OWNER & MANAGING DIRECTOR

"Hi, I am Simon Kelly, owner and Managing Director of Guaranteed Events and Bridge Overseas Ltd. I have been with the company since 2010 and took over full control of the business from my father Edward back in August 2019. Good timing as the pandemic hit us just a few months later, but thankfully that is now old news.

Although I don’t currently play bridge, I wish I had the time, my father did teach me many years ago so at some point I will be joining you in the bridge room. Until then all my efforts are focused on making us one of the best group holiday companies around. My spare time is currently spent on restoring my old farm house in Southern Spain or out riding with my son Connor, on our trails or road motorbikes."tion text goes here

OFFICE MANAGER & ACCOUNTS

"Cassie joined the company in 2012 having moved back to the UK after a long time overseas.

With family still based in the US, Cassie likes to visit when she can.

Cassie lives in South Wales with her two Fox Red labrador puppies, Millie and Beau.

Cassie says :

“I love working with Simon and the team. We are a close knit bunch and work really well together. No two days are the same and there is always something different and interesting to learn. Our customers are lovely and I enjoy chatting with them when I get the opportunity”

SALES & ADMIN MANAGER

"Experienced and adaptable professional with a strong background spanning event coordination, compliance, customer service, and office management. For the past three years, I’ve been part of the team at Guaranteed Events, where I’ve brought my organizational skills and client-focused mindset to life in a fast-paced environment.

My earlier roles include working in compliance, managing customer service in the retail sector, and overseeing office operations in the recruitment industry—each contributing to my ability to manage people, processes, and priorities with confidence and professionalism.

Outside of work, I’m passionate about travel and enjoy spending quality time with family and friends. I actively support my partner in Ironman events across the globe, which has deepened my appreciation for endurance, discipline, and teamwork.

Fun fact: I trained as a Level 1 TIG welder seven years ago—proof that I’m always open to learning something new!"

IT & MEDIA DESIGN

"After finishing school, I jumped straight into the family business, where I now handle all things IT, graphic design, and marketing. The company was founded by my grandfather Edward and is currently run by my father Simon, so being part of its growth is something I take real pride in. I moved to Spain eight years ago and have loved every minute of it, especially weekends spent riding motorbikes with my dad or discovering new tapas spots together.”

ACCOUNTS

With over 20 years in the finance industry, Anna has gained expertise across sectors including a chocolate manufacturer, exhibition manufacturer, construction company and two recruitment agencies. This broad experience has equipped her with a versatile skill set in financial management, reporting, budgeting, and analysis, enabling her to drive financial strategy and growth in any business environment.

A qualified CIMA professional, Anna is committed to delivering strategic insights that optimise financial performance. She believes people make the workplace, and that a successful organisation thrives on teamwork—where everyone is part of the same team, and there is no hierarchy. This philosophy shapes her approach to leadership and collaboration, fostering an environment of mutual respect and shared success.

Outside of work, Anna enjoys mountain biking and playing netball, where her team has won the league title three times in a row. She values staying active through sports and workouts, maintaining a healthy balance between personal and professional life.

SALES & LOGISTICS MANAGER

"I have been working for Guaranteed events since I left school 17 years ago.

I love travelling which I get to do a lot through work and my love of football

I have been fortunate to visit many of our hotels and look forward to helping you chose your next bridge holiday."

Malcolm & Madeleine hold the distinction of being our longest serving directors. In fact, they were guests on our very first English bridge holiday in Harrogate. They live in the seaside town of Southport and have been married for over 50 years, with three grown-up children and seven grandchildren.

When Malcolm retired from running a successful textile manufacturing company, the opportunity arose to take over the part-time management of Southport Bridge Club, which he ran successfully for 17 years. The club grew to become the 10th largest in the country, with 300 members. Malcolm is a qualified EBU director and a member of the English Bridge Union Teachers Association. Both he and Madeleine have been playing duplicate bridge for over 40 years and have had the honour of representing their county, Lancashire.

Madeleine retired from running Britain’s only lawnmower museum in Southport, and now acts as a host. Her calming manner is much appreciated by the many guests who have played with her over the past 23 years.

They are often asked which is their favourite UK venue, and the answer is Telford in Shropshire. Their favourite overseas venue is Tenerife in January, away from the cold weather, where they direct on bank holidays and New Year, meeting up with regular guests who have become friends over the years.

Malcolm’s bridge seminars are well known for their humour and informative tips, and are not to be missed! He is also a lifelong, long-suffering supporter of Everton Football Club and helps run a fish and chip shop in his spare time. His favourite saying in the bridge room is to remind players that the opposition is sat to the left and right—not opposite. Something we should all try to remember.

"Joy and Colin are both keen golfers and bridge players who enjoy a life in Devon during the summer months and Florida in the winter.

Married in Seaford, East Sussex in 1971, they joined Silvermere Golf and Country Club having moved to Weybridge in Surrey in 1977. That was when they started to play bridge as there was a club at Silvermere. In 1991, now members of West Byfleet Golf Club, they introduced a Bridge Section which they ran for about 10 years. Much of their time was spent teaching the game and it was very successful.

In 2001, they moved back “home” to Seaford and joined the local bridge club there and Colin was asked to become Chairman of the club in 2008. By this time, they had also started directing bridge holidays for Bridge Overseas. Much of their time was spent teaching bridge in Seaford and running the holidays and they were very successful at both. They say “We believe our success is due to the fact that we try to make bridge fun to play” and they always adopt a light hearted approach. For Bridge Overseas and Guaranteed Events, they have run over 80 holidays and their enthusiasm remains unchanged and they have proved to be very popular hosts and directors.

They pretty much exclusively work with Sue Lison who is the host on the holidays they run and they all affectionately describe themselves as the “Dream team”.

Joy and Colin moved to Devon in 2018 to allow them to live the lifestyle they now enjoy very much but there is still time for them to run many holidays for Guaranteed Events and they hope to do this for some time to come."

"Sue has been playing bridge for over 40 years and has been a TD since 2012. Phil learned to play more recently and they play regularly at their local club. When they retired 7 years ago, they were looking for a new challenge, and hosting for Guaranteed Events fitted the bill, taking them to places they haven't visited before whilst meeting new people and getting the occasional game of bridge. Their other interests include musical theatre and attempting to learn ballroom dancing. They like to keep active, and Sue goes to Zumba and Pilates classes while Phil goes cycling. Phil loves any sort of music, and everything stops in their house for the daily Popmaster quiz on Greatest Hits Radio.”

After a recent sabbatical, I am now in my 10th year of directing for Bridge Overseas. Starting from scratch, I have now done 179 holidays, initially mostly in the UK but now evolving to overseas. I moved to Dolgellau 12 years ago, where Julie has lived for over 35 years.

Prior to that, I was a competitive bridge player, representing Wales on over 55 occasions and achieving a target of winning the home international series in 2011—it had taken Wales 73 years to do this. Recently, I became eligible to play for Seniors and, in my first appearance, won this trophy for only Wales's second time.

Like all our regular directors, I seem to have built up a number of “regulars” and, in fact, on a holiday in Llandudno I had met 38 of the 40 people on the holiday before, most more than once. Being a LIST type of person, I have so far met over 2,900 different customers, which is still only about a quarter of those on Guaranteed Events’ database.

We both enjoy walking. Whereas Julie is keen on doing a short walk daily, I tend to set myself challenges and, in 2024, completed all the Wainwright’s—214 of them—in the Lake District. I had previously completed the South West Coastal Path, which goes from Minehead to Poole, though it did take me 10 years. It is obviously a family thing, as my sister has done the same, all in stages. I lead walks for my local walking group and for Barmouth Walking Festival. I am also trying to do as many Sustrans cycle routes as I can find the time for.

Julie tends to lean towards more creative pastimes, being involved in a local writing group, singing and music groups, and using the time I am away to keep in touch with her longstanding friends in the area.

My current challenges involve a yearly long-distance route. I started with the Land’s End to John O’ Groats cycle challenge in my 60th year, and have since cycled the length of France, Portugal, and Ireland, plus along the Moselle, Rhine, and Danube.

I am often asked which is my favourite venue, and I am always hard pushed to give a reply because what is important to me is different to what is important to a customer. I like the hotels which give continuity of staff and good service and, funnily enough, these tend to be those with low stars—such as Llandudno, sadly now closed. My wife would give different favourites, though we do both agree on the venues abroad we have been to: Montecatini, Slovenia, and most recently Turkey for me.

"Mike and Jeanne have been playing regular club bridge for over 20 years and during this time Mike has qualified as a bridge director, cruise director and teacher. Since retiring in 2014 Mike has been teaching bridge to small groups of beginners and improvers in south Somerset and is delighted to see many of his trainees make the transition to playing at local clubs. Mike and Jeanne took over running an annual bridge break in bournemouth 5 years ago and are encouraged to see the event grow from 8 tables to 16. They have also organised numerous bridge themed fund raising events for charities in Somerset. Away from the bridge table, Mike is an amateur football referee now in his 40th season whilst Jeanne enjoys gardening, live music gigs and yoga. They both love travel and adding bridge into the mix seems destined to be an ideal combination.”

"Gayle and Colin’s bridge career began in the mid 70’s, when as a newly married couple they attended their first bridge lesson. Within 6 weeks they played in the prestigious Palace Hotel Congress in Torquay where they finished bottom in their first three sessions and then in the fourth they came second to bottom. They were delighted to have “beaten someone” – and at that moment they got the bug!

Over the next 40 or so years they played more and more bridge and both got involved in their club and county committees. In 2021 Gayle joined the Board of the EBU with her remit being to represent the grassroots bridge players who form the vast majority of the EBU members.

In 2019 they both finally won their 600th green point enabling them to claim the title of Grandmasters. However, they were the first to admit that this title is in recognition of the fact that they had been playing for over 40 years, had played in a lot of tournaments and spent a lot of money on their addiction to the game!

When Covid closed down almost all face to face bridge, they turned to online bridge and spent much of their time helping those less IT literate how to keep in touch by playing “virtual” bridge.

Mid December 2021 they received a call from Simon Kelly asking if they would run a bridge holiday over the forthcoming Christmas period. They had occasionally helped out on some holidays and on cruise ships, but this would be their first time on their own. They bit the bullet and said yes – all went well – they survived the few days and discovered they had got a new passion!

Since then they have run over 30 holidays for Guaranteed Events both in the UK and overseas – and love waiting to see where Simon is going to send them next! They both strive to make sure everyone enjoys their holidays. Colin looks after the bridge – whilst Gayle tries to ensure that everyone feels welcome and that the single players are matched with suitable partners.”

"Ian has been a bridge director for more than 30 years becoming the SBU Chief National Director before retiring from that position in 2015. During that time he organised national and international events as well as many local congresses all over Scotland.

Ian started running bridge holidays about 20 years ago. His aim is to provide the best possible overall holiday experience where the bridge is well organised but with an emphasis on a relaxed, friendly atmosphere so that all players, regardless of ability or experience, can have an enjoyable game."

"Cindy has lived in a close knit community in a village in Cambridgeshire for more than 50 years. She is involved in many aspects of village life, including being on the Committee of the Gardening Club and is an active member of the local Bowls Club. She regularly plays for the First team and supports many of the Club's events. She loves her garden and spends many happy hours just pottering! She plays her bridge in local Clubs and also in online events with other Clubs around the UK.

Cindy trained to be a Secretary and spent many years working in a medical environment. She joined Guaranteed Events as a host recently and is perfectly suited to the role. She is very gregarious, loves meeting people and is a good bridge player to boot. More than anything she loves a good natter!"

"David joined the Guaranteed Events team early in 2022 and has Directed and Hosted many holidays since in the UK, Europe and one in Asia. He learnt and fell in love with bridge in his teens but only started playing bridge seriously some 30 years ago. He plays F2F bridge in several Clubs and online too. He has represented his County on many occasions and is a qualified EBU Director. He is a Bridge teacher and has taught on several courses for Beginners and Improvers, many of whom have gone on to be regular and accomplished players. He has played bridge on 5 continents, would like to add South America to the list but has no wish to include Antarctica!

David has been known to swing a golf club but, unfortunately, more often in the wrong direction! He spent a full career in teaching, training and development and HR management before retiring in 2004. He is very much a "people's person" and enjoys mixing with the lovely people who join us on our Bridge holidays.”

"Represented GB in Junior European Championships in 1976.

Retired GP in 2009 to concentrate on bridge teaching and working on cruise ships and for UK based holidays for GE with my wife Chris.

Since she passed away 3 years ago I feel I would like to continue the teaching aspect by assisting the main directors and doing the morning seminars and duplicate."

"I live in a small town on the East Sussex coast enjoying both the sea and countryside. I started to learn bridge after retiring from a long nursing career in anaesthetics and surgery. I have hosted many bridge holidays both in the uk and overseas and love meeting people and making them feel welcome enabling them to get the most fun and enjoyment from their holidays. I particularly like to support our solo guests and the bridge directors

When at home my priority is spending time with my family. When not playing bridge I am a pianist and a keen gardener I also like to walk on the South Downs I swim in the sea in the summer months and cycle."

"Tanya and Ian play bridge for the pleasure and challenge of the game. They play, direct and mentor at Wimbledon Bridge Club and play socially in Kit Jackson's game in Balham. Frustratingly, Tanya's valiant efforts at the table to deceive her opponents only seem to serve to confound her partner. And, to make matters worse, Ian's bridge has taken a further step backwards ever since he discovered (and has now become a strong advocate for) The Beer Card!"

"Hi, I'm Sue Lison and am a host for Guaranteed Events. I love this, as I enjoy meeting so many interesting people.

Now retired from the hospitality industry, I have time to pursue my other passions, bridge being top of the list.

I also enjoy salsa dancing, yoga, walking and of course food & wine."

"Gordon started playing bridge at school and has never stopped since. He has been running bridge holidays for over 25 years; teaching bridge for over 30 years; and been a TD for 25 years, reaching County TD level. He now works with EBED teaching potential club directors and is the Chair of his County Bridge Association. As a player, he is a Life Master and has represented his county on numerous occasions. He has an interest in bridge books and catalogued the EBU's library some years ago. He firmly believes bridge is a social game."

"I have enjoyed hosting bridge holidays with Guaranteed Events now for many years.

I have been playing bridge for about 38 years and qualified as a club director. I hosted for Manchester Bridge for many years.”

"Craig took up bridge over 30 years ago whilst working and studying overseas, which explains his partiality for Standard American based systems over ACOL. A qualified EBU Club Tournament Director, he regularly directs and plays in games at his local club in Rugby where he is Senior TD. Craig is also an American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) accredited bridge teacher.

Craig has represented Warwickshire, at county level and was lucky enough to represent his ‘adopted’ country, Bermuda, at the World Bridge Games in Beijing in 2008.

Craig is married to Annie. They have three sons, all in their twenties. One of his biggest regrets was being unable to persuade any of them to take up bridge. He retired over five years ago after a forty-year career in HR management. Spurred on by his passions for the game and for travel he has become involved in directing and hosting at various bridge holidays and events."

After retiring from a fulfilling career as a headteacher, Karen has fully embraced her passion for bridge. She now dedicates much of her time to teaching, playing, and directing the game. Deeply committed to expanding the bridge community, she takes great pleasure in helping newcomers get started and supporting the less experienced. Based in Woking, Surrey, Karen is an active member of several local bridge clubs, an EBU Club Director, and an EBED-registered teacher.

When she's not at the bridge table, Karen enjoys walking and swimming. In recent years, she’s tackled iconic trails like the Camino de Santiago, Hadrian’s Wall, and the Dales Way. Her navigation skills though, sometimes lead her off the beaten path, resulting in a few unexpected detours!

Although she’s relatively new to Guaranteed Events, Karen has already made many friendships through their holidays. She’s excited to become even more involved, helping everyone make the most of their time and ensuring a fun, memorable experience for all.