 Poster: A snowHead
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I am currently prepping an article for 'Ski&Board' magazine and special episode of 'The Ski Podcast' on the iconic 80s/90s chalet company Bladon Lines.
I'm particularly keen to hear from anyone who worked for them in the very early years. If you'd like to contribute, share some of your memories and
insight, could you drop me an email to iain@skipedia.co.uk.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi there,
I was a chart girl for Bladon Lines in 1982/83. Still got my ’budgie’ jacket!
I’ll email you some pics!!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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That's great! Gosh it brings back some memories! We were the first year that BL went into Tignes, there were just 4 of us and we were so envious of the flock of parrots that lived over the hill in Val d'Isere! Friends for life is absolutely true, during our season, the British Freestyle team were based in Tignes and we remained friends with them all for years. They actually featured in the opening credits of the Bond film 'View to a Kill' and we went up to Leicester Square to see the premier with them. Oh happy days!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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iainm, can get to Ski+Board site but unable to read your article . . .
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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their chalet book used to be great fun to persuse and plan the next trip!!
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@iainm, will you be doing Supertravel?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| @iainm, will you be doing Supertravel? |
Good question - I don't think they carry the same legacy as Bladon Lines. Mark Warner could be interesting, although evidently they are still in operation!
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| iainm wrote: |
| Hurtle wrote: |
| @iainm, will you be doing Supertravel? |
Good question - I don't think they carry the same legacy as Bladon Lines. Mark Warner could be interesting, although evidently they are still in operation! |
Only just. A shadow of their former selves.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Great job Iain! It seems there are more of us still in the Alps than I realised 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Works for me with Safari browser on iPad.
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@iainm, interesting article, cheers. I didn't work for BL but I "organised" a Uni ski trip with them pre xmas 1984 and my boss for a couple of seasons had been a BL chalet girl.
She had some stories, like when they burned the furniture to keep warm when the fuel delivery had been screwed up. When confronted by the resort manager they noted that "there was nothing in the rules about not burning the furniture although there was one about not shagging the guests, and that they hadn't been shagging any guests so what was her problem?"
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You know it makes sense.
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iainm (and achilles), strange: works now, but didn't work yesterday. Gremlins.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Great article @iainm. I never worked for Bladon Lines but did some ad hoc stuff for a schools operator back in the day.
Your piece told me something I never knew - just how close we were to the start of it all. I loved those three seasons, but as a “blow-in” I never got to establish those lifelong relationships you refer to. I did, however, really get the family feel that prevailed & the sense we were all in it together.
I wonder what ever happened to those guys & gals from l’Ourson in Super Sauze, les Arolles in les Orres or Hotel de Savoie in Morzine. I bumped into handyman Tom once in Aonach Mor, but never saw anyone else ever again.
Happy days nonetheless.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@iainm, nice article! Interesting to see how many of their alumni went on to start successful Alpine operations. It was an Aussie Bladon Lines ski guide who gave us the idea to jump off the up and over chairlift in Val d’Isere and peaked my interest in doing a ski season. Probably wouldn’t have ended up in Switzerland if it wasn’t for him!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@BobinCH, the old two man one?! Kudos (and a bit of head shaking at the lunacy  )
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@BobinCH, I would submit that it wasn't just their alumni ... we had two clients go on to do their own, and after 2 seasons (not BL) I thought "this looks too easy" and did my own thing too (it was not as easy as it looked and didn't last that long  )
BUt the friends for life thing? deary me, a very large propertion of my adult friends are based on skiing and based on doing a few seasons. Quite extraordinary.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Great article. Had a fantastic chalet holiday with them in Tignes ?1987. Recollect the chalet girls were all Sloanies. I lived in Putney late 80s and recollect passing by their offices to see if there were any late deals. Reminds one of the demise of the chalet holiday since Brexit.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@hawkesbaynz, that's right, they were in Putney. I had an interview there once.
@iainm, the article discusses the demise of the chalet holiday but doesn't refer to the (main) underlying cause, being the inability to easily employ keen "skiers" on low wages to staff the chalets. Sans brexit, although it was becoming more difficult, it was a viable idea. Post? Hardly at all.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We had a drinks party in our chalet in Les Gets, must have been a few years ago now, as my OH’s 70th, and I recall quite a screech from two guests who hadn’t seen each other in many years and who had both worked for Bladon Lines. Happy memories.
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| under a new name wrote: |
@hawkesbaynz, that's right, they were in Putney. I had an interview there once.
@iainm, the article discusses the demise of the chalet holiday but doesn't refer to the (main) underlying cause, being the inability to easily employ keen "skiers" on low wages to staff the chalets. Sans brexit, although it was becoming more difficult, it was a viable idea. Post? Hardly at all. |
The cost of staff became an issue when the minimum wage was introduced.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 10-03-23 21:36; edited 1 time in total
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I was reminded about this background when in Pila last week, tripping over Interski reps. There aren't many opportunities these days. I used to encounter groups of UK TO staff doing their big shops in the supermarkets in France - and thinking to myself what a great work experience it was for them. The whole thing - working as a team, working when you were sick as a dog, hungover, exhausted, just had an emotional night with the chalet ski guide who had confessed just before dawn he had a fiancée at home, whatever. A whole lost world of opportunities.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Link doesn’t work for me.
Worked for Bladon Lines in Chatel 1990
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@Matt, I suspect you're a bit late, the article was published last february
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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link works for me ??
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Never worked for Bladon Lines, but had a jacket in the same colours and got free lunches everywhere I went in Zermatt in 1986, it was only when one of the restaurateurs saw me working in the ski workshop where I'd been all season that I got rumbled
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Never worked for Bladon Lines, but was a Bladon billy. Lots of happy hols in not luxury chalets in VDI. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Did some work for Ski West, who were part of Bladon Lines. Wore blue jackets, with lots of white spots all over them!
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Tue 26-12-23 12:25; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Great article! Never knew the name was made up from two surnames! Genuinely thought it was a Geordieland based travel company!
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Poster: A snowHead
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SkiBound would likely bring lots of seasnaires out of the woodwork. They employed LOTS of people at the opposite end of the market to BL.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Actually started my life in the Alps thanks to Bladon Lines in 1985, took a 2 week holiday with them in Zermatt and never went home!!!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@iainm, really enjoyed the article and the nostalgia. So sad that my children will not have the experience of doing a season (in Europe anyway). Thanks, Breccsh1t.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Snowsartre wrote: |
| @iainm, really enjoyed the article and the nostalgia. So sad that my children will not have the experience of doing a season (in Europe anyway). Thanks, Breccsh1t. |
Still UK tour operators employing UK passport holders - you've just got to find them.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Loving all these comments and nostalgia. Season workers do still exist, but the 'glory days' of the chalet holiday are sadly long gone...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
| just had an emotional night with the chalet ski guide who had confessed just before dawn he had a fiancée at home, whatever. |
Bladon Lines...sounds more like blurred lines!! 
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I worked at BLT HQ in Putney (and formerly Sloane St) from 1983 to 1989. Mark Lines was a true original who left us all way too soon. People I worked with include Jane Moon, Claire Clay, Baz (Christine Parker),Bridget Young, Amanda Dundas, Cathy Crawford, Wooze, tigger, Harry, Charlie Barnett (Come on Eileen!), Yvette, John Ferguson, Phil Beard, Fiona Easdale, JYS, Di Smith, PCG the finance man the list goes on..Imagine a northerner like me from Liverpool landing in a Sloany environment, being called Manchester all the time! I loved working there, started as back up for Yvette on reservations and when I left in 1989 I was proudly an assistant director. Hard work was always rewarded. So many happy memories.
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@janinnewmills, welcome to snowheads (I'm only in Marple, small world and all that)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@janinnewmills, haha I’ve met John Ferg but I know his sisters quite well 
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Oh wow! Small world indeed.
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FAQ
