The very British brand that shaped the way we travel

It all started on the Norfolk Broads at the close of the Second World War, when holidays for most people were still a novel idea.

Norfolk harbourmaster Wally B Hoseason knew that despite the economic and social challenges of his time, people needed a break from the daily struggle – a chance to relax, unwind, have fun and spend time with their loved ones.

Abroad was out of the question in those pre-package days and anyway, Wally had his own backyard to offer: the Norfolk Broads, then little known and little visited. He started selling boating holidays and when his fellow boat owners did the same, Hoseasons was born.

Eight decades later, the company is still based in Lowestoft. It remains a sheltering umbrella organisation for its many owner-partners, whether Norfolk Broads boat companies with relationships that date back to the earliest days or self-catering holiday companies that joined forces as Hoseasons quickly expanded under the direction of Wally’s son James, who ran the business from 1949 to 1999. Companies such as these can operate independently, but they also choose to be part of the Hoseasons brand, with Hoseasons responsible for marketing and bookings.

Jimmy, as he was known, was the first to introduce direct telephone bookings, with customers greeted by cheerful call centre staff.

Though Hoseasons soon branched out into lodges, holiday parks and cottages, boating remains at its heart. With his wife Dee, Rob Over runs Clifton Cruisers, not in Norfolk but near Rugby on the Oxford Canal, from where at least 10 different routes can be accessed. He explains why being part of Hoseasons is crucial to his business. “We wouldn’t be operating without them. We have greater exposure to bookings being part of such a powerful group than we would do if we were simply operating on our own. If you want a canal boat holiday, you are more likely to turn to Hoseasons, with its long-standing reputation [...], than to try to find a small independent operator,” he says.

Their highly successful operation is a good example of collaboration between owner-partners and Hoseasons and illustrates why Hoseasons, offering affordable British self-catering holidays with a twist, is still pertinent 80 years on. Analysing current and future trends is something Hoseasons helps the likes of Clifton Cruisers with. Their modern boats are attracting a younger demographic, for instance, so adapting to cater well to young families has been key. A bespoke service is available if you need it, including provisions; toys, games and equipment for children and pets; boats decorated for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas.

Rob and Dee construct their hire boats (13 in all, sleeping from two to 10) themselves at their Hillmorton yard and each boat is used for only three to five years before being sold on. I’ve always loved holidaying in small, snug spaces that move such as sailing boats and caravans, but I’d never tried a narrowboat. Hoseasons felt like the right place to find one and through its website I chose Betty, 55ft long, with two double cabins plus a sofa bed, two bathrooms with large showers and flushing toilets, a kitchen and dining area. The wood-finished interior, faultlessly designed by Dee, was superbly equipped. “We pride ourselves on offering five-star boats at three-star prices,” says Rob.

When it was time to set off, Jackie went through safety and showed us how everything worked on board, and then Ryan took us for a test drive, jumping off onto the towpath and cycling home on his fold-up bike. Then it was just us and the peace and quiet of the Oxford Canal with its many bridges and occasional flower-bedecked locks, where Canal Trust volunteers and more experienced boaters helped us through.

It’s such a gentle existence, pottering along Britain’s quiet canals, brilliantly designed for cargo from the 18th century onwards and dug with nothing more than spade and wheelbarrow.

Now they make the most tranquil of escapes from the exhaustion of life, just as Wally Hoseason envisaged, and are shared by a mix of holidaymakers and live-aboarders whose gaily painted boats have roofs that often double as flower and vegetable gardens. Everyone is friendly and nights moored by a grassy towpath are blissfully quiet.

We didn’t have long, but we made it to Braunston, a centre of canal life where many boaters have resided and still do. Here, at Braunston Marina, we gingerly turned round – sadly no time to branch off on to the Grand Union Canal, but we’ve got the bug and will return, for – given time – the whole English canal network is at our disposal.

On board Betty, there were plug and USB sockets, Wi-Fi, a smart TV, a microwave, central heating and more. New Clifton Cruisers, thanks to advice from Hoseasons, will have air conditioning and one will even have a hot tub. It’s all a far cry from the jolly craft that plied the Norfolk Broads in Wally’s day, their skippers sporting knotted handkerchiefs to keep off the sun. But really, in 80 years of Hoseasons, nothing much has changed.

Fiona Duncan travelled as a guest of Hoseasons, which offers a week’s cruise on a Clifton Cruisers narrowboat, sleeping between two and 10, from £549 to £1,777 .