Hello, my name is Julian Chappell and I am the one to blame for this site! If you've uploaded a photograph and seen the example pictures - that's me in the water!

The idea for MyHolidayPartner.com came about when a friend of mine, Shirley Jackson, noticed that I didn't really enjoy receiving holiday postcards from family and friends. Rather than being pleased for them, as I suppose I should have done, the pictures of exotic locations only made me feel a bit sad. Images of exotic sights and sandy beaches only served to remind me that I hadn't had a holiday for three years simply because I had no-one to go with. I was really missing the three S's - Sun, Sand and er... um... more Sun? Or how about Sangria? That must be it. Can't think of another 'S' - can you?

Shirley suggested a website and the more I thought about it the better the idea became! I realised that it isn't just singles that have a need to look for holiday partners. Everyone does from time to time - even though some don't even know it yet! The idea might not occur to them, as it didn't to me.

You don't have to be single to want a holiday partner. Couples always have some differing interests even if they do share most of them. Usually they tolerate each other's little whims and each may occasionally accompany the other on an outing to indulge them - if it only means being bored stupid for as short a time as possible!

Although there is quite often just that one big difference. Perhaps one partner has always wanted to go scuba diving but the other is afraid of water - or bungee jumping and their partner is terrified of heights. This goes beyond plain old boredom so the other partner flatly refuses to have anything to do with such terrifying pastimes, leaving their long suffering mate with nobody to go with. These longed for activities may never be experienced at all. Well, not any more! MyHolidayPartner.com is here!

Single parent families could do with clubbing together as young children can be a problem on holiday with only one parent to supervise them. Ever tried sorting out the boarding passes whilst trying to extract an inquisitive five year old from a waste paper bin at the same time?

What about couples? When out and about I have long been able to spot the couples that have been married for some time. They are usually the ones that can sit through an entire meal in a restaurant without saying more than a couple of words to each other! Wouldn't going away with a another couple bring back some of the spice that is missing from their holidays?

Or there are the husbands that constantly annoy their wives by wanting to play golf all day and the wives that annoy their husbands by dragging them around the gift shops when they'd rather be playing golf. Finding another couple with similar interests as a holiday partner could immediately solve that problem - and maybe even lead to more harmonious holidays!

Families love their children, but can sometimes feel that something is missing when every holiday revolves around the kids. So why not team up with another family and take it in turns for one set of parents to watch the kids make sand castles while the other indulges in some adult holiday activities once in a while?

Then there are the groups. Whether it's a group of mothers trying to drum up recruits for a boy scout's outing or an explorer looking for suitable team members for a daring expedition to the North Pole, there will be something for everyone on MyHolidayPartner.com! Perhaps a Guinness enthusiast hoping to find others that would like to visit the brewery in Dublin and taste the real thing. Film fanatics wanting to find similar fans for a celebrity tour of Hollywood - the list is endless!

The more I thought about it the better the idea became until I became convinced that it is nothing short of brilliant! I hope you agree. There is something for everyone, from straightforward holiday partners to a recruitment centre for polar expeditions! It can even be used by those hoping for a touch of romance.

If you think the idea is as good as I do - why not tell all your friends? Especially the ones who might benefit from finding a holiday partner but don't even know it yet!

Have a happy holiday - Oh, and by the way, I quite like postcards now. Perhaps you'll send me one!

Julian