cottages4you blog: inspiration for your cottage or villa holiday in UK, Ireland and Europe

Do you remember the joy of doodling? Whether it was absent days scribbling in the side of a textbook at school, copying cartoons from a Beano magazine because you liked being able to draw, or with simply nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon sketching anything and everything in front of the TV, we often found ourselves creating images.

There’s something very human about this pursuit, a need to express ourselves and the world through visual imagery. We needn’t be skilled in fine art to validate the end product, the expression of it is enough to merit an emotional response, even if it is just our own. Art is like music – or sound to be more precise – a very basic human quality and universal: it doesn’t need to be translated in the same way that language does for example.

So it is a shame to read that millions of British children have never been to an art gallery, to the theatre or watched a stage show, suggesting that culture for many, isn’t an important part of their lives.

Research that was commissioned by Visit Birmingham appears to suggest that there is an emerging generation of youngsters who are “starved of culture”; perhaps highlighting the powerful hold that media and technology has on large swathes of the population.

It begs the question, for example, what do some people actually do on a family holiday? Surely, a visit to a gallery, even just a fleeting one, is something that happens? Or what about watching a play? Perhaps entertainment these days is viewed as anything on a screen, like the cinema, TV or handheld electronic device. Art galleries and playhouses are therefore relics of a bygone era.

The research revealed that four in ten children have never seen the inside of an art gallery, 17 per cent have never visited a museum with their parents, six in ten have never been to a classical music concert and, very worryingly, one in ten youngsters have never left their home town and visited other towns and cities within the UK.

“Culture can take many kinds of forms and it’s essential our children are encouraged to get involved with this at any early age – whether that be attending a pantomime, visiting something like the Staffordshire Hoard or getting involved in dance,” said Emma Gray, director of marketing services for Marketing Birmingham.

“There’s no doubt that cultural activity enriches day to day and it’s important that children embrace our history and culture now, to ensure that it is passed on through the generations.”

She added that a few trips a year to museums, landmarks and cultural festivals can be memorable and fun experiences for young people. We agree with Ms Gray, it really is vital. Plus, it can be very cheap – a lot of museums are free and a lot of festivals are also charge-free. Culture is important. Don’t take our word for it, take John Ruskin’s: “Art is not a study of positive reality; it is the seeking for ideal truth.”

Posted by David Sollberger, cottages4you

Elizabeth II was just 25 when she became Queen. 60 years on, her reign is now the second-longest in the monarchy's history. While governments come and go, her tenure has been the one consistent thing in British life for an extraordinary amount of time.

On February 6th, the date the Queen's father, George VI, passed away in his sleep, Elizabeth ll noted the occasion with a public outing. It has become customary for the monarch to spend the day privately, but given the unprecedented celebrations of sport, culture and indeed royal life, she decided to use it as an occasion to present herself as Queen of the people.

It is also seen as a sort of unofficial firing gun that says "Good morning world! This is the UK! All doors are open for trade! Come to our wonderful country and enjoy everything we have to offer!"

In an official message addressed to the entire country, the Queen thanked everyone for their support and encouragement over the years, stating how moved she and Prince Philip were over the kind messages they have been receiving as of late.

"In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope that we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family friendship and good neighbourliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign and which my family and I look forward to seeing in many forms as we travel throughout the UK and the wider Commonwealth," the message read.

"I hope also that this jubilee year will be a time to give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with clear heads and warm hearts as we join together in our celebrations. I send my sincere good wishes to you all."

While this commemoration of her ascension to the throne is rather muted, the official Diamond Jubilee party is anything but. June is the month for that. This will be the best time for holidaymakers in the UK and beyond to experience a celebration of the monarchy like no other. And why not stick around – the Olympics will be banging at the door.

Posted by David Sollberger, cottages4you
 

The over 50s age group is using technology to help improve their holiday experience, according to new research.

Saga Travel Insurance found that at least 70 per cent – an overwhelming number you must agree – of people in the demographic took with them a gadget to help them chill out to the maximum.

The stereotypical image that older people are not up on gadgets was torn apart by this research, which showed that they were just as likely as youngsters to be equipped with the latest gizmos. This includes taking MP3 players (26 per cent), smartphones (24 per cent) and tablets (20 per cent).

In fact these gadgets are seen as holiday essentials, just as necessary as flip flops and suncream.

“The fact that people are taking more expensive gadgets on holiday with them does have an impact on their travel insurance,” said Roger Ramsden, chief executive of Saga Insurance.

“People could become a target for thieves, so we would advise them to make sure they have adequate cover for their belongings before they travel and to make sure they register the loss of any of their belongings with the local police straight away as not doing so could lead to problems when they try to make a claim.”

The reasons for taking such gadgets on holiday varies. Half of respondents (52 per cent) state that they like to keep in touch with people back home via email, 29 per cent say they like to read on an e-book, for some it’s about being able to listen to their music (18 per cent), while for others it gives them a chance to listen to their favourite radio stations back home.

Now while we love nothing more than travel gadgets, it is important whatever age you are to make sure that these brilliant devices don’t actually distract you from your holiday – it’s all about taking a break from the things that can weigh us down!

Posted by David Sollberger, cottages4you

National Museums Scotland (NMS) has finally revealed its epic roster of events and exhibitions across its five museums in the year ahead, showcasing the depth and breadth of what it has to offer people who are on holiday in the country.

"Next year we have a packed programme of exhibitions and events including a hugely inspiring series of international exhibitions in the transformed National Museum of Scotland," said Dr Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland.

"After successfully delivering this major capital project, and with a staggering one million visitors to the new museum in the first four months, we are focusing on delivering an exciting, appealing and diverse programme that will ensure there is always something new to visit across all our museums."

To begin with, there is still plenty of time to catch Admiral Cochrane, the real master and Commander at the National Museum of Scotland, which runs until February 19th.

A hero to many at the time of his exploits and an intriguing figure to historians ever since, Cochrane's real life adventures cast light on why blockbuster films and books have been inspired by him. The exhibition looks at his life through personal possessions, papers and grand paintings, all put together in a spectacular way.

That same month sees Fascinating Mummies begin its exhibition at the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, which is, as the title of the show suggests, absolutely riveting.

The show is made up of very old objects and artefacts, from the world famous Egyptology collections and from the museums' own stash of goods, and examines the rich, mystical and enthralling culture and history of this ancient civilisation.

In March, at the National War Museum – which is located within Edinburgh Castle – presents Reconstructing Lives, an absorbing and affecting look at the narrative and experience of those who have lost limbs through the devastating course of war and the technology used help rebuild their lives.

It explores this in a chronological sense, looking at the iron hands of the 16th century to the carbon-fibre running blades of the 21st century, juxtaposed against personal stories of the people who have been affected by conflict.

Finally, also in March is See Scotland by Train, which will surely be a hit with graphic designers and artists alike. The exhibition, which is at the National Museum of Scotland, looks at a grand collection of Scottish railway posters over the years, proving the viewer with a visual history of the changing times of the country and the train service itself.

Part two of this guide to what the NMS has to offer in 2012 follows next week.

Posted by Matt Smith, cottages4you

David Hockney once said “Always live in the ugliest house on the street – then you don’t have to look at it”.

It makes you laugh, a wisecracking comment, all at once absurd – who chooses to live in a vulgar abode – but equally perceptive. Smart man, original, knows how to paint pretty pictures.

The Yorkshire man is enjoying being at the centre of a buzz of conversation about him at present, all courtesy of a new exhibition at the Royal Academy. Entitled A Bigger Picture, the show celebrates the natural world, with a specific focus on the Yorkshire Wolds.

It is, in some ways, a prelude to a year of reinvigorated interest in the Yorkshire Wolds, an area of low hills in East and North Yorkshire. Hockney makes it beautiful in an artistic way, his typically pop aplomb style offering viewers a decidedly gorgeous imagination of the local scenery. Purple tree trunks anyone, blue branches?

In real life, though not as dreamlike in a wacky sense – i.e. a reality that can only be imagined in the deep subconscious – the Yorkshire Wolds are nevertheless just as captivating and we can see why Hockey is so passionate about this world. Its prettiness is arresting, nature in its most basic form, untarnished by human interference.

The word undulating is often used to describe the area, which is apt – the Yorkshire Wolds do have a sort of wavy feature to it, a characteristic that Hockney brings to life in his paintings. This makes the actual area a great place to navigate across, be it by foot, cycle or car.

It’s magnificent, in a way, what the Hockney Effect is going to do for the area – the pop artist has been long associated with the cool, chic exterior – and interior – of sunny California, a world which is the antithesis of Yorkshire life. It’s not so much that it’s fake, though that could be said to be true, but California exudes man’s desire to ostracise himself from nature. Everything is fabricated.

The Yorkshire Wolds however, retain a human quality. We find we are naturally drawn to it because it calls out to us. It’s a sounding horn of the past echoing into the future, saying remember where we’ve come from and how lovely it is to be somewhere utterly resplendent.

For those of you keen to check out the Yorkshire Wolds, we recommend you consider staying at Park House, a delightful 17th century detached cottage, ideally near the Yorkshire Wolds as well as the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.

To close, another quote from Hockney: “Loads of people, particularly artists, hate pretty pictures. Now I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like a pretty face.”

A wise man indeed: do check out his work and do check out the Yorkshire Wolds.

Posted by David Sollberger, cottages4you

It’d be nice to have your name as an –ism or as a prefix/suffix to something important. It denotes a certain reverence for you as a creature, a fact that you have transcended your mere mortal self and become something much more than a human being. You’re an idea, a tour de force, a way of life, a thing that is worthy of worship. Your name is philosophical, pop or highbrow, it doesn’t matter

Now while some people get it wrong – David Beckham has brought out his own underwear range (seriously, we love you as much as the rest of the world, but boxer shorts…really Becks?) – others, without trying, get it right.

David Hockney, the indefatigable pop artist, has, along with producing masterpieces like A Bigger Grand Canyon (1998), Paint Trolley (1985), American Collectors (1968) and Three-Panel Diving Board (1978), been quietly busy painting landscapes for the best part of 50 years. Many of the pictures centre on East Yorkshire, Hockney’s ancestral home.

These works are now being celebrated with a new exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, and true to form, are a visual bonanza. Colour is, per se, in all its generous, visual glory, splashed all over the canvasses. One might have to don sunglasses it’s that luminous!

Entitled A Bigger Picture, the show’s impact is expected to go beyond the exhibition. The Hockney Effect – so, so right! – is to reignite an interest in the Yorkshire Wolds, which, although as gorgeous as it has ever been, has experienced a gentle lull in visibility.

Part of the exhibition presents new work from the artist, like Woldgate Woods, which takes East Yorkshire’s beautiful natural scenery and reinvents it in a decidedly pop way. Again, the only descriptive vocabulary that comes to mind is colour! Lots of it: vivid, incandescent and bubbly.

“I think the world’s gone a bit Hockney mad at the moment,” said Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire. The exhibition is, in his opinion, a great way of promoting the region.

“The spotlight that will come back on to Yorkshire and those parts of Yorkshire as a result of this shouldn’t be underestimated. I would think that you will see, over the course of this year and probably going on beyond that, a big Hockney Effect, if you want to call it that, in terms of visitor numbers.”

Hockney meanwhile, as cool as a winter’s breeze on a sunny February afternoon, is happy to see attention cast on Yorkshire but not so bothered about interest in himself as a person. We get from him that he is happy for people to talk about his art, “not me” as a person. We can accept his want for privacy because his contribution to art and now Yorkshire is immeasurable. He is a man whose name is much more than a simple way of identifying oneself. It’s an idea.

Posted by David Sollberger, cottages4you

Well, it is certainly one way of boosting your tourism.

Whisky, one of Scotland’s most famous exports, a drink enjoyed by people all around the world, could be even more prevalent in Scotland when a scheme that grades establishments serving the liquor comes into effect.

Backed by VisitScotland, the star scheme – a sort of whisky version of the Michelin-grading system that decides which eateries are of particular note – is one innovative way of celebrating one of the country’s most famous creations while drawing in crowds of holidaymakers who have booked a cottage break somewhere pretty.

The venture is being co-launched along with The Whisky Ambassador, which is run by a chap by the name of Victor Brierley (who also delivers whisky tours in Glasgow). Bars that stock whisky will be awarded stars based on the level of training staff have made and the service they deliver. So, for example, they will be judged on their ability to recommend a certain type of whisky to any given tourist.

“There are some excellent whisky bars and a lot of knowledge in some places, but many bar staff even in high-end bars and hotels don’t know what they are talking about,” he said.

“Premises will have sommeliers who can talk about champagne and red or white wine until it’s coming out of their ears, but shockingly, they often don’t know the first thing about whisky, our national drink.”

Mr Brierley added that recent research conducted by VisitScotland had shown that there is room for much improvement in the bar trade in the country.

“Knowledge is power,” he stated. “We’re giving them this knowledge.”

The whole initiative isn’t about remoulding the image of whisky as connoisseurs of the alcoholic beverage can testify that it is a delightful drink that comes in all sorts of flavours and colours. It’s about making it more accessible, about expanding people’s awareness of it and talking about its rich history. That’s what Mr Brierley is getting at when it says there is a knowledge gap.

“Bar staff should be able to talk about what whisky is, the colour, the age, the peatiness, the sweetness, and how it has come to find its way into bars all over the world,” he concluded.

Posted by David Sollberger, cottages4you

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so the shops tell us, their windows plastered with voluptuous hearts and teddy bears big and small and oh so cuddly. You ask yourself “Already? Didn’t I just get caught up in Christmas?” Alas dear reader, time flies like cupid’s arrow on a busy day and indeed that time is nigh. Santa is probably in the Caribbean sipping on a cocktail. It’s now time for the little cherub to take centre stage, to waltz around the globe spreading the joy of love.

For the romantics, young and old, a cottage holiday in Bath is an exciting way to surprise one’s partner on two counts. One, a cottage, whether classic or contemporary, exudes a certain romantic quality, a perfect place for you to whittle off one of your poems to your lover, a dreamy place to propose, or somewhere to remember all the good times you’ve experienced over the many years you’ve been together.

Two, Bath, historic, an official World Heritage site, arresting in its architecture – there’s something special about the Royal Crescent’s understated curves for example – and home to the Roman Baths, is equally dreamy.

Put the two together with basic mathematics and boom, you have got yourself a perfect setting for a short break that will be long remembered. Bearing this in mind, Bath Tourism Plus has come up with some suitably lovey-dovey ideas as to what couples can get up to when visiting the city.

It suggests checking out the Beaujolais Bistro, described as a traditional Bath favourite. On closer inspection, it is understandable why it remains a popular eatery – understated, with a generous menu and prices that are competitive. They’ve also got humour: “We love children but if they run around the restaurant we will give them a shot of espresso and a free puppy to take home!” Not bad eh? Have a lunch, let your kids go wild and get a puppy in return.

One place that demands a visit is the Prior Park Landscape Garden, jaw-dropping and beautiful in every way possible, and, we expect, come Valentine’s Day, beginning to once again blossom into life. It’s an 18th century landscape, created with the kind of skill that suggests Ralph Allen, an entrepreneur from the city whose idea it was, knew about love.

Valentine’s Day is a once a year event and though some may argue it to be a little cheesy, a bit too obvious and outdated, we think it provides an opportunity, at least, for lovers to dedicate proper time to one another. With everyone often so busy with work, socials and managing the family, the occasions we get with just our partner can often feel to be lacking or rushed. Make time and keep falling in love with one another…over and over till the end of time.

A beautiful, modernist building in Devon, considered to be one of the finest architectural buildings of its kind in the UK, long hidden from most of the public, is to reopen.

High Cross House, based in Dartington, is to open in the spring, made possible by a partnership between Dartington Hall Trust and the National Trust. For those on a cottage break in the region in March, it is worth checking out an outstanding feat of engineering and artistry.

Commissioned by William Curry, the first headmaster at Dartington Hall School, a man with impeccable taste, the modernist house is seen as a triumph of style and functionality.

It was designed by William Lescaze, a renowned Swiss-American architect and completed in 1932. The brief was a home that was a "machine for living".

In recent years the building has become more of a space for other things than its own aesthetic appeal, most notably showcasing 20th century art. That said, the art, which comes from Dartington Hall's own collection, has been in line with the modernist origins of High Cross House.

"We’re very excited by this new partnership with the National Trust, said Vaughan Lindsay, chief executive officer of Dartington Hall.

"We hope the partnership will bring many new visitors to the estate to enjoy High Cross House, explore Dartington's glorious grounds and gardens and find out more about our charitable programmes in the arts, social justice and sustainability"

Robyn Brown, general manager of the National Trust, English Riviera, described High Cross House as among the top five modernist houses in the country.
"We are really delighted to be working with Dartington to offer this special place for members, visitors and locals to come and enjoy again and again," she added.
High Cross House opens on March 7th.

Eat – Waterside Bistro

With a view of the river and an exciting menu to boot, Waterside Bistro is a superb place to visit for breakfast and lunch.

For meat eaters, check out its warm Chinese crispy duck pancakes, hoi sin sauce, crème fraiche, spring onions and cucumber. Veggies are recommended to try the baked Sharpham goat's cheese in filo pastry with sun dried tomato and rocket.

Posted by Andrew Hill, cottages4you

Paris through the eyes of quixotic Amelie in the hit movie of the same name – played superbly by the exquisite Audrey Tautou – could be said to be a wonderful if not slightly nonconformist introduction to the magical city of Paris.

Equally, Breathless, the 1960 French flick, forerunner of the French New Wave, could also serve as an alternative foreword to Paris, with Michel – played by the very watchable Jean-Paul Belmondo – bumbling his way around the city.

Both movies may perhaps be outside the fringes of how Paris is painted, but they ultimately come to the same conclusion: Paris is a dynamic city. It always has been and always will be.

It's a sentiment that Sarah Woods, a writer and TV presenter best known for her work on the Alan Titchmarsh show – the nation's favourite gardener – shares.

"Paris is one of the most iconic cities in Europe," she says matter-of-factly.

"We're familiar with all the images and landmarks and if we haven't been to the Eiffel Tower, we feel that we have got an affinity with it. We have an affinity because we probably have seen it, because we've grown up with pictures and images of it on televisions and [in] books."

Like London, New York and Milan, Paris is one of those cities that has transcended its geographical boundaries – its identity and attraction is global.

"Now, more than ever, people are wanting to see these iconic cities," Ms Woods goes on to say.

"It has retained its appeal with a broad base of people because it used to have a romantic tag but now with things like Eurodisney, it has had to broaden its tourist appeal to families."

This is a dramatic change because it has long been associated with romance, though still true, is not the only defining quality of the city. It's a great place for escape, for family adventure and for activity.

"It used to have a real snooty air about it but there are many more places [to visit within the city] there are places to eat and things like that. It has captured our hearts and imaginations with its landmark attractions."

Paris is an unmistakeably vibrant city, which can be properly enjoyed by following tourist trails or all the usual hotspots. But, if you want to get to know the real Paris, follow the lead of the fictional Amelie and Michel, whose haphazard and often capricious wanderings leads them to all sorts of unusual yet dynamic hotspots.

One things for you sure in Paris – wherever you end up, there'll be something about it that is captivating. Linger and enjoy. After all, as one of the characters says in Breathless, "When the French say a second, they mean five minutes".
Posted by David Sollberger, cottages4you