Plenty of sea, sun, sand and gobbledegook

It’s a good week for ... Fergie

SHE’S been a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers, a writer of children’s books and the wife of a prince. Or was it a frog. Can’t quite recall.

Now Sarah Ferguson has been named visiting professor of phi la nth rep rene ur ship at Huddersfield University following her charity work in India.

A university spokesman said the title was honorary and the Duchess of York would not be giving any lectures in “phi la nth rep rene ur ship ”– a word that is not in the dictionary.

She will be forgiven, then, if she is unable to spell it.

It’s been a bad week for ... holiday dreams

They were once as synonymous with holidays as a wee plastic tray of individually wrapped morsels at 30,000 feet. But now it’s last call for the glossy travel brochure.

Leading package holiday brands Thomson and First Choice are to fold their traditional brochures by 2020, as customers demand more sophisticated digital experiences to help them book their breaks.

The first brochure was launched in 1953 for Skytours, which later became part of Thomson and still exists as a sub-brand. These publications promised sunshine and sand, sea views and possibly chips with everything.

They never mentioned the building site next door or that the sea view was a sliver of blue glanced by the craning of a neck. But it was still exotic. After all, it wasn’t Largs in a gale.

Alas, the lure of budget flights and cheaper accommodation booked online has overcome the urge to chat about far-flung aspirations with a nice rep in a high street travel office.

Beyond the physical stores, Thomson and First Choice is now planning video content and technology for its online channels to serve each customer with personalised content aimed at tailoring holiday offers to individual needs and budget.

It is considering introducing virtual reality headsets, allowing customers to experience 360-degree virtual tours of hotels and resorts, and even technology that recognises a customer as they walk into a shop.

So where’s the mystique? After all that virtual holidaying, will you feel that you’ve had your fortnight in Majorca before you’re even there?

Answers on a postcard, please.