PGL (company)
Encyclopedia
PGL Travel Ltd. is a company established in 1957 by Peter Gordon Lawrence and is a provider of school activity courses and summer camps for children in the United Kingdom
. It is a part of the Holidaybreak
group.
The company was sold in 2007 to Holidaybreak Plc and formed the first part of the Holidaybreak 'Education Division'.
As of the beginning of the 2010 season, PGL has 21 centres in the UK, 2 centres in Spain, 10 centres in France, contracts with numerous ski resorts and 'Action Stations' at Eurocamp in France and 'Go Active' at 7 Pontins sites located in the UK.(Prestatyn, Southport, Blackpool, Camber, Brean,Pakefield). Some of the largest centres are Boreatton Park (Shropshire) and Caythorpe Court
(Lincolnshire).
The purchase in 2005 of 3D Education and Adventure, their biggest competitor, gave the company two more centres on the south coast, one on the Isle of Wight and a contract with Pontins to provide children's activities on their sites.
PGL's largest area of business is school trips and educational travel. These range from activity and adventure trips to subject focussed trips (Science, ICT, Maths, Field Studies and French Language courses are all offered).
Holidays cost between £200 and £600 depending on the length of stay, and type of holiday. The most popular holiday run is the "Multi-Activity" where guests get to sample a range of activities. Specialist holidays are also run, these are listed below
Some of these are available at a variety of centres, others only at one of two.
The UK centres are
Barton Hall (Devon), Boreatton Park (Shropshire), Caythorpe Court
(Lincolnshire), Liddington (Wiltshire), Beam House (Devon), Court Farm (13-16 YO) and Hillcrest (10-13YO)(Herefordshire), Dalguise (Perthshire), Little Canada (Isle of Wight), Marchants Hill (Surrey), Osmington Bay (Dorset), Treygoyd (Powys), Windmill Hill (Sussex) and Winmarleigh Hall (Lancarshire).
During the winter they offer a school ski programme in resorts across France, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, Switzerland and the USA.
PGL pioneered Canoe camping holidays in the Ardèche River
and staff developed the modern folklore tale of Harry Willis and the round river.
'Parents Get Lost.' See PGL'S view here on their webpage Other variations on PGL are 'Pretty Good Looking,' referring to PGL staff and 'Pathetic Geography Lessons.' During the 1990s a popular variation included 'Please Give Lollies.'
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is a part of the Holidaybreak
Holidaybreak
Holidaybreak PLC is a company based in Hartford, Cheshire which primarily serves customers in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands...
group.
Overview
PGL takes its name from the initials of its founder - Peter Gordon Lawrence - who started leading canoe trips down the River Wye in 1957. The initial market was young adults but during the early years PGL established a key position in the organised school group travel market. Sadly Peter Lawrence died in 2004 following complications with a heart condition.The company was sold in 2007 to Holidaybreak Plc and formed the first part of the Holidaybreak 'Education Division'.
As of the beginning of the 2010 season, PGL has 21 centres in the UK, 2 centres in Spain, 10 centres in France, contracts with numerous ski resorts and 'Action Stations' at Eurocamp in France and 'Go Active' at 7 Pontins sites located in the UK.(Prestatyn, Southport, Blackpool, Camber, Brean,Pakefield). Some of the largest centres are Boreatton Park (Shropshire) and Caythorpe Court
Caythorpe Court
Caythorpe Court is a Grade II* listed former hunting lodge situated about one mile to the east of Caythorpe, Lincolnshire. It was originally built in 1901 for Edgar Lubbock, a brewer and banker, to the designs of Sir Reginald Blomfield. In 1946, it became the base for the Kesteven Agricultural...
(Lincolnshire).
The purchase in 2005 of 3D Education and Adventure, their biggest competitor, gave the company two more centres on the south coast, one on the Isle of Wight and a contract with Pontins to provide children's activities on their sites.
PGL's largest area of business is school trips and educational travel. These range from activity and adventure trips to subject focussed trips (Science, ICT, Maths, Field Studies and French Language courses are all offered).
Holidays
During the UK school terms PGL mainly offers school and youth group holidays, as well as birthday parties and day trips. Outside of the UK school terms PGL also offers family and child-only summer camps.Holidays cost between £200 and £600 depending on the length of stay, and type of holiday. The most popular holiday run is the "Multi-Activity" where guests get to sample a range of activities. Specialist holidays are also run, these are listed below
- Adrenaline Adventure (10-16)
- Climbing Adventure
- Dance (10-16)
- Film Making (10-16)
- Indiana Jones (7-13)
- Kayaking (13-16)
- Leadership Challenge (13-16)
- Learner Driver (13-16)
- Mission Spy (7-13)
- Motorsports
- Motorsports Pro (13-16)
- Music Studio (13-16)
- Photography Adventure (10-16)
- Pony Trekking and Riding
- Surfing (13-16)
- Video Games Workshop (10-16)
- Wellbeing (13-16)
- Wet and Wild (13-16)
- Wild Wheels (13-16)
- Xtreme Adventure (13-16)
Some of these are available at a variety of centres, others only at one of two.
The UK centres are
Barton Hall (Devon), Boreatton Park (Shropshire), Caythorpe Court
Caythorpe Court
Caythorpe Court is a Grade II* listed former hunting lodge situated about one mile to the east of Caythorpe, Lincolnshire. It was originally built in 1901 for Edgar Lubbock, a brewer and banker, to the designs of Sir Reginald Blomfield. In 1946, it became the base for the Kesteven Agricultural...
(Lincolnshire), Liddington (Wiltshire), Beam House (Devon), Court Farm (13-16 YO) and Hillcrest (10-13YO)(Herefordshire), Dalguise (Perthshire), Little Canada (Isle of Wight), Marchants Hill (Surrey), Osmington Bay (Dorset), Treygoyd (Powys), Windmill Hill (Sussex) and Winmarleigh Hall (Lancarshire).
Abroad
PGL has centres in France and Spain for School and other youth groups. These offer both activity and educational holidays.During the winter they offer a school ski programme in resorts across France, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, Switzerland and the USA.
PGL pioneered Canoe camping holidays in the Ardèche River
Ardèche River
The Ardèche is a 125 km long river in south-central France, a right-bank tributary of the Rhône River. Its source is in the Massif Central, near the village of Astet. It flows into the Rhône near Pont-Saint-Esprit, north-west of Orange...
and staff developed the modern folklore tale of Harry Willis and the round river.
PGL Name Variations
The variations include the Tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
'Parents Get Lost.' See PGL'S view here on their webpage Other variations on PGL are 'Pretty Good Looking,' referring to PGL staff and 'Pathetic Geography Lessons.' During the 1990s a popular variation included 'Please Give Lollies.'