BA Strikes and Heathrow Tweets

October 29, 2009

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There have been a couple of big stories, and one small one, regarding the aviation industry in the past week or so. And while one of them is more like the early rumblings of a bigger story to come, we’ve decided it’s worthy of attention.

Christmas tis the season to be striking, according to the Daily Telegraph. BA cabin crew may choose to down tools over the festive period in a dispute over working practices.  Obviously there is never a good time for this to happen but, if you’re looking to fly away for Christmas, or you’re one of the thousands of people who’ve already booked a December flight, it couldn’t really happen at a worse time.

Unfortunately we’ll just have to wait for developments and see what happens. But in the meantime, you could always follow Heathrow’s new Twitter feed. And if the strikes go ahead we imagine that one of the world’s busiest airports will have plenty of time to update their status and share videos of silly cats.

But there are those working in the aviation industry who (thankfully!) are no longer able to Twitter at work. The two pilots who recently overshot their landing destination by 150 miles were allegedly distracted by their laptops  instead of concentrating on the huge blue expanse in front of them. Apparently the use of personal electrical devices in cockpits is still allowed, although we’d be surprised if that continues to be the case for much longer.

So here’s hoping for some good news for those of you planning on flying away for a Christmas break. Obviously there’s no guarantee of a completely stress-free holiday but if you fancy raising the odds somehow you could always choose a festive break in the UK or the Continent.

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Remember!

October 23, 2009

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Just a quick reminder to say that the clocks go back an hour this weekend, so on Saturday night we’ll all get an extra hour in bed – hooray!  Then again if you’re lucky enough to be on holiday for half term week you might not notice.

If you are going away next week just be aware that the roads will probably be busier – which could be more of a problem with less daylight. But hopefully you’ll get some good weather when the sun comes out. We’ll keep our fingers crossed!

If you fancy taking a break next week, why not check the availability on some of our fantastic holiday cottages? And if you’re not going away then enjoy your extra hour and have a fantastic weekend.

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Share your holiday highlights!

August 6, 2009

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We all love holidays, the excitement and the opportunity to explore somewhere new or rediscover a favourite place in the UK. And the beauty of a cottage holiday is that it gives you the complete freedom to seek out and sample the very best local cuisine and attractions.

We want to hear about your finds and that’s why we’re launching our search for the nation’s favourite hidden holiday gems. We want to know about that perfect independent supplier or local attraction that made your holiday truly memorable.

It could be a local bakery that made the best Cornish pasties, or the village corner cafe that served the tastiest morning bacon sandwiches. Or what about that great local brew you tried in the fantastic pub with beer garden. It doesn’t have to be food and drink that made your holiday memorable, it could be somewhere you visited or something you saw that was the highlight of your holiday, for example that stunning view or working farm the kids loved.

Martin Dunford, publisher of the Rough Guide to Britain and co-founder of Rough Guides said:

Britain has so much to offer, with a wealth of undiscovered places and hidden gems. This is a great opportunity for the British public to get involved by exploring their own back yard and championing the best that the country has to offer.

Whatever it is we want to hear about it and share with others. To recommend your holiday gems please click here and complete the short form. We’ll be collecting all your nominations throughout summer and publish the findings in September, so keep those memories alive and get voting!

For further information on Rough Guides, travel guides, gift-books, maps, phrasebooks, bespoke custom publishing guides and digital products, visit www.roughguides.com. Rough Guide is also offering all cottages4you visitors 20% off the latest Rough Guide to Britain. To redeem your discount, simply enter the code ‘rough’ in the coupon code box when you go to buy the product online.

take-part

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Your guide to Beach Cricket – the unofficial rules

July 16, 2009

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With play just about to start on The Second Test of the summer 09 Ashes Series at Lords, our thoughts turn to cricket. If you haven’t already heard it’s an Ashes Summer! And if you’ve been inspired by the heroics of “Freddie”, “KP” and “Monty” to name but a few, why not re-enact or re-write some great test matches with a spot of beach cricket! It’s the perfect game to involve the whole family, meet new friends, and, as the equipment needed is minimal (a bat, a ball and 4 piece of wood) any spot on the beach can be your Cardiff, Lords, Edgbaston, Headingley or Oval!

He's in

He's in

To help get you started we’ve compiled the cottages4you unofficial guide to beach cricket with some basic rules, hints and tips to make the game more enjoyable! Please feel free to download it and take it with you on your next holiday. (tip – if possible, ‘beach proof’ it by laminating it).

Once you’ve had a game we’d love to hear how you got on. Have you compiled a mammoth innings (if so how much), hit the biggest six (if so, how far?), taken a great catch or got a brilliant “5-for”?  If so, tell us about it! Share any funny stories with us -  did a dog steal the ball, did Dad get out first ball or a Seagull stop play? We want to hear all your stories throughout this Ashes summer, add a comment to this post!

In the meantime, enjoy your cricket, enjoy the summer and as the Umpire would say “play”!…..

Download your free guide here : PDF 1.2MB

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2 Comments | Fun, holiday advice, Holiday Tips and Tricks, Things to do | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
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Two great new features – launched today

June 17, 2009

We’ve added two great new features to the cottages4you website today.

Search with Maps

Search using a map

Search using a map

Using the ever popular Google Maps we’ve added map searching onto the site. Pick a spot that you’re interested in on the map and get results for properties within a 10 to 100 mile radius. You can also search by a place or town name. For example, tap in something like  ‘The Lake District’ or ‘Whitby’ to retrieve all the available properties that match your requirements in or nearby your desired location. What’s more, if you select ‘see results on a map’ you’ll be presented with a  map with ‘pushpins’ indicating where relevant properties are. Give it a go! Search with maps>>

Extras

extras page

Extras page

To make sure you enjoy your holiday as much as possible we have developed some great additional benefits including access to a wide range of offers including theatre tickets, restaurants, local attractions from lastminute.com and commission free home delivered  foreign currency for your trips abroad from the International Currency Exchange. Visit the extras page>>

MW

1 Comment | cottages4you, holiday advice, Holiday Tips and Tricks, News | Permalink
Posted by cottages4you

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