RESIDENTS of Otley used to call in for their eggs, a joint of meat and to book a day trip to Blackpool.

Now customers of Waye and Son travel agents on Kirkgate have to go somewhere else if they want to buy their Sunday roast.

But 75 years ago when Herbert J Waye had the shop it was a butchers, and the travel agency consisted of a desk at the back of the shop.

Daughter-in-law Betty Waye, 87 of Weston Lane said: "There used to be a taxi firm called Richardson's on Kirkgate and whenever Mr Richardson went anywhere he would ask Herbert to take the bookings for him.

"Then when Mr Richardson gave up his work he handed over the business - which consisted of a suitcase -- to Herbert, and said, "you've taken as many bookings as I have, you may as well have the business."

In 1929, Mr Waye swapped the suitcase for a tiny counter in his shop after obtaining authorisation from Wallace Arnold and the West Yorkshire Travel Agency.

Mrs Waye said: "Day excursions to both coasts were very popular. You see no one really had cars then, so coach was the main way to travel and was very reasonably priced. It was a real treat for people to go on a day out to Blackpool."

During the second world war, the shop changed to a corner shop selling groceries, but the little travel counter still remained.

Then in 1949, Mr Waye was joined in the business by his son Douglas.

Mrs Waye said: "It was my husband Douglas who really saw the possibilities of extending the travel business.

"And it really just boomed because in the 1950s and 60s people started to go abroad.

"It was the beginning of the package holiday and people used to go to Majorca and Spain - the sunnier climes."

The business did so well that in the late 50s Waye and Son expanded and took over the two premises adjoining it on Kirkgate.

Mrs Waye got to do a fair bit of travelling herself.

"My first trip abroad was to Cannes in France," she said. "But the first time I flew was to Ireland and it was in a turbo prop plane - it was before jet aeroplanes - and it was a terribly bumpy journey."

From day trips in the UK to long-haul flights to anywhere in the world, the travel agency has come a long way.

Mrs Waye said: "In the beginning it was only the very rich who could go on cruises for example, but now they are very popular."

In 1970, Douglas was joined by John Hebden as office manager, and in 1975 the third generation of Waye's joined the agency, son Tony Waye.

And in 1977 John and Tony became partners in the business, and are still in charge now.

Douglas retired in 1983 - though he was occasionally seen back in the shop during holidays. He died in February at the age of 86.

"He loved his job," Mrs Waye said. "It was quite stressful at times, you have to get it right when it's other people's holiday you are dealing with. All our holidays were working holidays - we used to go and suss out all the hotels."

The attention to detail seemed to pay off and Waye and Son is one of only a few businesses still thriving 75 years on.

Mrs Waye said: "People kept coming back year on year because of how reliable they were. The high standard of personal care, efficiency and knowledge of the many facets of travel are still maintained.

"John and Tony have years of experience between them and the other counter staff are equally knowledgeable .

"From such tiny beginnings it has grown so much."