A travel agent in Sutton Coldfield which closed suddenly last month has reopened under a new brand.

The Thomas Cook store in The Red Rose Centre shut on September 23, when the travel group went in to compulsory liquidation.

The nine staff were among 9,500 facing redundancy, while 150,000 holiday makers were left stranded abroad.

Hays Travel agreed a deal with the Official Receiver to buy every one of Thomas Cook’s 555 former stores on October 9, vowing to reopen them and offer jobs to 2,500 former staff members.

Hazel Simpson and Hannah Byrne welcomed customers back to the former Thomas Cook store in Sutton Coldfield which has reopened as a Hays Travel outlet
Hazel Simpson and Hannah Byrne welcomed customers back to the former Thomas Cook store in Sutton Coldfield which has reopened as a Hays Travel outlet

The Sutton Coldfield branch of Thomas Cook, reopened under the Hays Travel branding on Thursday (October 24), and so far four former Sutton staff have been reemployed by Hays!

Former Thomas Cook branch manager, and now the Hays Travel Sutton branch boss, Collette Tonks, is glad to be back and promises the newly reopened branch to be even better than the one it replaces.

The 37-year-old who has worked as a travel agent in Sutton for 19 years, 15 of those at the Thomas Cook outlet, revealed staff had no idea of the imminent closure. They were told rumours of a collapse just days before it happened was ‘just scaremongering’.

She said: “We honestly didn’t know. We were waiting on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday the previous week.

“We were still booking customers holidays. We were told it was scaremongering by head office.

“We found out like everybody from the news. We went to bed on the Sunday evening (September 22) and heard the company had collapsed the next day.

“I had been at the Sutton store for 15 years and as the manager for seven years. I have worked in Sutton as a travel agent since I left school.

“It was so upsetting. We couldn’t believe it.”

But the news of Hays Travel taking over and wanting to reopen all the former Thomas Cook shops came as a massive relief for Colette and her former colleagues.

She said: “I was quite surprised, as I think everybody was, until I received a call from them [Hays Travel] myself and was asked would I like to be a manager for them.

“It’s amazing. Such a great opportunity. It’s great in Sutton and a great location.

“And the even better news is Hays Travel is completely independent. Now it is an even better opportunity than it was with Thomas Cook. We can book anything for our customers!”

Collette will be joined by Chloe Emery, Hannah Byrne and Hazel Simpson – four of the nine-strong Sutton team reunited.

Hazel, who worked for Thomas Cook for 19 years, said: “It took time to digest when the company collapsed. But when we heard the brilliant news that Hays Travel were taking over it ended two to three weeks of uncertainty.

“One door closed and left me a bit traumatised. But another door opened and gave me an even better opportunity. We opened the doors at 10am on Thursday and I couldn’t have asked for a better team coming to Sutton.”

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Hazel was joined by Hannah on the first day they reopened the store. The 21-year-old , who joined Thomas Cook straight from school, said: “Our regional manager got her job back and she was all over social media and said if you want your job back, Hays are taking over.
“Now I’m here I’m glad I’ve come back.”

Hays Travel is a private company, jointly owned and managed by John Hays, Managing Director, and Irene Hays, Chair of the Hays Travel Group.

Irene said:  “Thomas Cook was a much-loved brand and a pillar of the UK and the global travel industry.   We will build on the good things Thomas Cook had – not least its people – and that will put us in even better stead for the future.”

While John Hays added: “Our staff were devastated to hear about Thomas Cook and we all immediately felt we wanted to help.

“I’m very proud of the fantastic team who have helped me build Hays Travel over almost 40 years and they have worked tirelessly over the last couple of weeks to bring this about.

“It is a game-changer for us, almost trebling the number of shops we have and doubling our workforce - and for the industry, which will get to keep some of its most talented people.”