This is me with my partner in travel and life Steve, who you may see pop up on my social channels from time to time.
I'm a half-Swedish country girl who grew up in the middle of nowhere near Newbury, Berkshire, but have also enjoyed living in Hull, Leicester, London and Iowa City, USA.
My great passions in life are history, architecture, dogs, nature, music, all things retro and cocktail culture.
I'm a planning and details obsessive and love to pour over the nitty gritty of itineraries, putting myself in a traveller's shoes.
My early years of travel were all centred around history, archaeology and architecture. My dad was a huge Francophile and history buff, so we spent every summer exploring the battlefields and cathedrals of Normandy in our caravan.
Having originally trained to be an architect, my dad's love of buildings was passed down to me. I studied Gothic, Romanesque and post-modern architecture as part of my degree, eventually writing my dissertation on the architectural effects of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
After volunteering at Wilberforce House Museum in Hull, I undertook a Museum Studies MA focussing on social history. I eventually spent 15 years working in the field of heritage, including listing buildings at English Heritage, museum education at Hull Museums, heritage event management at Heritage Learning plus historic buildings consultancy work, including lecturing on vernacular architecture at the University of Hull and working on community projects.
History and archaeology are my greatest passions. Exploring historic sites is my favourite thing to do on holiday, the most extreme trip being a self-planned day-by-day itinerary following the route of Henry V to the battlefield of Agincourt!
I love to share this passion with like-minded travellers so if you too are a history buff, please get in touch.
I’m lucky enough to be well travelled from an early age, with two round the world trips igniting my love of the exotic. Some of my favourite memories include trips to the Islands of Tahiti, the Galapagos Islands, Svalbard, Egypt, Fiji, Bali, Singapore, Seychelles, Mauritius, New Zealand, Santorini, Crete and Italy.
The destinations I've spent the most time in are those connected to family and friends. Being half Swedish on my mum's side I've travelled there regularly since childhood. I also have relatives in Australia, so have visited many times.
After visiting the USA as a child and later becoming fascinated with its history both ancient and modern, I completed an American Studies degree with a year at the University of Iowa. I wrote my dissertation on the architecture of Chicago, now my favourite city, and thanks to having close friends there visit as often as possible.
Having grown up a country girl, nature and wildlife have always been a big part of my life. These days in my time off you’ll most often find me in the garden, or exploring the countryside I am lucky enough to be surrounded by (I live in the middle of nowhere once again after my city life phase!). Rewilding is a subject close to my heart, which is why I’m so proud that Travel That Gives Back has become a foundation stone of Nickson Travel.
Before starting the business and after giving up the rat race (long story), I spent eight years looking after people’s animals while they were away on holiday. I have always been a huge animal lover, but this experience I feel cemented my commitment to fighting tourism cruelty, and inspired me to create Nickson Travel's animal welfare policy.
I’m always learning and growing when it comes to responsible travel, and I love bringing that knowledge to customers who are curious about a more positive way to see the world. I continually train up on responsible tour operators and suppliers, and I’m a founding member of the Responsible Travel Advisor Collective.
I’m proud that this work has been recognised along the way, from being chosen as a TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassador to being named UK & Ireland’s Top Luxury Responsible Travel Agency 2026.
I founded this business in October 2020 after years of dreaming about my own travel company. I’m a stickler for detail and nothing gives me greater pleasure than planning an itinerary for my clients, getting excited with them and seeing them make the most wonderful memories.
I have a loyal group of customers who I've built a great relationship with. I know their tastes and preferences inside out, and they in turn know my dedication to looking after them and their plans. Want to join them? Then please do get in touch to discuss your ideas - I'd be honoured to help you on your journey.