Monmouth

In keeping with the 'staycation' idea that is becoming increasingly popular in these frugal times, I have rarely ventured far from my own corner of the world in recent times.

Our latest family trip was to Monmouth a border town between England and Wales - one of those like Chepstow that has been Welsh and English at various times, it is currently Welsh (and as far as I know intends to stay that way!). We were lucky with the weather, and Monmouth has some lovely outdoor spaces. From the river to the parks, the church and a good selection of shops..

Monmouth is small, but can take it's fair share of visitors with ample car-parking, and plenty of choice places to grab a bite to eat. Once you have ambled around the town, and sampled some of the delights, you could treat yourself to the 'pretty way' home as we did, and take in the beautiful countryside which surrounds this historic town.
[Pictured: the historic Monnow Tower Bridge, and the High Street]

2012 in the UK

Despite European monetary difficulties, there is  generally positive mood throughout the UK at the moment - this picture shows bunting in the street a week after the special Bank Holiday to commemorate 60 years of Queen Elizabeth's reign.
This year not only celebrates UK monarchy, but also the coming of the Summer Olympics. The UK is arguably fortunate to be cushioned a little from the Euro crisis by being outside the Euro currency, but the consequences of the Euro-crisis will not entirely pass us by.
The interesting fact about this positive photo is that it was not taken in what might be regarded as royalist heartland of the home counties of England, but in the Welsh Capital Cardiff (Caerdydd in the native tongue). The truth is that the celebrations have reverberated around the commonwealth and touched the rest of the world too. Now is a good time to visit the UK, London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast and see what this kingdom has to offer.

Jimmy Spices

If I may be allowed to extend travel to include eating experiences (I may because it is my blog..!), I wanted to just report what a great night was had by friends and Family at Jimmy Spices in Sutton Coldfield a few weeks back.
On offer was a £15 all you can eat buffet of Chinese, Indian and Italian food - This alone sounds like pure heaven for a foodie, but you wonder if the Chinese and Indian in particular will be authentic (At least that was what I was thinking), by which I mean would the Chinese be as good as if it were in a Chinese restaurant? etc..
I am very keen on all these cooking styles, so was a little sceptical.
On arrival, I was staggered by the floor-space of the upstairs rooms of this restaurant - it was huge.. tables wre in rows seating between about 20 to 30 per table - which was ideal for large family parties. If you weren't with a party, maybe you would meet some new people - but I wasn't intending to write a review so I didn't pay a lot of attention to the seating arrangements. After sitting and chatting for a while, I went to check out the food. Each style of cooking had it's own open kitchen section in the centre of the room where specialist chefs were openly preparing and cooking food, one for Indian food, one for Chinese and one for Italian. I began with Chinese - it was really superb, some of the best Chinese cooking I have ever tasted. Just to check that this wasn't a fluke, I then moved on to Indian, and yes, this was as good as the Chinese - really expertly done. Sadly I didn't have chance to try the Italian as I was persuaded by my daughter to get some ice-cream after which I did not really feel like eating more savoury dishes. (Still a bit gutted that I didn't have a go at the Italian - although most people seemed to be going for pizzas which quite frankly are NOT my idea of fine dining... I would hope that there were also pasta dishes, maybe some seafood?? I'll have to wait 'til next time to find out - I would certainly without a doubt visit again, it's a great place to take a crowd because there truly is something for everyone.
You don't have to travel to The Midlands to get the same experience however, as well as restaurants in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham and Stratford on Avon, they also have places in Staines, Epsom and Bath.

Travel History

My own travel plans have been on hold for some time since family is our priority at the moment. Hence more recent posts are concerned with 'local' traveling rather than that of a more exotic type. Not that I have ever been anywhere very exotic, but my travel destinations include:

Austria, Germany, France, Greece, Malta, US, Canada, Eire and a few places in between. I have not been on a plane for a good many years (apart from a 'domestic' flight to Edinburgh), and to my shame, I do not even own a valid passport at the moment, my old one lapsed and I didn't want to waste money getting it renewed when I know I would not need it for a while. Our recent travel includes sights around the UK, mainly Wales and specifically West Wales. I guess that narrows the wide niche of 'travel' for this blog down to one that concentrates mainly on the places within easy reach of my home - which is probably no bad thing.

Recently I have been posting information and opinion on places such as The Wild Welsh Zoo and St Davids in West Wales. Our very next vacation is planned in a similar region, so expect more of the same.

Dan Yr Ogof

We took a trip to Dan Yr Ogof caves recently, having lived relatively close to the attraction for many years, but never having visited it myself. The drive to the site itself is quite enjoyable if you have decent weather, the attraction is located in beautiful countryside and a little of the 'beaten track'.

The caves were originally discovered in the early 20th century when some locals stumbled upon them by accident. Since that time they have been developed as a tourist attraction, but it is the caves themselves that remain the star of the 'show'.

Over the years, other attractions and exhibitions have been added to the site such that they now boast '10 attractions on one ticket' - but at best this is a bit of an overstatement of the facts - three of the 10 attractions are the three sets of caves, and I wouldn't consider much of the rest of the exhibits as 'stand-alone' attractions.

On the way out, there is a shire horse farm yard with some play areas and a variety of animals such as goats and alpacas etc.. of all the additional features, this was probably the only one that merited any more than a few minutes time to explore. The entrance to the site was quite expensive costing around £30 for two adults and a child, and if you had intended to make a day of it (as I originally intended) you may be struggling for something to do especially if the weather decides to get particularly 'Welsh'...

That said, the caves themselves are a spectacular natural phenomenon, well worth a visit, and a great place to get some stunning photographs. There is a commentary throughout the caves that has to be quite loud to rise above the noise of rushing water, for me it was a bit too loud, and I would have preferred to have placards to read or something along those lines. I came away with the feeling that if you were to overhaul the site today, you would probably do it very differently and probably focus on different aspects of the cave such as the environmental/geographical aspects. To sum up then, visit the caves - they are a sight worth seeing, but don't expect to find endless entertainment with the boast of 10 attractions - finish up with a visit to the shire horses/farm - somehow you will have seen seven of the ten attractions already...

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!!

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.

Rail Fares set to rise

Southeastern train company customers will be charged extra to use the new 'Javelin' service. The Javelin is a new highspeed (140mph) train from Hitachi which is planned to run between London St Pancras and Ebbsfleet International, with a few services extending to Ashford International, Ramsgate via Canterbury West or Dover. From 13 December 2009 Southeastern plan to operate a regular high-speed domestic service into and out of London St Pancras. The services are marketed as Southeastern Highspeed and the trains will be named after British personalities associated with speed.

The second price rise will come in January and will be across the board under the regulated fares formula (allowing prices to rise a set amount above RPI), despite assurances by Government that rail prices would fall in 2010. Some existing services may also be cut to help fund the new investment.

Drink your way to Calais

P&O are currently offering a great day-trip offer if you are planning to stock your cellar with French wines, which includes a case of Californian wine into the bargain.

Thanks to the MoneySavingExpert for bringing this one to our attention...

For £24, you get a return Dover-Calais ticket for a car and up to 9 people (worth c.£35), and a free case of Ernest & Julio Gallo Winemaker's Seal Red or White wine (worth £25). The wine is redeemable on the outward leg of your journey only; you'll get a voucher for it along with your tickets.

Valid for travel between now and 1st December 2009 (though excludes travel on 23, 24, 31 October and 1 November), and can be booked until 12 Nov. To get the deal, go to P&O UK's website and enter 'freewineDT' in the box when booking to qualify.

This is an online offer only....and if you enjoy your wine and are looking to do a quick booze cruise before Christmas, this is a no-brainer...

What to do in London?

It's exciting to travel to a new City whether it be a day trip within your own country or a long overseas trip, but when you get, there you may well realise that you don't know the best places for a quick bite, or where to get the best entertainment, a quiet pint or a gourmet meal.

That's when a site like Qype comes in - an extensive insight into night-life, restaurants and watering holes with reviews completed by ordinary folk like you or me.
The information on their database is not limited to night-life, you can search for a hairdresser, travel information, libraries or any number of services that you might require when staying away from home.

By default, the site shows information for London in general, but simply by clicking on the link to 'change', you can select any UK city or even a specific area of London. Ideal if you are searching for restaurants london by name or by district. Qype extends globally, and you can select from a list of countries and then select an area within that country. In fact, you can use Qype to gather information about your home town too - I checked out information about local parks and leisure centres, and was surprised to find not only a full list of amenities, but personal reviews written for every search result that came up - even reviews of local parks...

Whatever you are looking for, Qype is essentially a directory, but importantly a directory with a difference. The Qype directory not only gives you bare essential information such as address and essential contact information – it gives you an independent review from the viewpoint of an ordinary customer or facility-user. Next time you are stuck for a venue, or a shop or just need to do a search for pubs london why not try Qype, not only will you find something in your chosen locality, you will learn something about it too.

Losing business at Heathrow

Industry experts are claiming that Britain is losing out to the tune of £1bn annually because of the lack of a third runway at Heathrow. Travellers even from the UK are using European airports as a hub for long-haul flights that could potentially fly from Heathrow if the long-awaited third runway was in place and working to increase capacity.
On the other side of the argument there are environmental factors to be overcome, and the fact that the world market for flights is in decline and the proliferation of cheap flights indicates that the development could become a white elephant if the sales of flights and travel in general does not pick up.
Charles De Gaulle, Frankfurt and Schipol have all experienced a growth in business compared to a more or less static turnover at Heathrow for the last 5 years. The threat however is not solely from European airports as growth at Middle-Eastern airports has been astronomic. Dohar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports have seen rises approaching more than 100% in the last 5 years.

Cheap stop-overs in the UK

I usually use somewhere like Travelodge or Premier Inn for my work and leisure stop-overs within the UK, but lately I have been sticking exclusively to Travelodge because they have such good deals when you book up front.
Check out their saver deals for their £12, £19 and £29 special offers - there are even deals for EUR12 in Ireland and Spain included.
This is not by any means a sponsored post, I am genuinely a customer of Travelodge (stayed there twice in August, both times were a special offer) and am committed to writing about good deals that I find...
Normally when booking, you are not required to pay until you arrive or leave, and cancellation is available until 4pm on the day - under the terms of the special offer, you pay when you book AND bookings are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Peaceful Norfolk Broads

Having just returned from a few peaceful days on the Norfolk Broads, we are refreshed and ready to apply noses to various grindstones. The Norfolk Broads (Beccles in this case) remains both genteel and entertaining with plenty to see and do.This region of the East of England presents countryside, water and wildlife in a way that no other British region does - this is the Everglades of the UK, with little chance of losing a limb to an alligator. In all seriousness though, for those with a penchant for boating, accidents do happen on the Broads so safety should be paramount.
When you tire of the wildfowl, there is always the option of the North Sea coast and various attractions such as the Africa Alive wildlife park, Sandringham Gardens in fact a plethera of venues to suit all sorts of tastes.
There are plenty of camp sites and B&B's for those who don't want to live on the water, but hiring a boat is the finest way to see the Broads in all their glory.

Cheap RyanAir flights

Once again, there is a short-time offer on flights as indicated on the MoneySavingExpert website. The deadline for taking advantage of this offer is midnight 30th July 2009, so you will have to move fast...
As ever these flights may well be subject to surcharges for paying by credit card, extra luggage and anything else you could be stung for... but they are what they are - if you are prepared for the 'downside' there is a massive 'upside'...
In short:
From?: 15 UK Airports.
To: 75 European destinations (e.g. Bologna, Rimini, Toulon).
Book By: Midnight Thurs 30 July.
Dates: September & October.
Cost: £1 all-in except baggage & booking fee.
Find them quick: FlightChecker (via Money Saving Expert)

Monarch employees could walk out

A ballot has been set for July for Monarch employees to decide whether to strike, a strike that could have a serious impact on British holiday makers and an already tightly squeezed holiday industry..
Monarch employees are happy to defer a payrise until next year, but are asking for a lump sum payment, cabin crew are also looking for an extra allowance in line with pilots. Unions say that the requests are reasonable and take into account the difficult time that the travel industry is facing in the current economic climate.
Thousands of UK holiday-makers could be left stranded at airports across the country, including Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Luton and Dublin if the 600 staff vote for industrial action.
Monarch maintain that currently, the company cannot possibly consider extra outlay on employees, but talks continue to attempt to avert what could prove to be a crippling strike taking place. Management state: "Monarch senior management continues to work with the cabin crew trade union to resolve this matter as quickly as possible in the interests of its customers and all other employees."

Travelling in Wales

I have posted about the 'ColinsWales' site before when it was hosted on a free site - I have noticed that a number of free site services have been withdrawn lately which will have prompted some people to dump their sites whilst the more adventurous ones have gone on to create a new site on a new domain. I am pleased to report that ColinsWales is part of the latter group and a new revamped Wales Tourism site has been launched. This site features detailed descriptions of seven major South Wales beaches, a Welsh History section, some stunning photography and even a fascinating narrative about Colin's childhood experiences. If you are planning to visit Wales, then visit: http://www.colinswalestourism.co.uk/ there are lots of ideas about places to visit including an indication of opening times and admission prices. This is an informative site, yet written from a uniquely personal perspective - well worth a visit even if you just want to find out a bit more about Wales.

Cotswolds - Berkeley Castle

The English countryside is not by any means short of castles, in fact until a week ago I didn't even know Berkeley Castle existed. Berkeley is not a huge imposing edifice battle-scarred and falling into ruin, it is a wonderfully preserved Norman fortress which has morphed over the centuries into a genteel and appealing family home.
Parts of the castle are open to the public and for special events all the year round and the family reside in the remainder. The castle is characterised by a lived-in feeling which few other castles (being mostly ruins) can boast. The walls are decorated with pictures and hangings, there is original wood-panelling and ornately carved period doors. This is not to say that it lacks some austere features, and is reported to be the place where Edward II was murdered.

The Berkeley family is deeply rooted in English heritage and has many claims to fame including links to Shakespeare and Sir Francis Drake and of course Berkeley Square in London. The castle is a jewel in the beautiful Cotswold landscape, offering history, culture, tea rooms and a lovely picnic area.

Entry prices:

Adult £7.50

Child (age 5 - 16) £4.50

Senior Citizen at 60+ £6.00

Students £5.50

Cotswolds - Bourton

The Cotswolds continue to be a very popular spot for visitors to the UK, evidenced by the number of accents and languages you can hear while walking around it's picturesque towns and villages.
The familiar stone dwellings and buildings that characterise this part of the world, hold endless charm and beg to be photographed time and time again.
Whether you are just looking for a pleasant environment to take a stroll or are more inclined to visit a museum or have a meal in the rich rustic surroundings, the Cotswolds has the perfect setting.

Every town in this special part of England has it's own appeal, but Bourton has the lion's share of more contrived attractions from 'Birdworld' to the Model Village, the Motor and Toy museum and the Butterfly Maze amongst others. Of course, to go along with the attractions, there are plenty of places to get a cream tea, place your weary head for the night and have a drink or a meal.
Limited though the parking is in the town centre, car parks can be found just outside within reasonable walking distance, one of them right next to Birdland.
In short Bourton and it's surrounding towns offer a good day out for anyone and particularly for families as there is undoubtedly plenty to do. Most attractions have an entry fee of around £3 or £4 per person, Disneyworld it is not, but a good day out in spectacularly charming surroundings is guaranteed.
If you would like to be accommodated in one of the more picturesque hotels in the town centre, be prepared to spend £100 per night per room.

Deals for Mothers day (UK)

Thanks to the MoneySavingExpert for this tip...

Get a discount equivalent to your age for bookings on Mothers Day in the up-market Malmaison Hotels throughout the UK. If you take your 90 year old Mother, there will be 90% off the room-rate. Not limited to Mothers, (probably due to sex-discrimination laws...) any oldies can get the discount, but note that the full room rates for this promotion start at £170 (usually £99 online) - but if you're 100 or over, you can stay for free!!!

Last time this promotion ran, a 98 year-old managed to secure a £235 room for just £4.50...
Hotels available in:
Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh (pictured above), Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford and Reading.
Note that Man City and Liverpool both play at home on Sunday...if your Mum likes a bit of footie!!

Holiday trends

There have been some interesting results emerging from a report issued from 118118 directory enquiries. These reports contain information about the quantities of calls made to their service in specific categories compared to the previous years.
In short, the following conclusions can be drawn from the results (Dec 08 compared with Dec 07):

In travel-related enquiries

• 22% fewer people rang to ask for the number of a travel agent.
• 46% fewer wanted a tour operator.
• motor homes enquiries were up by 121%.
• every other type of holiday accommodation saw a downturn in calls

Some of the more curious results saw:

• enquiries about “body art” were up 26%.
• Calls asking for psychiatrists rose 43%
• people seeking an aromatherapist was up by 62%.
• Libraries were up by 50%.

and finally.....calls asking for pole dancing and lap dancing clubs shot up by 599%.
Make of that information what you will...