Archive for 2010

UK Bank holiday ideas

Monday, August 16th, 2010

As we’ve got a bank holiday coming up at the end of the month we thought we’d take a look at some of the great weekend events taking place up and down the UK.

The annual Cardiff Festival has already opened its doors this year, but the closing weekend promises a host of fun activities from the worlds of music, theatre and comedy. You can check out stage productions of Calendar Girls and The Wind in the Willows until the closing weekend, but if you fancy something in the open air, you might like to make your way down the inner harbour. The Cardiff Harbour Festival runs from 28-30 August and features all the tall ships, sea shanties and maritime activities you could wish for.

Literary lovers will be delighted with the Edinburgh Book Festival, which runs until Monday 30 August. If you’re an aspiring writer there are talks, and workshops designed to help you get published. If you’re a book lover there are plenty of public readings, signings and lectures from top authors. There are also plenty of family events taking place over the weekend and lots of book sales. With 700 writers taking part in 750 events over the course of the festival it really is a highlight on the literary calendar and not to be missed if you’re on a holiday in the region. Also, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo will be running until 28 August.

Music festivals often dominate the August bank holiday weekend and 2010 is no exception. Along with the big guns: Reading and Leeds, there are smaller, more niche festivals that promise a bit more personality. The Limetree Festival in North Yorkshire is one such event, promising 3 days of music and arts from Friday 28 August. As an anti-corporate event, don’t expect a commercial line-up but there are still a few recognisable names performing and definitely a wealth of talent.

The Herne Bay Festival in Kent is one of the UK’s biggest summer festivals. From Saturday 21-29 August the seafront will be awash with live music, performances and events. But don’t feel you have to just be a spectator; participation is as much a part of the festival as being a wallflower. So why not try Herne Bay’s Got Talent, the intriguing Gumboot Dance Workshop, a skipping workshop, family trail and much more.

Other seaside events include the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta. The event promises 15 boating events featuring all kinds of vessels – from dinghies to yachts. There will also be rowing races, a display from the Red Arrows and even a tennis event. What more could you ask for? The Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta takes place from the 26-28 August.

Back on dry land, food lovers are advised to visit the Aberdeen Country Fair, taking place on 28 August. Taking place (and taking over!) the city centre will be a range of quality home-grown and handcrafted products, including ‘Aberdeen Angus beef, fish landed at Aberdeen and Peterhead harbours, local fruit and vegetables, baking, cheeses, confectionary, Scottish whisky, wines and handmade crafts’. Phew! Sounds like enough to keep you going. Though be warned, the fair is immensely popular, attracting up to 30,000 people!

Culture lovers are equally well served by the bank holiday weekend. Cambridge Shakespeare Festival runs until 28 August with several open-air performances taking place all month. Enjoy a picnic in idyllic surroundings before exploring the city after dark. The Bard’s very own Anthony and Cleopatra will be performed by the RSC in Stratford upon Avon until 28 August, and to help get you in the mood, from 28-30 August, there will be a Tudor fair and market taking place at Mary Arden’s Farm in the town.

We think that’s enough to keep you going over the bank holiday weekend. As always you can search cheap holiday cottages on easycottages.com and if you have your own suggestions, please leave them in the comments section below.

Posted in England, Scotland |

Pet friendly locations

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

The news that Lufthansa airlines was opening a first class airport lounge for pets raised a few eyebrows this week, even among the most dedicated of animal lovers. But as many of the easycottages.com team are keen on holidaying with their four-legged friends, we can understand the appeal of making sure their holiday is as relaxing and enjoyable as possible.

When it comes to international travel, pets have traditionally been given the kind of treatment that even certain low-cost airlines might think twice about putting their passengers through. So to offer a more comfortable option seems sensible (though even we’d have to draw the line at champagne-bars and massage chairs!)

While airlines are starting to understand the importance of keeping travelling pets happy there is already a wealth of holiday options to keep every member of a family happy and entertained. Below we list some dream destinations for you and your pooches to have a fantastic break.

We’ve also added a link to easycottages.com where we feature a range of pet friendly self-catering holiday cottages.

The New Forest is a fantastic holiday location, offering plenty of beautiful working landscape to explore and relax in. One such benefit of the varied landscape is a huge variety of walking opportunities. From rolling green hills to rivers and the forest itself, there are plenty of ways for everyone to explore and have a great time.

Search cheap pet friendly accommodation in the New Forest on easycottages.com.

Equally varied, but with a continental twist, the wild coastline of Brittany offers incredible seascapes and open beaches for dogs and humans to roam and enjoy. Further inland you’ll find delightful nature trails and waterways to explore. More practically, Brittany is one of the most accessible parts of France so your four-legged friend won’t be waiting too long to be let off the lead.

Search cheap pet friendly accommodation in Brittany on easycottages.com.

Northumberland is one of northern England’s best-kept secrets and as such is one of the few regions that can be truly called unspoiled. With miles of wild rural landscape, including beaches, lakes and fields, the ‘Land of the Far Horizons’ offers a fantastic and varied location for you and your dog to explore. Country Walking Magazine also calls it ‘the best place for walking in the country’ and who are we to argue?

Search cheap pet friendly accommodation in Northumberland on easycottages.com.

If your dog is a little more urbane you might prefer the bright lights, fine dining and high culture offered by Paris. Many bars and restaurants welcome dogs with a much-needed bowl of water. Furthermore both the Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne parks on the outskirts of the city allow dogs off the lead. If you are planning a pet trip to Paris just make sure you bring plastic bags – there’s a rather large fine for unwelcome surprises left on the pavements!

Search cheap pet friendly accommodation in Paris on easycottages.com.

Posted in England, France |

UNESCO World Heritage Nominees

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport recently revealed 38 sites in Britain that have been provisionally nominated to apply for Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage status. The sites, located all over the UK, include some of the most naturally stunning and culturally important areas that the country has to offer.

Whether the judges are swayed by Isambard Brunel’s wonder of Victorian Industry: the Great Western Railway, the more natural charms of Creswell Crags, or the technological wonder that is Jodrell Bank Observatory, we’re sure they will have their hands full choosing.

But while they scratch their heads, there’s probably no better time to beat the crowds and experience some of the UK locations that offer a world-class experience, whether they receive UNESCO endorsement or not. Below we list seven nominees that are well worth investigating on a holiday cottage break.

The Dover Strait – Not every UNESCO nominee allows you to feel the ground beneath your feet. The Dover Strait covers the narrowest part of the English channel and runs from the stunning white cliffs of Dover to the equivalent, Cap Blanc Nez in Calais. On a clear day you can stand on the majestic cliffs on either side and see over the blue waters to the other country. It’s an incredible experience, a beautiful landscape and well worthy of UNESCO status.

Norfolk and Suffolk Broads – Already protected by the Broads Authority, who recognise its beauty and importance to UK tourism, the Broads are made up of 200 kilometres of navigable waterways, comprised of 7 different rivers. Although it was widely considered a natural feature it has subsequently been proven that they were the result of man-made peat excavations. Of course none of that really matters when you’re relaxing on a boat soaking up the beautiful scenery.

Creswell Crags – Home of Britain’s first discovered cave paintings, this limestone gorge in Nottinghamshire contains a network of caves that provided shelter to our ancestors during the last ice age. Remnants of their occupation are on display to visitors taking a guided tour of the caves, so you’ll be able to experience something like life in ancient times (in short: it’s a nice place to visit but a holiday cottage is far more confortable!)

The Lake District – If an area of the UK needs little introduction, it’s the Lakes. Already immortalised through the writings of Wordsworth and the Lakes poets, the green hills, lofty crags and deep bodies of water provide a visually stunning holiday destination and an equally varied range of activities. Of course there’s the equally welcome option to just relax and enjoy the views (and the local food!).

St Andrews – This historic town in Scotland is probably most famous for its golfing tournaments but move beyond the rolling green expanses and their Pringle-clad occupants and you’ll also find a lovely – and unspoiled – medieval town with a whole range of attractions, including a botanic garden, sandy beach and several wildlife attractions.

Brunel’s Great Western Railway – Few opportunities to learn about Britain’s industrial heritage provide as much interest, relaxation and enjoyment as an exploration of Brunel’s Great Western Railway. The GWR revolutionised UK domestic tourism with its mainline and associated lines leading to the South-West. And even though the original broad gauge tracks have been replaced, a railway break in the region still offers the spectacular views that have become synonymous with “God’s Wonderful Railway”.

Merthyr Tydfil – ‘Martyr Tudful’ in Wales once stood as a centre of iron production during the industrial revolution. And although the region used to be far from welcoming to visitors looking for peace and tranquility, reclamation soon brought the green back to the valleys. Easily accessible, the region provides a number of fantastic charms nearby, including the fantastic Brecon Beacons. Why not arrive in style on the Brecon Mountain Railway?

We feature a wide range of great value holiday cottages around the UK (some located within UNESCO World Heritage nominated areas). Please visit easycottages.com to search our listed accommodation.

Posted in England, Scotland, Wales |

On Location – Wales

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

It’s testament to the beauty of the rolling hills, green valleys and rugged peaks of Wales that it always seems to be close to filmmakers’ minds when looking for a stunning natural landscape to capture on film.

The recent Robin Hood is a perfect case in point. When looking for a spectacular beach that would form the backdrop to the film’s climax, they headed to Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire. And when not playing host to French invaders the golden dunes were recently captured on film for the climax of the final Harry Potter film. If you want to beat the crowds of muggles it might be an idea to visit before the film’s release in 2011.

Snowdonia’s hills and peaks already give an otherworldly quality, so it’s perhaps of no surprise that it has been featured so prominently in many fantasy films. The slate quarry at Dinorwig, for example, recently featured in the Clash of the Titans remake and makes for an equally unique day trip on a Wales cottage break. Thankfully the Gorgon’s left with the production crew, so the only surprise you might find is the National Slate Museum.

Equally outlandish, Snowdonia’s grey-green hills have doubled for the wilds of China twice; once in the Ingrid Bergman starring Inn of the 6^th Happiness and in as the scene of a remote mountain village in the Angelina Jolie starring Tomb Raider 2. The region also doubled for the Khyber in one of the Carry On films, though no prizes for guessing which one!

While some regions are dressed to suit the needs of the filmmakers, others influence the look and style of the productions to such an extent that they practically become characters themselves.

Portmeirion is one such example. As the location of Number 6’s imprisonment in the cult-classic The Prisoner, the village’s Mediterranean inspired design added to the series’ mystery and the overall feeling of strangeness. Thankfully, visitors are far more welcome in real-life and should face no problems when it’s time to leave (so no giant white balloon chases!)

If you fancy taking a tour of Welsh filming locations you can search our listed cheap holiday cottages in Wales on easycottages.com.

Got your own suggestions? Feel free to leave a message in the comments.

Posted in Wales |

(Other) summer sporting events

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Now that the England team are back from their holiday in South Africa there’s possibly a sports-shaped window in your social calendar. So what better time to become an instant expert on some of the other athletic events taking place in the not too distant future?

In this post we’re going to look at some of the other sporting events taking place around the UK in the next few months, with no mention of that sport that involves a round inflatable thing being kicked about. Promise.

Formula 1 makes its annual visit to Silverstone in Northamptonshire from 9-11 July. Cheer reigning champ, Jensen Button and current leader Lewis Hamilton as they take part in practice and qualification on Friday and Saturday before the main event on the Sunday.

Tickets are fairly pricey, but there’s a packed schedule of events across the three days so you don’t need to be on a national team manager’s salary to justify your purchase.

Search cheap holiday cottages in Northamptonshire on easycottages.com.

No sport signifies summer better than tennis. Unfortunately in recent years summer, and tennis, have both been dominated by weather stopping play. But with a good chance of great weather this summer you’re likely to get your money’s worth. And with a machine that tells you when the ball’s over the line, what could go wrong?

Wimbledon finishes soon but with the David Cup playoffs, the Tunbridge Wells Lawn Tennis Tournament, the ITF South of England Championship and several veterans’ tournaments taking place over the summer so there should be plenty of choice for new and seasoned tennis fans.

Search cheap holiday cottages in the UK on easycottages.com.

Equally suited for a warm summer The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot is noted for being Britain’s most prestigious open-age flat race. If that doesn’t mean anything to you then basically the event is horse racing with a huge £1,000,000 prize on offer to the winner.

As you might expect the event is a fairly classy affair (think cocktails, hats and ties) so expect soothing live jazz instead of the sound of a swarm of angry wasps emanating from a large plastic horn.

Search cheap holiday cottages in Berkshire on easycottages.com.

The London Double header raises the curtain on the Premiership rugby season with four London teams competing at Twickenham stadium on 4 September. Tickets are reasonably priced and many fans go for the great family friendly atmosphere despite not necessarily supporting the competing teams.

Search cheap holiday cottages in London on easycottages.com.

While their team have been left wanting at a certain other ball based team sport, English cricket fans have been having a great summer, winning the 5 match series against the Australians and even a World Cup (not THAT one, obviously). Throughout August they’ll be taking on Pakistan in the third and fourth tests at The Oval and Lords respectively.

Even if you’re not familiar with a ‘drive’ or ‘bumper’ outside of a car, you’re sure to enjoy the atmosphere of both tournaments. And there’s even a chance that England might win!

Posted in England, Scotland, Wales |