Archive for UK & Ireland
Wish you had booked something for February half term? No need to panic. Your Travel Planner has researched last minute self-catering breaks in the UK and the good news is that there’s still good availability…good offers too! Here are YTP’s Top 3 Last-Minute Self Catering Holidays for February Half Term:
Georgian House, Holsworthy, North Devon, 7 Bedrooms, Sleeps 14
Grade II listed house, set in 12 acres of gardens and grounds. A massive 50% discount week commencing 12th February. Was £1650, now £825. Call Helpful Holidays on 01647 433593, ref. M274.
Detached Stone Cottage, Lizard, Cornwall, 4 Bedrooms, Sleeps 8
Very private cottage about 2 miles from the beach. 40% discount for week commencing 12th February. Was £699, now £419.
Again, from Helpful Holidays. Call 01647 433593, ref. T21.
Converted Barn, Somerset, 2 Bedrooms, Sleeps 4
Cottage with stunning views of the Mendips. £100 off for week commencing 13th February. Was £420, now £320. Available from Holiday Rentals, property 74299. http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/England/holiday-cottage-Somerset/p74299.htm
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Filed under: Cottages, Saving Money on 2010 Holidays, UK & Ireland | February Half Term, holiday cottages devon, holiday cottages in cornwall, holiday cottages in Somerset, last minute|No Comments
Sunday, 14 February 2010 must be an auspicious day. Not only is it Valentine’s Day, but it’s also the start of the Chinese New Year.
For Chinese communities, Chinese New Year is the biggest festival of the year and cities and towns all over the UK are welcoming the Year of the Tiger. Celebrations take place over 15 days, so there’s plenty of opportunity to join in the fun:
Birmingham Sunday 14 Feb, 12.30 - 4.30pm, Arcadian Centre, FREE; Acrobatics, traditional dances, kung fu demonstrations and a dragon dance on poles, music, plus further entertainment and market stalls on Hurst Street.
Edinburgh Saturday 13 Feb, from 11am, Scottish Storytelling Centre, FREE; Scotland ♥s China! Drop into the Storytelling Centre for a Scottish-Chinese circus of family stories, music and activities to mark the Chinese Year of the Tiger. Storytellers from all over Scotland join in with a day of fun and friendship with a special theme.
London Sunday, 21 Feb, 12 - 6pm, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Chinatown, FREE; Traditional and contemporary Chinese entertainment in Trafalgar Square including acrobatics, dance, music as well as firecrackers, Chinese dragons and lions. (See pictures from 2009 here). Plus cultural stalls, food and lion dance displays in Chinatown; Shaftesbury Avenue will become ‘Hong Kong in London Chinatown’ with a stage featuring performances by local Chinese artists. A colourful fireworks display in Leicester Square will close the celebrations.
Manchester Sunday, 14 Feb, 11am - 7pm, Chinatown and Albert Square, FREE; A whole day’s celebrations with dragon and lion Dances, 175ft long dragon parade, kung fu demonstrations, performances from Shaolin monks, folk dance performances, acrobatics, art workshops for children, the money god giving away lucky red-packets and spectacular fireworks.
Nottingham Friday to Sunday, 12 - 14 Feb, from 6pm on Friday, City Centre and Lakeside Arts Centre, FREE; Nottingham incorporates Chinese New Year celebrations with Light Night 2010, with illuminated Chinese Zodiac Animals lanterns - one for each of the 12 animals of the Zodiac - bringing alive the stories of the Zodiac animals.
Wishing everyone “Kung Hei Fat Choi”, a very happy and prosperous year of the Tiger.
If you’re taking part in Chinese New Year celebrations, drop us a line or send a picture to share with Your Travel Planner.
Filed under: Destinations, UK & Ireland | Chinese New Year, Festivals, London, Year of the Tiger|No Comments
Looking for ideas for what to do in London this Christmas has only one problem; there’s so much to choose from! Here are Your Travel Planner’s Top 3 Picks to help you plan a visit to London:
Carol Singing in Trafalgar Square
Seeing the Christmas tree and carol singing in Trafalgar Square is a favourite thing to do for many. Each year since 1947, a Christmas tree has been given to the people of London from the people of Norway in gratitude for Britain’s support for Norway during World War II. It’s lovely to be in Trafalgar Square to listen to and join in the programme of traditional carol singing.
This free event takes place in the evenings, generally from 5pm to 9pm, from Monday 7 to Tuesday 22 December 2009.
See a Show
London really excels in adding to the already fantastic list of shows at Christmas time. A classic family favourite is is The Snowman at Holborn’s Peacock Theatre (to 10 Jan). Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells (10 Dec to 24 Jan) and Annie Get Your Gun at the Young Vic (to 9 Jan) have also been recommended by YTP friends.
Catch a FREE event at the Southbank Centre
The Southbank Centre regularly hosts free events, performances and exhibitions and this Christmas is no exception. Highlights from their free events programme include:
- World Press Photo 2009 (to 13 Dec), with 196 award-winning photographs from across the globe capturing the most powerful, moving and at times disturbing images of the year
- Christmas Slow Food Market (19-22 Dec), the perfect place to browse and buy delicious Christmas fare; 40 specially selected traders tempt you with produce from known and sustainable sources
- The Magnets (23 Dec); who needs instruments when you’ve got a six-man a cappella group creating infectious tunes and rhythms just with their voices? (I saw this group in the Summer and they’re fantastic!)
Have your own favourites? Add them by posting a comment for YTP readers to enjoy.
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Filed under: Destinations, Travel Tips, UK & Ireland | Christmas in London, What's on in London|1 Comment
Visiting London with your family this summer? Plan your visit and read Your Travel Planner’s guide to great family days out in London, Surrey and Hampshire this August:
July/August; Kids go free in July and August at the British Music Experience (BME) at the O2. Immerse yourself in this interactive museum dedicated to the history and influence of pop music. See David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes clown suit, develop your skills on guitar, bass, drums and in the vocal booth and use your Smarticket to select favourite content and media recordings to keep.
July/August; Plenty of free events at the Southbank Centre this summer. Collaborate in a large-scale outdoor drawing with artist Sally Booth at different locations or play the Youth Music Box, an electrifying interactive musical experience where you create your own unique track and video, all in under ten minutes. Jeppe Hein’s interactive fountain returns as a refreshing addition to summer; walls of water rise and fall randomly to create a series of constantly changing ‘rooms’ (hint: take spare clothes!).
August, various dates; The Alice Holt Forest in Hampshire has lots of events for all ages during August, including Float your Boat!, Bat Watch and Bike Fun.
1-9 August; Bushcamps, storytelling and trails feature in the Wild Child Week at Claremont Landscape Garden (National Trust)
4,11,18,25 August; There’s summer holiday fun and activities to be had at Games in the Garden, every Tuesday at Clandon Park (National Trust).
6,13,20 August; Join the Warden at Polesden Lacey (National Trust) on Thursday evenings on a Bat Walk, searching out these wonderful creatures as they flit and flap across the night sky.
15-16 August; In Richmond, the riverside comes alive for another year. The On the Edge World Music Festival celebrates music drawn from countries and cultures all over the world, from 12pm - 8pm.
22-23 & 29-30 August; For motorsport enthusiasts, watch the European Grand Prix on a large screen at Mercedes-Benz World Presentations on the history and present day world of F1TM take place throughout the weekend.
Filed under: Destinations, Travel Tips, UK & Ireland | Family Days Out, Hampshire, London, Surrey|1 Comment
As well as sending Your Travel Planner a review of Helpful Holidays, Elaine Swift (who provides excellent copywriting, writing and editing services) also sent us a review of this delightful cottage:
I almost don’t want to write this review of beautiful Cot Manor in the delightful Cot Valley, near St Just, West Cornwall. We’ve just got back from a wonderfully relaxing week there and I’m tempted to keep it as my secret.
However, that wouldn’t be fair to Cot Manor’s lovely, generous owners, Helen and Mike Jay. Nor would it be fair to Helpful Holidays who we made the booking through. So I’ve decided to share my secret.
A special place
Standing in five acres, Cot Manor was originally two cottages and was converted into one large house in the early 1800s.
It sleeps nine, and unlike a lot of holiday cottages, it does so comfortably. There are three good sized double rooms, and a room that sleeps three - great if there are children, but it would be fine for a couple. There were four of us so we had plenty of room.
There are two bathrooms, each with a shower, and one en-suite shower room. The downstairs bathroom is glorious!
Downstairs is a very large room that we dubbed the entertainment room. It has a flat-screen TV with Sky, a DVD player and for extra entertainment, there are pool and table tennis tables. There’s even a priest hole by the main door if you feel like playing extreme hide and seek.
When Helen (who is delightful) showed us around she took us into what she called the G&T room. So that’s exactly what it became for the rest of the week. It’s also where a couple of us battled with two of the many jigsaws supplied along with other games.
The kitchen is very well equipped with pans, utensils, cutlery, crockery as well as dishwasher, washing machine and microwave. There’s a separate tumble dryer in the downstairs loo.
Flowers in every room
But it’s the little touches and its owners that make Cot Manor so special. There were camellias and other flowers from the garden in every room. A fire had been laid for us in the G&T room. In the luxurious downstairs bathroom there was an array of different types of Radox - great if you’ve been out walking the coast path all day.
There were towels (nice ones) in every bathroom, and the bed-linen and other furnishings are all of a high standard - not always the case in holiday cottages. Also unlike other places - everything worked!
From the moment we arrived we were encouraged to treat the house as our own. Helen and Mike were on hand if we needed anything. As was Bumble their very sweet sheep dog.
It’s so peaceful - we woke up every morning to birdsong and even heard an owl on a couple of afternoons.
The area
St Just, the local (very small) town is a ten minute walk away through the back gate and across the fields. Bizarrely, it’s also a ten minute drive away. It’s not a quaint or picturesque Cornish town but we really love it. There’s something very honest about it.
A visit to the Cook Book shop for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, (or all three) and a leisurely browse of the second-hand books, is a must. St Just has several galleries, the best of which are the Great Atlantic and the Windswept.
Cot Manor sits in Cot Valley which leads down to Porthnaven beach and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s not a sandy beach but it’s full of fascinating boulders which are protected so put any thoughts of garden decoration out of your mind!
If you fancy a bit of a challenge, you can take the coastal path from here to spectacular Cape Cornwall. It’s not too difficult a walk, just a bit steep in places. It takes you past Ballowall Burrow - an ancient burial chamber at Carn Gloose.
You can turn this into a circular walk by walking up a road from the Cape into St Just, stop for tea at Cooks, then carry on across the fields to home at Cot Manor. Ah bliss. I wish we were still there.
For more information on Cot Manor, see the Helpful Holidays website.
Filed under: Cottages, Destinations, Reviews: Hotels, Places to Eat, Destinations, UK & Ireland | holiday cottages in cornwall, review|No Comments
With Mother’s Day only 5 days away (22nd March this year for the UK), this review from Alison Carter, from Optimum Vitality came just in time. Alison is a Personal Trainer and Massage Therapist, so she knows a thing or two about spas…
My husband and I discovered Lythe Hill Hotel and Spa when he whisked me away for a ‘de-stress’, 5 weeks before our wedding in 2007; we have been back 5 times since then! Why? You can relax in the intimate & beautiful surroundings of the spa, indulge in a sensational 3 course dinner in their Tudor restaurant with excellent service, take a walk by the lake as you watch the bunny rabbits hopping about on the lawn…all for the incredible price of £114* per couple for dinner bed and breakfast on a Sunday evening. You can also get an excellent and reasonably priced massage in the spa. Other facilities include a 16m swimming pool, gym and outdoor tennis.
Situated in Surrey, on the borders of Hampshire and West Sussex, Lythe Hill Hotel and Spa is only 50 minutes by train from London Waterloo and 45-50 mins from London Heathrow or London Gatwick airports.
Overall Verdict: A fantastic getaway spa at a fantastic price.
*£114 per room per night is a special Sunday promotion that gives 50% of the Leisure Break rate. The offer includes Dinner, Bed and Breakfast and is valid until 30 December 2009. Sounds like a perfect gift for Mother’s Day or a great treat for yourself!
For more treats, check out a previous post from Your Travel Planner: Mother’s Day Short Break Ideas
Filed under: Reviews: Hotels, Places to Eat, Destinations, UK & Ireland, Uncategorized | hotel and spa in Surrey, leisure hotel break in the UK, Your Travel Planner|No Comments
Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year and if your budget can stretch to more than chocolates and flowers, how about looking at these last minute gems? They still have availability (at time of posting) and they are either personally recommended or have great online reviews:
Dylan Hotel, Dublin
A gorgeous 5 star Boutique Hotel located in a quiet, residential area of the city, the Dylan hotel is 10-15 minutes walk from the city centre (or a few minutes by bus). I was shown around the Dylan last December and loved the fact that each one of the 44 rooms is different. All are luxurious and stylish, complete with iPod docking stations and plasma TVs with movies on demand.
A luxury double room is still available at €269 EUR per room per night. Return flights from Ryanair from London Gatwick to Dublin are still available at £248 for two.
Guest House Salsalito, Algarve
The Guest House Salsalito in the fishing village of Burgau really is a hidden gem. A mixture of Moroccan and Portuguese décor, it’s been lovingly, designed and built by owners, Ralph and Sally Eveleigh. Private and secluded, breakfast is served on the terrace every morning overlooking the wonderful pool and tropical gardens.
Prices are around £50 B&B per night for 2 people during Jan-Mar. Flights however this weekend cost a little more (!) at £476 for two, return from London Gatwick to Faro. The weather forecast for the Algarve this weekend is SUNNY with temperatures of 15°C…
The Pelham Hotel, London
For something a bit closer to home, how about a night at The Pelham Hotel in South Kensington, London? An elegant and luxurious townhouse, the Pelham Hotel is close to the Victoria & Albert and Natural History Museums, Harrods, Hyde Park, the shops of Knightsbridge and the new Westfield Shopping Centre.
They have a special Valentine’s Day offer of £250 plus VAT per room, per night for a Queen Double room, which includes a bottle of champagne in-room on arrival, rose petals, chocolates, candles in the evening and champagne breakfast in bed.
Spa Finder Gift Vouchers
If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to a weekend away, but could stretch to more than chocolates or flowers, how about some Spa Finder Gift Vouchers? They can be used locally at more than 250 spas in UK or at more than 5,000 spas worldwide. At the moment, buy over £75 of spa vouchers and you’ll receive a box of luxurious chocolates!
See the Plan Your Travel page for more information on Spa Finder. The Plan Your Travel page also has useful websites for car hire and airport parking, if you do decide to go away.
Filed under: Destinations, Europe, Hotels, Reviews: Hotels, Places to Eat, Destinations, UK & Ireland | B&B, luxury hotel|1 Comment
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Celebrating Chinese New Year in Trafalgar Square
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Toy Sellers: Year of the Ox
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Lion Dance Trafalgar Square
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Lion Dance on Stilts
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Lion Dance Chinatown
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Lanterns in Chinatown
People of all nationalities joined in the fun and were thrilled by the colourful displays and spectacular dragon and lion dances.
It was wonderful to soak up the atmosphere and to walk unhindered on some of the busiest streets in London (one half of Charing Cross Road, Shaftesbury Avenue and the streets around Chinatown were closed to traffic).
If you didn’t make it this year, here are some of my pictures from the day. However, I would recommend you book it in your diaries for next year!
Filed under: Destinations, UK & Ireland | Chinese New Year, London|1 Comment
This year, the 15-day Chinese New Year begins today, ushering in the Year of the Ox.
For Chinese communities, Chinese New Year is the biggest festival of the year. All Chinese festivals are determined by the lunar calendar which is why Chinese New Year varies from late January to mid February.
London is a great place to celebrate Chinese New Year. The celebrations for the Year of the Ox include traditional and contemporary Chinese entertainment in Trafalgar Square with performances from artists from Qinghai and Kunming provinces in China. Plus fireworks in Leicester Square, cultural stalls, food, decorations and lion dance displays in Chinatown and local performance stage in Shaftesbury Avenue. HaiBao, the mascot of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo will take part in the event.
The organisers are London Chinatown Chinese Association. See http://www.chinatownchinese.co.uk/ for further details.
Details are also included in the guide to the China in London season, which can be downloaded from the BBC website: www.bbc.co.uk/london/chinese_new_year/index.shtml.
The Year of the Ox
According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Ox (or Buffalo) sign symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Those born under the influence of the Ox or Buffalo know that they will succeed through hard work and sustained efforts, and do not believe in get-rich-quick schemes. Good attributes to have in 2009!
Filed under: Destinations, UK & Ireland | Chinese New Year, Festivals, London|No Comments
As someone who provides help with planning holidays, it’s impossible to try all the places I come across in my holiday research, but The Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire was one place I thought I’d just have to visit.
The Grove Hotel is an 18th century, luxury country estate in Hertfordshire that offers a mix of traditional and contemporary, or ‘grand and groovy’, as Martin Hulbert, the design director, says.
I’ve featured The Grove in Your Travel Planner before (see UK family friendly hotels at Christmas time) and as they were running their Christmas activities throughout the week, we decided to stay for 4 nights in between Christmas and New Year to take advantage of the lower prices as well as the festivities.
The verdict: fabulous. It’s a great retreat for families and couples alike.
The contemporary with traditional design gives a lovely open, unstuffy feel so that you and the children are immediately relaxed as soon as you walk in. It’s also only at Junction 19 of the M25, so anyone arriving from London is going to love the short journey to this wonderful retreat.
Bedrooms: The luxury hotel is split into two distinct parts - the original mansion and the new wing. Our deluxe room in the west wing accommodated a family of four very comfortably and had a balcony that overlooked the gardens. All rooms have large flat screen plasma TVs and the deluxe bathrooms have separate power showers and free standing baths. Our children also enjoyed the extra touch of milk and cookies in our room every evening. The only negative is that wardrobe and storage space could have been better, especially for families.
Restaurants: The luxury hotel has three restaurants, from the à la carte Colette’s, to the chic Glasshouse serving buffet dinners - and The Stables, a relaxed and informal eatery with a bar serving wholesome food. We ate all our meals in either the Glasshouse or The Stables and couldn’t fault the food and service.
Leisure Activities: There was a whole programme of entertainment for guests staying over Christmas through to New Year, including Scaletrix, games rooms (with all the game consoles a child could wish for) and family Christmas games. The Grove also has two indoor pools - the largest is in the Spa and a smaller one for younger children in the Kids Club. In the summer, there is also an outdoor pool in the lovely Walled Garden, which also unexpectedly houses a beach.
As a luxury family friendly hotel, there really is something for everyone. Golfers will love the fact that Tiger Woods has played at The Grove’s golf course. We swam every day in the Spa, borrowed bikes to explore the grounds, played tennis, snooker, table tennis, chess in the garden, board games in the lounges and turned up for football on the playing field (unfortunately the ground had frozen solid!).
Service: Even during a four night stay, there will always been something in your room that needs attention, but we never had to wait long to have anything seen to. From the valet parking, to reception and guest services, I was impressed by the friendliness and attentiveness of all the staff.
The Grove Hotel gave us top quality family time after a hectic Christmas. It’s undeniably a luxury hotel and the rates and restaurant prices reflect this. All our leisure activities were included, however, and comparing a four night stay to a week abroad (our original plan), you really do feel as if you’ve been away for a week - without the added stress of travelling.
If you’ve stayed at The Grove or been to similar hotels, please do let readers know and post a comment.
Filed under: Destinations, Hotels, Reviews: Hotels, Places to Eat, Destinations, UK & Ireland | family friendly travel, family travel ideas, help with planning holidays, holiday research, luxury family friendly hotel, luxury hotel hertfordshire, the grove resort hotel hertfordshire, Your Travel Planner|1 Comment
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Very private cottage about 2 miles from the beach. 40% discount for week commencing 12th February. Was £699, now £419.
