West Wales - Manor House Park

Since Manor House Park was taken over by TV personality Anna Ryder-Richardson, we have been keen to pay a visit and see what all the fuss is about. Our trip to Broad Haven this year allowed us to finally visit the park, and we were not disappointed.

The zoo has several areas where you are permitted to join the animals within enclosures, to feed, photograph and get close to animals in a unique way - not all animals are this approachable, but the ethos of the place is certainly different to the traditional zoo. When we visited, this project was still in it's development phase (latter stages), but what had been done, had been done thoughtfully and to a high standard. The playgrounds and picnic areas were very well done and provide welcome space for kids to run off the inevitable build-up of energy that accompanies every family 'adventure'.

The food was excellent, probably a higher standard than you would expect at a zoo, but that was one of the themes running through the place - standards were high, this is not a Changing Rooms production by any means.

Nearby attractions include:

• Heatherton Adventure Park (literally just 'over the road')
• Dinosaur World (a few miles down the road)

There is definitely enough going on in this locality to keep you amused all day - top tip: if you like your food, eat at Manor Park NOT at Dinosaur World!!

West Wales - St Davids

During our stay in West Wales this year, we opted to visit St Davids on what turned out to be a rather wet afternoon. However, St Davids with it's impressive cathedral and charming setting is worth a visit in any weather. Good food can be had locally, and there is a small but decent collection of shops if you are that way inclined...

The cathedral itself is a wonder which is worth the journey on it's own. It boasts a refectory, gift shop and small museum but it was the ancient decor that had me grabbing my camera. I was especially struck by the superb floor tiles, most have which have been restored, although some around the altar appear to be in their original state.

The majesty of the flooring is matched by the work in the ceilings and in the general quality of the original furnishing which for me, was nothing short of breathtaking.

The stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings give way to a small exhibition room, which in reality is too small to be called a museum, but a museum that is limited to one small room is probably as much museum as I want to see in a day to be fair... there are a number of artefacts here relating to the history of the building. from chalices and carvings to ancient artefacts discovered during renovations and rebuilding. I'm not a big fan of museums, but this had enough to raise interest without tedium setting in.

All in all, on a wet day, there is not enough to keep the family amused All day, but well worth stopping for a good few hours - drive right through St Davids for the pay and display car park.

West Wales - Broad Haven

We have been lucky enough to be offered a caravan holiday in Broad Haven just west of Haverford West on the Welsh coast. Although the weather was not anything too special, the scenery was stunning and the site was well-appointed as was the brand new static caravan that we borrowed. This area is popular with surfers, and if you look closely you may even see kite-surfers in the photo above.

Broad Haven itself is a typical holiday village with a spar, chip shops and pub and little else. Hidden away around the corner is another pub, a school and a small church. Broad Haven is a great outpost for exploring this coast, and within easy reach of the bustling town of Haverfordwest (which has a large Tesco, and a fine swimming pool).

The large caravan park is popular and has a good number of mobile homes scattered around, the playground has a zip wire (the kids will love it) and for a price, you can use the site Wi-Fi...

RyanAir £5 flights

Bringing you the latest from MoneySavingExpert...
Once again, a short-term offer for cheap flights booked before midnight tomorrow (27th May), as ever, be aware that extras charged for baggage etc. may ramp up the price...
Flights must be booked at least 14 days in advance, and travel is any day in June 2010 - limited airports within Europe...
Click the MoneySavingExpert link above to be taken direct to their 'cheap flights' article - full guide to how to make the most of this deal can be found there...

Read the full Ryanair cheap flights promotion details

Air Travel is suffering

Not only will we have more British Airways strikes to look forward to after yesterday's court ruling, but disruptions are still being caused by volcanic ash at some UK airports - currently limited to Scottish airports. Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has stated that his airline will not consider abiding by EU rules on compensation and has stated that only the cost of the ticket will be refunded even where travelers have been forced to rent additional accommodation abroad.
Two out of the three high court judges yesterday voted to overturn the injunction imposed on the proposed 'Unite' strike planned to disrupt in particular World Cup travelers in a few weeks time. The injunction was imposed on Monday when BA argued that ballot results had not been adequately communicated to union members. BA intend to introduce contingency plans designed to circumvent union action.

BA strike

The economic climate was always going to have an effect on the travel business and the current dispute between UNITE and BA seems to be an outworking of the recession. BA are (arguably) forced to make cuts - this will impact on air-crew at some point, but the air-crew are digging their heels in. In an effort to give a fair view, nobody likes their contract to be changed significantly, but on the other hand, management is tasked with finding a way to make some real savings in order to sustain a profitable company for the future.
Strikes are due to continue at the week-end, hopefully a timely and mutually beneficial compromise can be reached.

Combining travel and surgery

Traveling abroad to have cosmetic surgery is not a new idea, but generally this has been understood to mean having procedures carries out in sometimes less-than hygienic conditions in Eastern European countries.
Imagine then, if you will, a very different idea: visiting your dentist in Cancun! Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry has opened a practice with the highest clinical standards in the world famous Mexican resort of Cancun with the sole intention of treating clients from the UK, USA and Canada. The aim is to be able to combine the holiday of a lifetime with the idea of taking advantage of high quality cosmetic dentistry at a fraction of the normal costs.
The owner is Dr. German Arzate who promises to be able to give you a completely new smile in just a week. During that week, you will be in the most beautiful surroundings available anywhere, and be able to lounge on the beaches, go diving or visit some unique Mexican archaeological attractions. You will also be in a clinical environment that is completely geared towards English-speaking patients - imagine bringing the perfect smile home as a permanent reminder of your holiday...

New Technology

New technology is moving us away from traditional High Street shops and large retailers for goods which are becoming obsolete whilst they sit on the stock-room. Any product that has an element of computer memory like RAM, hard-drives and flash drives becomes out-dated within months.
There is no technology that moves quicker than PC/Phone and media devices, and the demand for iphone accessories and add-ons increasingly finds satisfaction via internet retailers in preference to the high street. Whether you are looking for an iphone case or an iphone dock, you will find a far larger range of choices available on the world wide web, than you will on the shelves of your local electronics retailer.

In the past people may have been wary about this new way of buying, but year on year it is proving more and more popular. The prices are keen and in most cases the service is excellent, yet there are some precautions we should take to ensure that our chosen trader is legitimate.

• You should always look for contact details such as an address or telephone number, check out the contact details to make sure that they are correct.
• Check to see if there is a VAT number and company registration.
• Look for a trading history and check out any testimonials that might be posted on the site.
• Be cautious of any offers that are ridiculously cheap unless there is a legitimate reason for the price reduction.

Over recent years, I have built up a select group of websites that I routinely check for bargains exclusively in the area of 'boys toys', computer storage and components.