Monthly Archives: January 2010

Artefacts on Islands – Wight’s History

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A popular activity among tourists visiting any destination is exploring the history of the place, but some areas can offer a lot more with regards to this than others. For instance, those who are visiting the Isle of Wight for an Isle of Wight holiday in the near future will no doubt be astounded to find out that very recently (the end of December last year) a three thousand year old bronze dagger was found in a field on the western side of the Island.

It’s never been contested knowledge that the Isle of Wight has been inhabited throughout most of the period in which humans have lived in Western Europe, and so this find is not interesting because it brings new evidence to light; it is interesting because the dagger was then donated by the man who found it (using a metal detector) and the owner of the land it was found on to the Isle of Wight Council’s Museum of Island History.

This means that anybody visiting the island can see this spectacular find for themselves, and the amount of people coming to see it should prove a boon to Isle of Wight hotels. Archaeological finds and artefacts have always been a draw to tourists. Think of the pyramids in Egypt or the Great Library of Alexandria. The Isle of Wight may just have found their own big draw to match these two.

Bath at Valentines

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valentines

I can think of nothing better than being whisked off to the beautiful city of Bath, Somerset for a romantic holiday in Bath and with Valentines Day on the horizon I have a small glimmer of hope that it may happen. Set at the bottom of the Avon Valley and close to the southern edge of the Cotswold’s, it is an idyllic location steeped in history, culture and beauty. The distinctive 18th Century Georgian architecture making up the city adds a feel of mythical greatness and elegance and people unsurprisingly travel far and wide to walk in the footsteps of Jane Austen, visit Bath Abbey, marvel at the excavated Roman baths and shop in the uber trendy boutiques.

Bath has become one of the most alluring small cities in Europe, blissfully unspoilt, it has come to represent the quintessence of rural England with the rolling uplands of the Cotswold’s framing it and the lively, bustling streets comprising it. The City has been immortalised in countless books, paintings and films and is deservedly popular with tourists but despite this has managed to maintain its authenticity and preserve its history.

There are an assortment of hotels, restaurants and things to do in Bath for all budgets and tastes but for the best deals and quieter periods it is best to book a mid week break in Bath. If I have any chance of being whisked off my feet this Valentines I may have to start dropping some fairly obvious hints, especially as the question I had posed to me the other day was ‘Are we doing Valentines this year?’ you can imagine my response.

The delightful cuisines of Yorkshire

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yorkshire pudding

If you’re a bit of a foodie and enjoy nothing more than tasting foods from around the world, then booking yourself into a North Yorkshire Hotel and whiling away the days tasting the cuisines of Yorkshire probably isn’t on your radar. However, Yorkshire has a long history of foods associated with it. Let’s take the most obvious: Yorkshire pudding. Who doesn’t have a Yorkshire pudding with their roast beef? Or chicken? Or any meal that involves gravy? The Yorkshire pudding is a staple of the famous British Sunday Lunch and dates all the way back to 1737.

Another widely known food that originates from Yorkshire and is still manufactured and dispatched from the area today is Wensleydale Cheese. Wensleydale Creamery has been handcrafting cheese for more than 100 years to the time honoured traditional recipes. The business of making the cheese has had its ups and downs over the years but was greatly boosted in the 1990′s by a certain Yorkshire man called Wallace, a cheese enthusiast whose favourite cheese is the now famous Wensleydale. “Gromit, that’s it! Cheese! We’ll go somewhere where there’s cheese!”, “No cheese, Gromit. Not a bit in the house.”, “Get off me cheese! GET OFF!”

Other foods associated with the county are Curd tart, along with Parkin, a sweet ginger cake, the beverage ginger beer, Liquorice Sweet and of course the many chocolate factories that have played a prominent role in the confectionary industry: Rowntree’s, Terry’s and Thornton’s. Now, if this doesn’t make you book into North Yorkshire Accommodation and eat Yorkshire Pud and Wensleydale cheese all day then maybe knowing that Yorkshire has a beautiful scenic countryside, chic cities and over 800 attractions ranging from World Heritage sites to mining museums, ruined castles and abbeys along with serene gardens, interesting breweries, thrilling rides and industrial heritage will.

Scotland’s Unseen Attraction

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There are loads of reasons that people go to Scotland, but one that’s drawn people from all over the world again and again and again is the possibility of having a sighting of the Loch Ness Monster. Big game hunters, journalists, scientists and interested members of the public have all been amongst those to engage in the hunt for Nessie.

The rumours started in 1933, when a holidaying couple, the Spicers, saw the head and neck of an animal waddling over the road ahead of them, carrying a dead animal in its mouth. They couldn’t see the body as it was obscured by the brow of a hill, but their letter in a newspaper about this encounter was the beginning of seventy seven years of sightings, investigations, explanations, scepticism and hoaxes. People still visit the loch during cottage holidays in Scotland, hoping to be the next Spicers.

Numerous sonar searches and investigations have taken place around the loch, and many sonar “sightings” of Nessie have been recorded, which strange six metre animals being detected moving around the depths. Odd sounds, similar to those used in echo location have also been recorded by sub-surface microphones.

Of course, the most famous sightings are those that have been recorded on film as either photos or videos, and if you want a chance of taking one of those, you don’t have to have a fancy submarine, a camera and a trip to one of the holiday cottages in Scotland.

Shopping in Bath

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Tourists travel far and wide to visit the historic and beautiful city of Bath. Located just over 100 miles west of London it is the ideal location to soak in some culture and explore the West Country with Stonehenge and the Cotswold’s close at hand. The city was built around the natural hot springs by the Romans and the remains continue to show many artifacts today. Along with the more famous tourist attractions in Bath, one of the best activities to do is shopping. Having a Short Breaks Bath is popular for people to enjoy a memorable experience with a fabulous selection of small shops and stylish boutiques alongside the familiar big name stores.

Bath is the perfect place to stroll around at your leisure in the compact and easily walkable grand Georgian streets and small picturesque passageways. There is a vast array of Accommodation in Bath to choose and once there you’ll get to plan your shopping trip soaking up Bath’s eclectic mix of shops. Find small independent book shops tucked away along quiet streets, local jewellery shops and independent retailers catering to every taste and budget, uncover cutting edge fashion in luxurious boutiques and pick up exclusive labels. Choose from an abundance of galleries including Victoria Art Gallery and Museum of East Asian Art. Many commercial galleries can be found offering contemporary visual arts along with changing exhibitions, talks and readings. Classic, Jazz and Rock music along with many other musical genres is catered for in Bath’s music shops and throughout the year Bath holds a number of music festivals, the most prestigious of which are the bath International Music Festival and the International Guitar Festival.

After a long day of shopping, pick from a wondrous variety of award winning restaurants, quaint tearooms and welcoming cosy pubs for an evening of fine wine and food. Bath is renowned for great hospitality, with all tastes catered for and British and International food in all prices ranges served in the city.

Visitors can expect Warm Welcome in Wales

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In a recent survey conducted by Visit Wales the overwhelming majority of visitors left Wales with a positive impression of the country. The survey discovered that the warm welcome given and the general and the friendliness of the Welsh people towards visitors during there stay was among some of the very best parts of a Welsh holiday.

Of those surveyed 86% said that they would recommend a trip to Wales to friend and family. 70% also said that they themselves would definitely return within the next few years.

Wales total score amongst visitors came out as a highly impressive 4.5 out of 5.

Out of the 5,601 people who took part in the survey 92% said their stay was either very good or excellent. The survey participants were made up of day trip visitors as well as those who stayed for short and long breaks.

Wales beautiful scenery came top of visitors best Welsh attractions. Its hardly surprising in a country who can boast snow capped mountains, golden beaches, lonely islands, wooded valley and wild moor land all within just a few hours of each other. Wales other top attraction included its historic sites such as its magical castles and grand stately homes.

When visiting Wales 45% of people preferred a short break compared to just a day trip or a long stay.

If you have yet to experience Wales for yourself why not consider taking a short break Wales and see for yourself just what this wonderful country and its people have to offer.

Bless My Ride

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Holidays often provide the opportunity to see outlandish events or practises. Millions of people travel around the world each year to see or take part in various festivals. Pamplona attracts people for its bull running, Rio de Janeiro isn’t alone in pulling in visitors for its Mardi Gras festival, the Lantern Festival in China gets a lot of attention, and even places as small as Mousehole see an influx of tourists to see their Christmas lights. But if you were on a family holiday in Cornwall on the 17th of January, you’d have been able to pop into a whole variety of churches and seen the ceremonies being performed for Plough Sunday.

Admittedly, this isn’t a service that is unique to Cornwall, but there aren’t many places that still have an actual plough brought in for the service. At Helston-St Keverne this year, though, the local Young Farmer’s Club did exactly that.

The plough was led up the aisle, much like a bride would be, and then the ceremony began. Through the various words that are exchanged back and forth, the farmer’s respect for God and hope for a bountiful harvest is established, and the plough is blessed by the priest. It’s similar to most other religious ceremonies, and bears a bizarre amount of similarity to a wedding, with the farmer who owns the plough responding back to questions asked by the priest.

If this sort of thing sounds right up your aisle, then it’s a shame you’ve missed it this year. There were plenty of cottages in Cornwall available that you could have stayed in. Still, there’s always next year, eh?

First Signs of Spring Hit the Peak District

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After the total freeze that most of Britain has seen over the last few weeks, which has included parts of the sea on the south coast freezing, and rivers icing over in some places, visitors and residents alike are being given a new hope. The ice and snow has been thawing and, though we’re definitely not out of the woods yet as far as winter is concerned, there is definitely a glimmer of spring in the distance.

The Peak District, and those living in Peak District cottages, have put up with some of the worst conditions, with temperatures reaching as low as 21 degrees Celsius in places. It’s no wonder that they’re some of the most relieved to see the thaw setting in, as schools and business all shut due to the freezing and treacherous conditions.

This is all good news to tourists too, as though the snow-covered landscape was definitely beautiful, the Peak District during the Spring is even better, as the picture accompanying this post shows. If you’re thinking of taking a Peak District holiday soon, then try to book a time when all of the new flowers have just emerged and you can safely forget about winter. Frozen rivers and seas can all be forgotten about as you look out the window of your warm cottage onto a landscape that’s bursting into life.

Of course, if you can wait a little longer you can enjoy the warm summer sunshine, but discussing the benefits of that is another post for another day.

Sussex Council’s New Year Resolution

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One of the councils in Sussex has joined everybody else around the UK by making a New Year’s resolution of their own. They want to help maintain the county’s reputation and beauty, which draws in tourists to stay in the various hotels in Sussex, or other holiday accommodation.

The way they want to do this is by reducing the carbon footprint of the county, meaning that the air is cleaner, the environment is better, and Sussex can continue to attract people to its lush greenery. They have a few ideas on how to do this, and most of them involve encouraging the people who live in Sussex to reduce their own carbon footprints. It won’t just be the environment that benefits though, many of the measures will be cost-savers too.

One suggestion is to walk or cycle to your destinations more often, and if it’s possible to do this to work or school, then that’s even better. This is definitely one of the measures that will save money as well. It’s also good exercise. When visiting Sussex, using your car less and your feet more will also help.

Using public transport to get where you’re going if it’s too far too walk is also an option that will reduce carbon output. This is another measure that applies to both visitors and residents.

Being aware of the small things you can do to significantly reduce your carbon footprint is a large part of the battle against climate change, and it will ensure that you can still visit an East Sussex hotel years from now and enjoy the beautiful countryside the area has to offer.

South West Pubs

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Pubs pubs pubs. Who doesn’t like going to a pub? Nobody! Who enjoys going to a pub? Everybody! Stopping in at a pub you’ve never been to and either having a quiet (or lively) drink is one of the joys of life. Even trying out the food, especially if it’s been recommended, can be great, and few places make a better stop off for a family lunch whilst on holiday than a pub.

Maybe it’s from spending a lot of time in Wales and Devon, especially near areas that tend to be popular areas for family holidays, but if you want to sample local food and learn about some of the attractions in the area, a pub can be a great place to call in at. Admittedly, some are grottier than others, and in most holiday destinations you’ll find extremes at both ends of the scale, but overall I have had good experiences in using them for the brief respite you get during a holiday.

The other advantage, of course, is that if you’re in one of the many places that serve real ale or source their drinks from local brewers, you’ll be able to sample some of what the locals produce. On a caravan holiday in Devon, this will almost definitely include cider.

Many pubs in rural areas also provide accommodation, which can be a blessing if you’re walking or cycling somewhere and it’s starting to get dark. Staying late in pubs will also mean you’re more likely to take part in some local atmosphere, as people unwind, relax and become more comfortable.