Monthly Archives: September 2012

Apartments, Cornwall, Cottage Break, Country Cottages, Devon, Dorset, East Devon, Family Cottages, Holiday Cottages, Holidays, News, October Breaks, Self Catering, Short Break, South Devon, South East England, South of England, South West England, Special Offers, Travel, Wales, Weekend Breaks

Luxury Cottages and Apartments in South West England, Isle of Wight and Wales with Blue Chip Holidays 0844 704 4966. Save 15% in October

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Blue Chip Holidays 0844 704 4966If you are looking for a fantastic luxury break in October then you should check out our selection of holiday accommodation in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, the Isle of Wight and Wales.

In association with travel partners Blue Chip Holidays you can choose from traditional cottages to luxury town houses, or how about converted Victorian villas and modern apartments.  Characterised by luxury fittings, sea, river or countryside views, en-suite bathrooms and excellent locations, it will come as no surprise that most of this self catering accommodation is 4 star or 5 star.

If you are not sure where to head take a look at our luxury holiday selection for some great ideas and then you can check availability and book online.  If you are looking for something last-minute simply call for the latest availability and some great last-minute deals on 0844 704 4966.

What’s even better news is that Blue Chip are currently offering 15% off selected October holidays, call to find out more.

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Autumn Breaks, Coastal Holidays, Discount Codes, East of England, England, Family Cottages, Group Accommodation, Half Term Holidays, Holiday Cottages, Holidays, Internet Access, News, October Breaks, October Half-Term Breaks, Self Catering, Short Break, Southwold, Special Offers, Suffolk

Save £75 on a Southwold Cottage Break in October 2012

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Southwold is on the Suffolk Coast, one of the most unspoilt coastlines in the country, and a hugely popular cottage holiday destination.

Considered a genteel seaside resort without the tacky nature of so many seaside towns, it has a lovely sandy beach, open heathland and a lovely harbour.  Although sedate the town does have a pier, you can take boat rides and enjoy fish and chips.  Also in town is the popular Suffolk brewer, Adnams.

In the holiday season Southwold and the surrounding area can be very busy and so if you want to explore this beautiful area in relative peace and relaxation it is well worth heading there later in the year.

The Saltings, Southwold, SuffolkThere are some great offers and availability on self catering holiday accommodation in October, especially with the October half term approaching, and we particularly like a holiday cottage saving of £75 on a weeks stay at The Saltings in Southwold.

The Saltings, sleeps 5 and has 3 bedrooms, is ideally situated next to the beach with lovely views of the Denes and the River Blyth. It has been transformed by the addition of a conservatory and decking at the rear which make the most of the evening sun and stunning views. All on one level, the property is light and homely, has easy access to the town and is only a short walk from the beach.  Ideal for families, it also caters for young children with the provision of cots and high chairs if required.  Pets are also allowed.  Broadband Internet is also available.

The £75 off Special Offer is due to a last-minute cancellation and it’s available from 19th to 22nd October with a £75 discount. Use the link above to see more information about the cottage break and a link to check availability, confirm prices and book online.

 

Apartments, Autumn Breaks, Cottage Break, Family Cottages, Half Term Holidays, Holiday Cottages, Holidays, News, November Breaks, October Breaks, Scotland, September Breaks, Short Break, Travel, Wales, Weekend Breaks

Winter weather, check out some holiday cottages with Wood Fires

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Cottages with Open Fires and Woodburning StovesOh my, the weather in the UK would appear to have bypassed Autumn and gone straight to Winter in the last few days.

As I look out of my window I can see horizontal rain, trees bending over in the gale and lake sized puddles… not quite the start to Autumn I was hoping for.  But never mind, I am sure it will pass soon 🙂

In the meantime, I think now is a good time to check out some holiday cottages and lodges that have open wood fires to curl up in front of or maybe a wood burning stove to keep the chill off.  We have a super selection of self catering accommodation with open fires across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and so there’s no excuse not to get away.  Check out cottages and apartments with open fires or wood burning stoves.

Although the weather is cooler, and damper, there is still lots to do and see across the UK and Ireland – so don’t let the weather put you off, just remember to bring your wellies if you are heading in the countryside!

Cotswolds Breaks, Cottage Break, England, Family Cottages, Gloucestershire, Holiday Cottages, News, November Breaks, October Breaks, Oxfordshire, Self Catering, September Breaks, Short Break, Walking Holidays, Weekend Breaks

Perfect time for a Short Break in the Cotswolds, Cotswolds Holiday Cottages

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Short Breaks in the CotswoldsThe Cotswolds are one of the UK’s premier holiday locations, attracting some 38 million day visits each year.

The problem with being so popular however is that during the summer all that is wonderful about the Cotswolds, including the pretty villages and beautiful countryside, become a little over-run with tourists and traffic.

So if you are wanting to see the Cotswolds at its best, it’s well worth heading there now, as the tourists have headed back to their working lives. Suddenly you can enjoy the winding lanes, meandering rivers and honey coloured villages in relative peace and quiet.

The Cotswolds are situated in south-west and western England, with a range of hills mainly in the counties of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, although they do extend to include parts of Wiltshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Somerset.  It is the biggest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales (790 square miles of it).

Much of its appeal is that a visit to many of the Cotswolds villages is like a step back in time to what England was like before the Industrial Revolution impacted the rest of the country…. postcard pretty village dot the gentle rolling countryside.

The best way to see this beautiful area is on foot, walking the Cotswold Way is a delight, or by bike on those adorable country lanes.

It is perfect for a weekend break, short break or a holiday and particularly through the rest of September and October when the tourism is quiet but the weather is still bright and pleasant.  If you are planning to visit the Cotswolds, what could be better than your own stone cottage with a roaring log fire at the end of the day?  We have put together a list of some super Cotswold Cottages which are perfect for a self catering break.

By the time we had put the list together, we were so won over by the idea, that we booked one for ourselves… can’t wait 🙂

Apartments, Autumn Breaks, Cottage Break, Holiday Cottages, News, Norfolk, Self Catering, Short Break, Weekend Breaks

Official…It’s Now Autumn in Britain and Ireland

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Autumn holidays in the UK and irelandThis Saturday marks the official start of Autumn in Great Britain, marking the end of the summer and the start of the slow transition to winter.

Now although the passing of the summer is a little sad, it should be remembered that the Autumn in the UK is a fairly magical time of vibrant colours in the countryside, blue skies and crisp fresh air. And although we often feel short-changed by the lack of a hot summer it has to be said that we quite often get lucky with a bright and warm Autumn to make up for it.

It’s an excellent time to holiday or take a short break in Britain because the main tourist season is over, which pretty much guarantees you a more relaxing and peaceful time to explore the villages, towns, countryside and coast.

Of course, as there are less tourists at this time of year accommodation prices and availability are also considerably more pleasant, so you can holiday for longer for less.  Perfect 🙂  Here is a list of some excellent self catering cottages, apartments and holiday flats for an Autumn break in the UK and Ireland.

And, don’t forget if you are looking for a bargain this Autumn check out our extra discount for holiday cottages in Norfolk.

Days Out, Family Days Out, London, Restaurant

Our Guilty Eating Pleasure… Ed’s Easy Diner at the Trocadero, near Leicester Square, London

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Ok, we admit it, we are partial to a burger, fries and a shake.

Ed's Easy DinerSo when we had an afternoon in London recently and in need of something to eat we had no choice but to head straight to our guilty pleasure, Ed’s Easy Diner near Leicester Square.  (There are other Ed’s Diners around the country, but we think this one is the best.)

While some places can do good burgers and fries, fw can match an Ed’s Strawberry Malt Shake, pure heaven in a glass.

And, given that my previous post was about how dodgy holiday reviews can be, let me assure you that we have not had so much as discount/tweet/Facebook like or cash incentive for this feedback, we just genuinely love the place – although if any Ed’s Easy Diner managers want to bribe us for future posts get in touch 🙂

You can check out their website but its much better to drink the strawberry malt.

That’s my guilty eating pleasure, what’s yours?

Holiday Junkie, Holiday Reviews, News

Is a Holiday Review all its Cracked up To Be? Is there a Future for Holiday Reviews?

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We love our holidays and travels and so we spend a lot of time reading and writing about them, but we always struggle with the true value of a ‘Holiday Review’.

Holiday Reviews, are they any use?In fact, in recent years the publishing and reading of reviews has become problematic for readers as well as website and blog owners.

So what’s the issues involved, here’s our take on the issues:

For Holiday Review Readers

Whether you are planning to book a holiday or have just booked one we all like to check out what others have said about it, whether to confirm a decision or to help us make one. Holiday reviews are great for getting someone else’s perspective – rather than a glossy brochure – but you need to consider a few things:

  • Are they genuine?  In recent months even authors have been caught out writing their own book reviews on Amazon, so how can we trust that a positive holiday review is not written by a holiday operator or a negative review is not written by a competitor.
  • In our experience people own right Reviews when they have got a particular issue on their mind?  This tends to mean you get reviews that are at the extreme ends of customer experiences (either really good or really bad) which can distort your view of the holiday.
  • Differing expectations. When someone reviews a holiday it is against their perception of what they expected to get for the money they paid.  Of course, we all have very different expectations of a holiday and so what one person may consider 5 Star luxury another might consider basic.

For Blog Owners

If you are trying to incorporate meaningful reviews in a website or blog you are confronted with these issues as well.

  • How do you know they are genuine?
  • Are they legitimate grievances, complaints or compliments? How can you vet them effectively?
  • How can you give ensure that they are reflective of the holiday experience?
  • With numbers of people doing reviews being relatively low, and often those with an issue, how can you get a fair rating?

And, increasingly, we are faced with the issue if I publish a negative review could I be sued by the holiday operator or owner for the comments made even if there is a disclaimer saying it does not represent our views… an issue even Trip Advisor is trying to come to terms with.

So where does that leave Holiday Reviews?

It’s safe to say that life is not all rosy in Holiday Review world.

For me, reviews must now be treated with a certain skepticism but that doesn’t mean they are still not useful especially non-subjective comments such as when they provide ideas for things to do in an area.  In terms of web publishing of reviews on our Find Cottage Holidays website we currently use holiday operator feedback where they have an established and ‘independent’ process for collecting reviews and encourage feedback from users via our Facebook pages.  We publish comments good and bad as long as we feel they are honest and balanced in nature.

But what do you think?

Author:  Stuart @ Find Cottage Holidays

Cottage Break, Country Cottages, Family Cottages, Half Term Holidays, Holiday Cottages, Holidays, October Breaks, October Half-Term Breaks, School Holidays, Self Catering, Short Break

October Half Term Holiday Cottage Breaks

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Today’s blue skies have made me all hopeful that the October half term break could be a relatively warm and fun school holiday this year.

October Half Terms BreaksI have to admit that I love the October half term as it is usually the last good chance to spend a short break outside in the fresh air in the UK and Ireland before the colder weather arrives.  It’s also a holiday that’s filled with happy memories of carving pumpkins outside with my children ready for Halloween fun and games.

Although this break can be chilly later in the day, there is usually plenty of sunshine that means you can make good use of the day.  If you are doing pumpkin carving though, do it earlier in the day, one year I did it later in the day and my fingers had gone numb with cold by the time we had finished!

There are lots of great places to stay on a half term break but with the nights becoming cooler a cosy holiday cottage is ideal.  There are plenty of good family sized self catering holiday cottages and at this time of year there is quite good availability.  If you are looking for some inspiration we have put together a list of great family cottages ideal for the half term break.

Of course if you are looking for something a little cheaper or something with lots of kids activities lined up for the school half-term then it is well worth considering a holiday park.  The accommodation is heated and cosy and perfect for a family sized group.  You will find many of the holiday parks will have an entertainment programme for the Half Term holiday which will keep your children occupied.

Attractions, Cycling Holidays, Days Out, Family Days Out, Holiday Attractions, Holidays, Kids Days Out, News, September Breaks, Sporting Events, Travel

What’s on this Weekend: 15th 16th September

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Where is the time going, we are all ready approaching mid September?  It only feels like yesterday we got back from our summer holidays and yet we are about to head into the second half of the month. 

Well time is certainly running out to make the most of the mild weather and the number of major outdoor events and attractions is definitely dropping, so here are some things to look out for this weekend (15th & 16th September 2012).  If you are going out for the weekend why not tell us where by adding a comment below.

This is one of the last weekends of country and county shows in the UK and Ireland so it’s one of your last chances to get out and enjoy a fun family day out. Here are some to check out:

The cycling Tour of Britain concludes this weekend with stages from Barnstaple to Dartmouth and the concluding stage in the Guildford area.

Of course many of the UK’s holiday attractions are still open, check out our attraction list. In addition, many of the lovely British and Irish Gardens are still open to the public so if you want to see the last of the summer planting before Autumn sets in and changes the colours and views make a bee line to them this weekend.

So what are you doing, what else should be on our list?

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County Show, Cumbria, Days Out, England, Events, Family Days Out, Holiday Attractions, Kids Days Out, News, North West England, September Breaks, Travel

Westmorland County Agricultural Show on Today

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Today is the 213th Westmorland County Show until 5.30pm. The Westmorland County Show is one of the largest one day Shows in the Country and certainly one of the oldest, given that the Society was founded in 1799.  In fact, it was voted by the Farmers Guardian readers as the 5th top Show and the only one-day show in the top 12!

It also attracts over 30,000 people to see the major livestock Show, with its heart firmly in agriculture. Sections include cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, heavy horses, alpacas, dogs and poultry, as well as marquees for The Women’s Institute, Learning for Life, Crafts from Cumbria, local produce Food Hall, Rural Crafts and over 350 trade stands. Not forgetting the very popular Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling. A colourful event, with many competitors competing in traditional costumes.

So if you are in Cumbria and have some hours free then head over to the Show ground.  See more details about Westmorland Show