- Wildflower walk locations near your property: bluebells, primroses, cowslips, purple loosestrife, buttercups and even cow parsley!
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Piers of The Realm: Six of the Best British Seaside Piers!
Some seaside piers are household names – the three in Blackpool, Brighton’s Palace Pier, and the long walk to the end of Southend Pier, while others are still loved and visited by millions of people every year.
The National Piers Society lists 60 surviving and publicly accessible piers of all lengths. These vary from the 1.3-mile-long Southend Pier in Essex to short stubby beach protrusions such as Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, which runs to all of 117ft. NB: I’ve used ‘old money’ when using measurements, as this seems more befitting with these piers’ Victorian or early Edwardian origins.
Here’s a list of my six favourite piers that offer more than just a bracing walk with the chance of a coffee or fish and chips at the far end. You’ll also find recommendations for nearby holiday cottages, perfect for a weekend break or a longer holiday at the seaside resort for each Pier.
1. Blackpool South Pier
The South Pier is so typically Blackpool. The razzamatastic, brightly coloured signage that greets kiss-me-quick visitors on arrival prepares you for the exhilarating rides you’ll discover on deck. Choose from white-knuckle rides (step aboard the Skycoaster and the Skyscreamer to whiten yours) or more sedate roundabouts for the youngest. And while there are chips, candy floss and ice creams galore to nibble and lick, adults might be forgiven for showing an unhealthy ‘educational’ interest in the Pier’s latest offering, The Gin House, home to an array of specialist craft gins and a live music stage. But, overall, the South Pier offers visitors a thoroughly enjoyable traditional day out in Blackpool: Plenty of thrills – no spills.
Vital stats
Built: 1893
Length 492ft
Admission: Free
Toilets: Yes - including an accessible toilet
Website: https://blackpool.com/piers/
Other piers nearby
While you are in Blackpool and having enjoyed an afternoon on the South Pier, why not compare it with Blackpool’s other two piers:
Two Recommended Holiday Cottages
Bleasdale
Colonial-Style Glamping: Bleasdale is a child-friendly Colonial canvas cottage in a deeply rural location near the village of the same name. It offers glamping at its finest, with a fully plumbed shower room and a wood-burning stove. Sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms
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Maltkiln Cottage, Ormskirk
Within an easy day or half-day trip distance of Blackpool, this charming cottage for couples offers plenty of cosy peace and relaxation after your white knuckle day on the South Pier. Sleeps 2.
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2. Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier
Photo credit: Visit Weston-super-Mare
This is one of my favourite piers. As a teenager, I worked at The Grand Pier during the summer holidays, having survived a possible sacking in my first week when on ‘shore gate duty’. Rather than expecting the visiting and heavily pregnant film star Diana Dors to squeeze herself through its narrow Victorian admissions turnstile, I allowed her through a side gate, much to the consternation of the Gate Manager, a true jobs-worth, who threatened to sack me unless I paid her admission fee, a princely sum of 5p. I paid for her to enter, kept my job, and shortly afterwards was moved by a more understanding manager to work on the dodgems – a handsome reward!
I’m glad to say that The Grand Pier’s care for customers is in a different league these days. For example, it schedules a quiet hour to help those with sensory conditions enjoy a visit when background music is switched off and its bright flashing lights subdued. How considerate is that! Diana Dors would have approved.
At the end of the Pier, the Pavilion was rebuilt following a massive fire in 2008. It won the National Piers Society’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 2010 and was a Pier of the Year Winner in 2011. The Pier Pavilion houses all kinds of modern rides and seaside amusements, including Britain’s smallest roller coaster, an F1 Drive Simulator, a Laser Maze, a soft play area, and a more traditional House of Horrors.
The Pier also contains a delightful Museum of Memories guaranteeing nostalgic memories of toys, sweets, TV programmes, breakfast cereals and possibly, I shouldn’t wonder, my 5p coin from 1975.
Vital stats
Built: 1904
Length: £1200ft
Admission: Buy wristbands for rides and attractions.
Toilets: Yes
Website: https://grandpier.co.uk
Other nearby piers
Recommended Holiday Cottage: The Retreat, Lympsham
This large rural holiday cottage in. the peaceful Somerset village of Lympsham is a short drive to all the action on The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare. Sleeps 10
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3. Teignmouth Grand Pier
Much loved by photographers who like to capture it in the early morning or late evening sunshine, entertainment on Teignmouth Pier comprises a long, covered amusement arcade with suitably appealing mini-rides such as children’s go-karts. With typically saucy seaside humour, an ice cream parlour proudly advises customers, ' A Balanced Diet is an ice cream in each hand.’ We like that! And it’s a nice walk out to sea and back to work off the calories. Or, relax on its deck, soak up the sun and enjoy the views of Teignmouth and its beaches from an off-shore location.
When we used to visit Teignmouth Pier (after much beseeching) in the late 1960s, everything in the arcades was a penny. My Mother (after much more beseeching) would hand my sister and me about 2/6d (30p) worth of loose change each, with the words “When it’s gone, it’s gone, and then we’ll go and buy ice creams.” We thought she was incredibly generous, not realising that from her perspective, the sooner we spent our money, the sooner we could be out of the arcade and sitting down with a 99 cornet on Teignmouth's lovely beach. Her plan didn’t always work out. On one visit, I was dragged away after an hour while showing a profit of 1/3d in old money.
Vital stats
Built: 1867
Length 625ft
Admission: Free
Toilets: Yes
Website: https://www.teignmouthpier.com/
Other nearby Piers
Recommended Holiday Cottages:
Willow Lodge
After your seaside exertions on the Pier, relax in the Hot tub at Willow Lodge, a family-friendly holiday lodge in the countryside outside Exeter.
Fluvius - Sleeps 12 (Bring the wider family or friends!)
For group accommodation, enjoy a weekend break or longer holiday in style at this luxury 5-bedroom country cottage, which has a hot tub and superb views across the Teign Estuary in South Devon.
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4. Southend Pier
The World’s longest pleasure pier has its own railway to carry you 1/.33 miles into the Thames estuary. Ride it one way and walk the other to avoid missing its attractions, including a crazy golf course, museum, RNLI Lifeboat Station and the Pier Museum.
There’s proper bucket and spade holiday food ranging from a fish and chip beach hut to the sedate Tea With The Tide tearoom for high-tea treats. Those with a seriously sweet tooth should explore The Beach Huts, where they can encounter a calorific cornucopia of doughnuts, ice creams, slushies and other sugar-related products. Don’t worry; the long, bracing walk back to the shore will shave off a few calories.
Vital stats
Built:1890
Length 7080ft
Admission: In 2021, prices ranged from £2.00 for a ‘Walk Both Ways’ ticket to £5.60 for a return train ticket.
Toilets: Yes
Website: https://www.southendpier.co.uk/
Other Nearby Piers
Recommended Holiday Cottage:
The Tower
If you don’t mind the odd flight of stairs, you’ll love this place - a beautifully converted water tower with marvellous estuary views near Lewes on the East Sussex coast. It sleeps 6, and it’s stunning!
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5. Brighton Palace Pier
Named as one of the UK’s top attractions by TripAdvisor in 2021, you don’t go anywhere near Brighton’s seafront without walking the decks on The Palace Pier. Don’t ask why; it’s just one of those things.
It’s undoubtedly one of the World’s most recognisable piers, and a visit won’t disappoint. There’s everything here, from traditional fairground rides to arcades for gamers. There are slides and a gentle spin on the Cup and Saucers for the littlies. Teenagers will be more at home on the Turbo Coaster or The Booster (where the big challenge is to ride it with your eyes open). And for the nostalgic, well, there’s a set of Dodgems and an eloquent Edwardian-style fairground carousel to be ridden on wooden horseback.
The Palace Pier also hosts several terrific events, from live entertainment and superhero days to firework displays. Check out the Pier’s website for details and booking.
You won’t go hungry. Aside from the Palm Court Restaurant serving classic British dishes, traditional fast-food aromas of doughnuts, hot dogs and fish and chips aromas may prevail. There’s a much greater variety of sticky taste-tastic food, from milkshakes and churros to vegetarian food and pizza. Oh, and of course, this is the perfect place to buy your stick of Brighton Rock. You can ask for a sugar-free stick, but it always seems to be sold out whenever I visit. Strange that.
Vital stats
Built: 1899
Length: 1760ft
Admission: Free, but you’ll need to buy wristbands for the fairground rides
Toilets: Yes
Website: https://www.brightonpier.co.uk/
Other Nearby Piers:
Recommended Holiday Cottage:
Cherry Cottage, Lewes
Cherry Cottage is a spacious contemporary rural cottage in the South Downs near Lewes in East Sussex. Sleeps 6. Pets welcome.
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6. Cromer Pier, Norfolk
Any arcade amusements on Cromer Pier take a back seat. This is a pier with a theatre at its end that promotes a wildly popular traditional summer season. It’s the only ‘full-season end of pier show in the world’, and it is very popular indeed. Shows usually run from mid-July until early October. Other popular entertainment shows and tribute acts from Elvis to Queen are also featured within its calendar in the spring and autumn, making it a popular visitor destination for spring and autumn visitors. Advance booking is recommended.
Summer visitors too young to sit still in the stalls will be wildly happy with crabbing off the Pier. It’s free of charge, while crab lines and bait can be purchased from the Pier’s shop. Top tips: Crabs are, apparently, partial to mackerel and a bit of squid, but failing that, a nice bit of bacon rind might do the trick.
At the Pier Head is ‘the RNLI Lifeboat Station. Access to the station is free, but you can enjoy a more informative tour if booked at least three weeks ahead. So, in exchange for your newly acquired knowledge on what is involved in attending a ‘shout’, support the RNLI. Buy a suitable seafaring souvenir or book from the Lifeboat Shop.
Vital stats
Built: 1901
Length: 500ft
Admission: Free
Toilets: Yes
Website: https://www.cromerpier.co.uk/
Other Nearby Piers
Great Yarmouth – Wellington Pier
Great Yarmouth – Britannia Pier
Recommended Holiday Cottage:
Luxury Stable Cottage, Cromer
Stable Cottage is a luxury holiday cottage in a quiet fishing village near Cromer and a Blue Flag beach. Sleeps 6. Pets welcome.
Holiday Cottages for Bluebell Walks
With a nation desperate to get out of doors this summer and finding somewhere for a memorable short break this spring is now proving something of a challenge. So, while beach holiday cottages with availability may be hard to find, how about a great little weekend break in the UK countryside centred around walks through bluebell woods? After such a long period of pandemic confinement, there's likely to be nowt so good for the soul as a stroll through woodlands carpeted with the gentle hues of a million softly shimmering bluebells.
We've put together a 'Six of the Best' list of lovely bluebell woods for anyone planning a last-minute break in late April and early May, together with suggestions for nearby holiday cottages in which to stay.
Harford Wood near Landkey in North Devon
Grid Ref: SS612322
This is a good two-hour scenic circular walk-through green lanes, fields and ancient woods. To save the best bit until last, finish off by entering Harford Wood from the North along the MacMillan Way West trail. Visit at the right time in late April, and this becomes a delightful primrose as well as a bluebell walk.
Features
· Parking: Landkey village public car park. It's very close to the Castle Inn (nearest toilets) – so plan to finish your walk with a refreshing pint and a bowl of chips – or something else from their excellent menu.
· Toilets: Also at the pub and the nearby Willows Tearooms in Landkey. The village tearooms are very environmentally friendly and also welcome pets.
Recommended Place to Stay: The Old Stables at Mornacott Farm (click to view)
The Old Stables at Mornacott is a delightful rural Devon barn conversion with the use of an indoor swimming pool and games room on the edge of Exmoor near South Molton. Sleeps 6.
Duncliffe Wood near Shaftesbury in Dorset
Grid Ref: ST82622
A very old and large hilltop wood in North Dorset that first drew attention to itself in the Domesday Book and is now a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (something that probably never occurred to the Domesday authors). Stroll through its many woodland rides and tarry a while in its glades on sunny days. It's crammed with wildflowers of all kinds, but in spring its swathes of bluebells are quite something else to behold. If you miss the bluebells, you may still be in time for its bountiful floral displays of wild garlic.
Photo credit:natasha solomons
Features
· Parking: Duncliffe Wood Car Park on New Lane (2m height barrier).
· Waymarked walks.
· Toilets: Bell Street Car park in Shaftesbury (approx. 4 miles).
Recommended Place to Stay: Magna Cottage.
A large Dorset rural retreat near Shaftesbury sleeping 8 – perfect for weekends away with friends or two families.
Old Wood in Sherringham, Norfolk
Grid Ref: TG159412
Old Wood is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the North Norfolk coast. It contains a mix of conifer and broadleaf trees such as oak, sweet chestnut, and beech, which are many hundreds of years old. It also includes a delightful sculpture trail to add variety to your walk beneath the boughs. The best access point is on Pretty Corner Lane.
Photo credit: https://www.visitnorthnorfolk.com/
Features
· Parking: Pretty Corner Lane. It's free but small! There's another on Holway Road.
· Waymarked walks
· Toilets: You'll have to head to Sherringham for the nearest public conveniences in the Bell Street car park.
Recommended Place to Stay: Luxury Stable Cottage in Cromer
A Gold-Award winning, pet-friendly seaside cottage sleeping 2-6.
Hackfall Wood in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire
Grid Ref: SE236771
Hackfall Woods dominate the landscape between Masham and Grewelthorpe, a few miles northwest of Ripon in North Yorkshire. This award-winning wood is thriving, thanks to the care and attention of The Woodland Trust. They have restored features such as grottos, glades, waterfalls, and even a rustic temple or two to provide a perfect complement to its bluebell carpets in late spring. Note: a walk through the wood contains some steep slopes and steps.
Photo credit: The British Blanket Company
Features:
· Parking on-site and nearby
· Toilets: Choose from conveniences at The Bruce Arms in Masham, 2 miles away (if you're happy to stay for a drink or, better still, some tasty pub grub) or Grewelthorpe's village hall facilities.
Recommended Place to stay: Blacksmith Cottage in Grassington.
A luxury Yorkshire Dales holiday cottage for couples in the heart of this picturesque village.
Credenhill Park Wood near Hereford in Herefordshire
Grid Ref: SO450446
photo credit: The Modern Antiquarian
Credenhillk Park Wood has a historical past. Buried within its 224 acres lies evidence of an Iron Age tribal centre and, a good few years later, a Roman army depot. In Medieval times, it thrived as a deer park (of which some still exist). It offers a myriad of paths and a host of woodland flowers in addition to its sleepy drifts of bluebells and fine views of the Black Mountains.
Features
· Parking: Free parking at the Woodland Trust car park at the main entrance
· Toilets: You'll need to be a customer to use the toilets at the Bell Inn just north of Credenhill Park.
Recommended Place to Stay: Little Owls Barn
A luxuriously furnished rural retreat for two amidst idyllic Herefordshire countryside.
Gaer-Fawr Woods near Welshpool in Powys
Grid Ref: SJ 2229 1284
Gaer-Fawr Wood occupies 74 acres of countryside a few miles north of Welshpool in Powys. It's mainly oak wood, but bluebells call the shots in spring. Explore a myriad of paths that slope up to the remains of an Iron Age hill fort with five lines of ramparts (if you're counting). If you need to rest tired legs – many of the benches within the woods have been made by local artists. See how many you can find! One was inspired by a bronze boar-headed helmet discovered in the woods during a dig. If you can't visit in spring, it's a good wood for autumn colours in October.
Features
· Parking: On-site
· Toilets: There are two pubs in the nearby village of Guilsfield (but you'll need to stay for a drink, which would be no real hardship after your walk).
Recommended Place To Stay: Brook Cottage
A charming, family-friendly 3-bedroom cottage sleeping 6 with stunning rural views near Welshpool in Powys.
Enjoy your bluebell walks – and accommodation, whether for a weekend break or a longer holiday. Please treat the woods respectfully and remember the Scout maxim: Leave nothing behind but your thanks and take only your memories (and maybe your photos) home.
Can we also put in a hat-tip to the wonderful Woodland Trust, whose tireless work has ensured the survival and flourishing of so many bluebell woods in the UK? For further information about the Trust, click here: The Woodland Trust. They are worth supporting. Just ask any tree.
Where to Go on Out of Season Weekend Breaks in Warwickshire
Out of Season Weekend Breaks in Warwickshire.
For a memorable weekend break in Warwickshire exploring all the best places when the crowds have diminished, My Favourite Holiday Cottages approached Sally and Jonathan, owners at Tredington Mill in Shipston-on-Stour. We asked how they would recommend their guests make the most of their days while staying in one of their two restored mill cottages. Here’s what they came up with, and, to be honest – you’ll need to spend at least two weekends there to get through everything, which means there is plenty for all ages and interests to discover.
So, where do the Tredington Mill’s owners recommend visiting on a short break outside the peak season in Warwickshire?
Visitors here tend to like visiting places in the Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon. One of our preferences for the best Cotswolds visits is Chastleton House, a National Trust house and gardens (where croquet was invented). When the owners talk about “not being able to do it up since the war”, they mean the 17th-Century English Civil War! Lookout for its hiding hole, which proved handy for the master of the house when hiding while Oliver Cromwell’s Roundheads were searching for the house.
Kenilworth Castle, managed by English Heritage, is another of those fortifications that “Cromwell knocked about a bit” and is also worth a visit. In 1563 Queen Elizabeth I granted it to her favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who converted the castle into a lavish palace fit to entertain his queen. Its royal banqueting days may be over, but it is still popular with Tredington’s visitors.
Snowshill Manor and Hidcote Manor Gardens are other National Trust places worth a visit. Snowshill Manor was lived in by Charles Wade, who purchased it in 1919 and used it to house his extensive and eccentric collection of objects. His motto of “Let nothing perish” has ensured the collection includes all sorts of intriguing items, including Samurai armour, musical instruments, and clocks. It was so large that he was forced to move into a small cottage within the grounds. The Hidcote Gardens are famous worldwide, and one could spend a whole day there wandering around the large garden site.
Warwick Castle. As a historic venue, it probably needs no introduction, but this superb mediaeval castle is well worth a whole day trip. Don’t expect the standard guided tour - it is much more than this being a magnificently themed centre for all kinds of mediaeval-related pageantry, from hawking to jousting.
Hidcote is also very close to Kiftsgate Court Gardens in neighbouring Gloucestershire, where visitors will find one of the largest roses, with the variety named after the house.
Going north, it is a short drive to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. It’s also where he is buried: You can visit his final resting place in the parish church. Visit the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for world-class performances of The Baird’s plays and other contemporary classics. You can also book fascinating tours of the various theatres and stand on their stages – but, like theatre tickets, book in advance as these are very popular. Several historic houses in and around Stratford are associated with Shakespeare and the school he attended. Aside from all things Shakespeare (and here’s where the kids will get excited), Stratford also has a butterfly farm, a Harry Potter shop, and the Mechanical Art & Design Museum (MAD) filled with mechanical toys to delight people of all ages. You can also hire boats by the hour for a scenic row on the River Avon.
Chipping Campden is a favourite Cotswold town (and less likely to be populated by visiting coach parties). It is an attractive Cotswold town, home to many Arts and Crafts Movement specialists who moved there from London. Silversmiths are working there who have original designs in books from that period.
Closer to Tredington Mill, there are many good pubs and restaurants to experience. Our favourites are the Fuzzy Duck in Armscote (about 30 minutes on foot) and the George Town House in Shipston-on-Stour.
A Little Further afield
We highly recommend visits to:
· Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, with its extensive grounds that are free to walk around
· Bourton-on-the-Water, with its stylish tea shops and model village – much nicer out of season when it is quieter.
· Stow-on-the-Wold, for antique shops and designer outlets – perfect for combining an autumn break with a Christmas shopping expedition.
· Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, is best visited in early autumn before students return. This allows you to explore some of the ancient Oxford colleges or take out a boat on the Isis (as the Thames is known where it flows through the city).
Tredington Mill
Tredington Mill is a delightfully restored waterside Mill in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, with two lovely properties: Pool View and Puddle Cottage (click on the names to view the cottages). Both riverside cottages sleep 4 in two bedrooms. As well as being nicely located for exploring Warwickshire’s treasures, guests can also while away a pleasant hour or two fly fishing in the mill stream and river.
The Holiday Homefront: April 2021
Welcome to the April 2021 Issue of The Holiday Homefront.
For further information on the featured articles, click the title or the Read More button.
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Why you shouldn’t trust some Covid-safe badge schemes
For those owners relying on self-accrediting badge schemes to prove This report from Which Magazine makes for a very interesting read.
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And while on this COVID Cleaning subject - another option...
‘We’re Good To Go’ participants get global ‘Safe Travels’ stamp
Visit England and Visit Britain are delighted to announce that businesses in the UK registered to the ‘We’re Good To Go’ industry-standard scheme are now automatically eligible for the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) international ‘Safe Travels’ stamp.
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No.1 The Pier in Falmouth: Plenty of Repeat Bookings Here!
How property managers can drive direct bookings from repeat guests
One of the outcomes of the pandemic is that repeat bookings seem to have dived. To rebuild or expand your portfolio of regular visitors, it’s time to work a little harder. This article from Rental Scale-Up provides some helpful common-sense tips. Advertising sites that actively encourage direct content between bookers and owners from the start and don’t apply booking fees and commission charges are one way to get new guests to return. Good to know MFHC has got that one right!
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Fully refundable cancellation policies see booking demand at almost the same levels as pre-pandemic
Rental Scale-Up reports on how the adoption of fully refundable booking policies has impacted sales success. This is an essentially reassuring read for owners offering cancellation policies that were unthinkable just a year ago.
Read More
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How to Avoid and Manage Chargebacks
Do you allow your guests to use a credit or debit card to pay for their accommodation? They can always dispute a charge and file a chargeback claim by pressing a few buttons on their banking app.
Holiday cottage businesses should, therefore, be proactive in preventing and disputing chargebacks.
A chargeback happens when the bank agrees to reverse the payment and refund the cardholder after they have disputed a transaction.
Read this excellent article from Schofield’s Insurance to learn how to mitigate this situation.
Read More
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News for Owners Advertising their Properties on My Favourite Holiday Cottages.
Please help us to help you get more eyes on your adverts.
If you have some lovely photos or videos of your properties, we could use them to attract more visitors to your advert. You have to send them to us.
We are creating and promoting videos on YouTube and Instagram; boy, are they proving popular!
To create a slideshow video, we need only 6-10 high-quality images of your property. Please send these to us through a free file-sharing app like Dropbox or WeTransfer.com.
We are also looking for photos to display on our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr and Pinterest. That’s a lot of coverage for you, but you need to send us your best images to earn it!
Send us a folder of images, and we’ll see if we can create something appealing to our many cottage-booking followers.
Again, send via Dropbox or WeTransfer.com. (see above for link)
Themes: As well as property photos, send ones that will be good for any of the following social media promotions:
Please note:
Finally, get your cottage spruced up beautifully for the Glorious 12th (April). Do likewise with your advert to get the best results for the rest of this year and next.
Remember: If you have any queries about your advert, or can’t remember how to log in, then we’ll be happy to assist if you get in touch.
Right - get cracking!
See you in May.
Rick Bond
My Favourite Holiday Cottages