary landmarks. The irony is that I was the sighted guide and Amar is blind, retaining only approximately 5% vision, thanks to retinitis pigmentosa. |
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Pauline Cooper, Tuscany 2006 |
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I did not know what to expect on my first group VIP trip in 15 years, and was somewhat skeptical, but was pleasantly surprised when I met people at the airport and we quickly became acquainted in our one aim to have a fantastic holiday! There were no obvious exclusions of sighted or VIP and we all worked to the same aim of enjoying the holiday and being totally chilled out. |
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I was one of the lucky people who went on Traveleyes' holiday to Andalucia in Spain in late June and I was not disappointed. The holiday really fulfilled my highest expectations. From the first meeting of the group at Birmingham airport I felt I was immediately amongst friends. The organisation of the guides was efficient, friendly and informal but I felt right from the start that I could relax as I knew I was in good hands. |
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