| Home or Away... Holiday in the UK? |
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 Tourist experts are predicting a good year for tourism in the UK, as the weak pound and fears of job cuts keep people at home. Travel agents are reporting a significant drop in sales of foreign holidays compared with last summer and, at the same time, a surge of requests for information about trips closer to home.As well as the exchange rate to consider, you can start paying for unforeseen expenses even before you’ve started packing. For instance, has everyone in your group got current passports? Even if you have a few years to run on your passport, if it’s the first time you’ve taken the kids abroad or their passport is over 5 years old they will need new passports – and at approx £46 for a child’s passport or an eye watering £94 for a ‘speedy’ passport, it can work out more expensive than the cost of the ticket on a budget airline! Another consideration when traveling abroad is the length of time we have to be at the airport for the all important security checks. This can make your 2 hour flight to Spain seem like a version of a Harold Pinter play, where nothing much happens, nothing much makes sense and you’re glued to your seat for 3 hours, desperate to be on your way! So, why not take the time to discover a place with beautiful beaches, fantastic landscape and ancient and extraordinary sights? Yes, I am talking about the UK! The one thing we can’t guarantee in the UK is the weather, so look for a holiday destination that has more to offer than just a great beach. The beauty of a holiday in Scotland is the fantastic mix of historic sites, beautiful beaches and modern ‘hands on’ activities for the whole family. If you go in August, be sure to visit Edinburgh. The Castle, standing majestically over the town, houses the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels) and the Stone of Destiny, taken from the Scots in 1296 and not returned until 1996. In August, Edinburgh also becomes home to the Edinburgh Festival, which has loads of kid’s events, including theatre, magic shows plus hundreds of street entertainers. Top this all off with a wealth of award winning beaches and a round of golf on one of the world famous links courses (Royal Troon is only 20 minutes from Prestwick Airport) and Scotland could become the new Costa. More details of Scotland’s current blue flag beaches can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.com. For details on golf courses visit www.scotlands-golfcourses.com. The Scottish tourist board website has lots of interesting information and details of places to stay, together with touring intineries. Visit www.visitscotland.com Both Gordon Brown and David Cameron chose to stay in England last year for their family holidays, helping promote tourism in England. David Cameron’s choice of Cornwall confirmed its place as one of the UK’s top destinations and with the highest rate of second home ownership in the UK; you are unlikely to be short of places to stay if you were to follow in his footsteps. Popular attractions like the Eden Project, the Blue Reef Aquarium, Tintagel and the Tate Gallery, St Ives can ensure that the whole family will be entertained. 20 years ago, if you wanted a fine dining experience, you had to come to London but now chefs as famous as Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein and former protégées of Gordon Ramsey, have revamped traditional seaside fare in the South West and made it truly metropolitan. Visit www.visitcornwall.com for ideas and details of other attractions in the area. If, like Gordon Brown, you don’t want to go too far from home, check out the Suffolk coast and discover the quaint seaside towns of Southwold and Aldburgh. Southwold was recently named the most quintessential British seaside town and it really is ‘picture postcard’ pretty. A lovely beach, with the obligatory pastel painted beach huts that line the promenade and the town centre has a working lighthouse. If you want to show the kids where they’ll be going, tune in to the new Cbeebies series ‘Grandpa in my Pocket’ filmed on the Suffolk coast. On an overcast day, spend some time at Framlington Castle, a magnificent example of a 12th century castle which has a long and interesting history as a stronghold, prison and a poorhouse. If you are a family of adrenaline junkies and historic castles just don’t do it for you, take a trip to the Pleasurewood Theme Park at Lowestoft where there is non-stop family entertainment from delightful shows to full on rides for thrill seekers. Visit www.suffolktouristguide.com for more details Travel Tip If you are counting the pennies, check out your supermarket loyalty cards before you go on holiday. You can use your points at the checkout to reduce your food bill but they are worth much more if you redeem them against days out. A lot of the attractions mentioned here offer free or ‘2 for 1’ entry with points or vouchers. For some you just swipe the card at the attraction but others will need to be booked in advance, so check before you go. There are many, many beautiful places to visit in the UK and, unfortunately, I don’t have the space to mention all of them. Speak to friends who travel in the UK for ideas or, visit the truly excellent www.enjoyengland.com. This website has ideas for every type of holiday from boating, heritage, activity, beach and trips to the stunning scenery of England’s National Parks. It even has a ‘priceless’ section, which gives details of free attractions in the area you are visiting. www.visitwales.co.uk has a website featuring Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert who challenges typical notions of holidays in the UK. Offers of activity and adventure holidays are listed together with all the history and scenery you would expect from Wales. I think its fair to say that holidays in the UK have come a long, long way from the trips we took as kids to dreary B and B’s or, musty caravans; to sample fish and chips and an ice cream in an equally dreary seaside café. With theme parks, adventure breaks, Michelin star restaurants, excellent holiday parks (offering water parks) and entertainment together with ‘chain’ hotels offering good value accommodation, why not make the most of the UK? |
