Towards the end of his time running the OVC, he acquired Trafalgar Travel, which took long-haul visitors on escorted coach tours around Europe. It was a company he built up and then sold to a South African entrepreneur, who kept him on to run it, which he did with spectacular success for almost a decade. In the years that followed his sale, Trafalgar’s ownership changed a few times, and Nick eventually left after its then owner was reluctant to support him in running the business as he wished, setting the highest standards and rewarding exceptional performance.
Then jobless, with a mortgage and 4 children to support, he took the brave decision to start again from scratch. With the backing of Black & Edgington and its Chairman Robin Duthie, he founded Insight International Tours, and with the assistance of his brother-in-law, Stephen Lucas, he competed head on with Trafalgar. He differentiated Insight with a superior product, imaginative itineraries, and innovative marketing. Within 5 years, he won a Queen’s Award for Export Achievement – the first escorted tour operator ever so to do. Insight acquired the UK-based tour operator, Evan Evans, and continued to grow.
In 1990, he became the founding Chairman of the Eiropas Tūrisma operatoru asociācija (ETOA), which was established to lobby for the whole industry at the EU level. Like Insight and Trafalgar, ETOA grew successfully, eventually becoming the leading trade association for inbound tourism to Europe. At the age of 60, Nick sold Insight to the same businessman who bought Trafalgar from him, and he dedicated the rest of his life to one of his extra-curricular passions, namely charity.
Nick’s entrepreneurialism and leadership were just as effective in the not-for-profit sector, and ever since seeing the documentary “Cathy Come Home,” Nick was hooked on helping the homeless. An early hit was the establishment of the Donkey Derby, an annual fair and donkey racing event in Richmond in aid of the homeless charity, Shelter. Encouraged, as he was on so many endeavors by Helen, he took an interest in Relate, initially assuming the role of Treasurer for the Richmond & Hounslow branch. He rose from there to become the Vice Chair of the national organization in 2000 and then Chair in 2006, a position he held until 2012. He also became the Chair/President of several other charitable institutions, including Clifton College, JIA travel section, London Rotary Club, Philip King Charitable Trust, Polack’s House Educational Trust, Richmond Parish Lands, Richmond Shelter Group, SPEAR (Single Persons Emergency Accommodation Richmond), Sustain for Life, and the Tel Aviv University Trust. In addition, he was Vice Chair of the Richmond Council for Voluntary Services and a Director/Trustee of the Clare King Charitable Trust, National Trust Enterprises, and Plan International.
While his broad-ranging charitable endeavors were recognized with an OBE in 2006, his contribution ran much deeper than the titles. He engaged thoughtfully, constructively, and empathetically in discussions about strategy, fund-raising, and personnel, and he would often spend hours pouring over the accounts of the numerous organizations he was helping, ensuring the numbers added up correctly. He and Helen frequently rearranged their home to host fund-raising events and other gatherings. He took great interest in the selection of senior people running the organizations. He was particularly proud of his role in the appointment of a new CEO for Relate and the Headmaster of Clifton College, individuals who fully justified the faith he put in them.
Despite all his substantial achievements, he was modest. He preferred to give credit than to take it. He listened before he spoke, and he was always interested in people and the situations in which they found themselves. If you were to ask him about what was most important to him, everything already mentioned would have come second to his top priority – his family. When he met Helen at a party, it was love at first sight. He didn’t rest until he had convinced her to drop all her other suitors in favor of him. His highly-successful chat up line was: “let me help you with your law exams.” He married Helen in 1959 and soon after she was the youngest woman to be called to the bar. Nick and Helen had 4 children – David who married Deborah, Benj, Jeremy who married Soph, and Anna who married Simon. They produced 8 grandchildren – Jack, Lara, Harry, Noah, Zack, Sacha, Ethan, and Kezia. He and Helen took enormous pride and interest in all of them and also in their large extended families, encouraging and mentoring many in the face of demanding challenges and supporting a few in the face of significant adversity. Moments of his greatest family pride included David graduating from INSEAD, Jeremy succeeding as an entrepreneur, Anna performing on stage and in the media, and Benj overcoming considerable obstacles to qualify as a doctor. Years later, Benj helped save his father’s life on more than one occasion by providing inspired medical advice.
Nick took his last breath at 5:30 pm on May 10, 2021 after battling with metastatic prostate cancer for the best part of 2 decades. He outlasted every prognosis, no doubt owing to his devotion to Helen and his profoundly positive attitude to the future. His legacy and his devotion to family will live on through the lives of his adoring wife, children, and grandchildren.
