Last month you got an insight into our CEO, Mr Harrington, so it is only right that you get introduced to Check Safety First’s other head-honcho… Steve Tate:

Name: Stephen (Steve) Tate

Role at Check Safety First: Chairman

Sum yourself up in ten words or less: Honest, good fun, with a strong sense of right and wrong. Oh and I can be dogmatic. I should also put down bad at maths, because I have gone way over ten words!

What one thing couldn’t you live without? 

Apart from my daughter, Isabel, I would have to choose skiing. But red wine comes a pretty close second.

Favourite desert island disk? 

Dreadlock Holiday by 10CC – it has to be reggae for a desert island.

Favourite holiday destination? 

Interlaken in Switzerland. It doesn’t matter if it is in the summer or the winter, I just love the place.

Best holiday memory? 

Driving with a girlfriend from London to Costa del Sol in 1989. We did the journey in one go – only stopping for fuel – and it took 27 hours (Spain had no motorways at the time). We arrived at a friend’s villa, absolutely shattered. The villa had a resident maid who looked after us for the next 10 days – pure bliss.

Then we drove from there to Frejus in the South of France, again in one long drive, and had a week of not so glamorous camping. We spent two days in Paris on the way back.

Holiday nightmare? 

In 1982 I rode my motorbike all over Europe which took four months over the course of a summer – an amazing experience, would recommend it to everyone.

However, somehow I got into Yugoslavia without a visa. All the road signs were in Serbo-Croat and I couldn’t understand a thing. Eventually I found the coast and a great camp site, but after three days I got really sick – high fever, vomiting, delirium, the lot!

As I was in Yugoslavia illegally, I made the choice to try to ride back to Austria in case I needed medical help. The worst ride of my life! I eventually arrived in Austria went straight to bed and slept for 18 hours straight.

Favourite type of holiday?

I am a massive fan of skiing and activity holidays. In fact, I am planning a cycling holiday from the north to south of Spain, which is around 1,000kms.

We thought it was about time that everyone got to know one of our illustrious leaders a little better. So, please welcome, Mr Harrington:

Name: Mark Harrington

Role at Check Safety First: CEO and general dogsbody.

Sum yourself up in ten words or less: A Welsh, middle-aged male version of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

What one thing couldn’t you live without?

Cask conditioned ale and music.

Favourite desert island disk?

Captain Beefheart’s ‘Safe as Milk’.

Favourite holiday destination?

I honestly don’t have a favourite. I have been to so many fabulous places that it would be impossible to pick.

Best holiday memory?

It has to be, without a doubt, walking in the Peruvian Andes.

Holiday nightmare?

I hate airports in general.

Favourite type of holiday?

A mix of activity and some well earned rest and relaxation.

So, here we are again. We have just enjoyed our last bank holiday weekend before Christmas and the summer holiday season has finished – where does the time go???

Summer 2009 will probably be best known for holidaying on a budget – staycations, nanobreaks and the August rush to find last-minute late deals in an attempt to escape the British rain.

But, what has this summer meant to you? We asked one of the big bosses at Check Safety First, Mark Harrington, to sum up his summer in 140 characters or less, Twitter style.

What was your highlight of summer 2009?

Winning the Ashes and the, now long forgotten, spell of good weather in May and June.

What was a lowlight of summer 2009?

The awful weather in July and August.

Where did you go for your holiday this year and why did you pick that destination?

I am about to go to Boston to go whale watching – very excited.

Did you take a staycation?

I am a big fan of staycations. Last year I went to Dartmouth and Cornwall. And, this year I went to the Yorkshire Dales; walking for a weekend.

Predictions for summer 2010?

I think that foreign holidays will increase in popularity again particularly all inclusive for families. As for UK weather…….who knows??

Goodbye summer, hello winter sun….