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Swanage and Purbeck's
3rd Walking Festival
Organisers are delighted to announce the launch of the Third
Swanage and Purbeck Walking Festival, which will run from
April 28th until May 6th 2012.
The Isle of Purbeck in Dorset has some of the most stunning
scenery in the UK and the walk programme is designed to
provide people of all ages, interests and abilities the
chance to roam along the beautiful Jurassic Coast and over
unspoiled heathland, through nature reserves and idyllic
Dorset villages. The area is blessed with an abundance of
wildlife, and those taking part can expect to see some of
the UK’s rarest species such as the Sika Deer for example,
as well as magnificent and iconic landmarks such as Corfe
Castle and Old Harry Rocks.
The programme is set to be as diverse as possible this
coming year, take a leisurely stroll for a mile and a
half walk around Swanage, discovering the fascinating
history of this beautiful Victorian seaside town, or for the
more active take the day out, with sixteen miles along the
South West Coast Path on the infamous 'Jurassic Roller
Coaster. Expect a variety of experiences, with discounts for
those opting for trips on Swanage Steam Railway, and pub
lunches included for some, or how about resting your feet
and eating a packed lunch, sitting in a flower-filled meadow
and looking out to sea?
Main Sponsor Oswald Bailey, the outdoor clothing and camping
retailer, is once again supporting the festival and says....
“We are delighted to be involved with this popular event in
the walking calendar once again, as a Dorset based family
firm with 19 shops around the UK, the event totally
encompasses the ethos of our brand. We want to encourage
people to get outdoors to appreciate what our natural
landscape has to offer and this event is the perfect way to
do that.”
Festival organiser Andy Pedrick, commented:
“The festival is now well and truly established and it has
proved tremendously popular, it’s a great way for everyone
to explore the Purbeck’s, and learn about how special the
area is. Next years programme will include events of special
interest, such as photography, art and food, and family
activities etc. It’s going to be fantastic.”
More details can be found on the Walking Festival website,
www.walkswanage.com
or for more information on Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck
please visit
www.VisitSwanage.com.
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Romance Packages in
Thailand with Amari
Renowned for its stunning white sands, crystal seas and
delicious food, Thailand is a perfect destination if you’re
planning a romantic getaway for 2012. And top hotel group
Amari has some great packages for those looking to whisk
their better halves off to a faraway place.
Whether it’s a city break in bustling Bangkok with shopping
galore before a relaxing spa treatment at the Amari
Watergate Bangkok, or a tropical getaway at the Amari Vogue
Krabi complete with dinner for two on the beach, Thailand
has everything you could wish for. Book your romantic break
now, and take advantage of these excellent package deals.
Romance Package, Amari Vogue
Krabi, www.amari.com/vogue
The Amari Vogue Krabi is an ideal romantic retreat, located
in a secluded beachfront setting, overlooking the pristine
Tub Kaek Beach. Offering boutique style accommodation with
just 57 rooms, the resort is perfect for a relaxing escape
from the world. All rooms have balconies, many with
breathtaking sea views, while stunning tropical gardens,
water features and pools provide the perfect setting for
holiday relaxation.
The resort boasts a Breeze Spa as well as a great selection
of restaurants, including ‘Bellini’ for Italian food and
‘Lotus’ for an international menu. The Romance Package
includes a variety of touches, such as rose petals in the
Honeymoon Deluxe room, and a special dinner prepared on the
beach.
A three night stay at the Amari Vogue Krabi in a Honeymoon
Deluxe room with the Romance Package costs from 42,000 Baht
(approximately £870) for two people. The offer is available
now until the 15th April 2012, and the price includes:
* Three nights in a Honeymoon Deluxe room including
breakfasts
* A romantic dinner on the beach, specially prepared
for a table for two
* A bottle of sparkling wine and a welcome drink
* Honeymoon set up in room, including rose petals on the bed
and in the bathtub, a cake, a bouquet of roses and fresh
seasonal fruit
* 20% off additional spa treatments at Breeze Spa
* Complimentary internet access
* Complimentary use of hotel kayak (when available)
Krabi airport transfers by car
If a city location is more your thing, then head to the
Amari Watergate Bangkok and take advantage of the
Valentine’s Day special offer.
Valentine’s Package, Amari
Watergate Bangkok, www.amari.com/watergate
Set in a prominent location in Bangkok's bustling shopping
and commercial district Pratunam, the stylish Amari
Watergate Bangkok combines spacious guest rooms with fine
restaurants and extensive recreational facilities.
The hotel offers numerous dining options, including Henry J.
Bean's Bar & Grill, Heichinrou Chinese Restaurant, Thai on 4
Restaurant, and Promenade Restaurant for international
cuisine. The bar on the hotel’s executive floor offers
spectacular views of the city. The Watergate’s facilities
also include a swimming pool on the 8th floor and the superb
Breeze Spa, for massage, body and facial treatments. The
Valentine’s Package includes a 60 minute aromatic oil
massage at Breeze Spa, as well as numerous other little
extras to make your stay a special one.
A two night stay at the Amari Watergate Bangkok with the
Valentine’s Package costs from 10,900 Baht (approximately
£225) for two people. The offer is valid from the
10th February to the 17th February 2012 and the price
includes:
* Two nights in a Deluxe room including breakfasts
* An upgrade to Grand Deluxe room (if availability allows)
* A 60 minute aromatic oil massage at Breeze Spa
* A bottle of sparkling wine and a welcome drink
* 20% discount on food in the hotel (food only)
* Fruit and flowers provided in room
* Complimentary internet access
* Complimentary late check-out on day of departure (2pm)
EVA Air flies daily from London Heathrow to Bangkok, with
return flights from £595 per person in economy class
(including taxes). For more information visit www.evaair.com or
call 0207 380 8300.
Flights from Bangkok to Krabi are available from Bangkok
Airways. For more information visit www.bangkokair.com
About Amari
A force in Thailand’s hospitality industry since 1965,
Amari’s network of 12 properties spans the country, from
scenic seaside and mountain locations to vibrant urban
settings. Amari is a vision of contemporary Asia, a brand
that embodies Asian flair, modern perspective, desire and a
down-to-earth vibe. The brand caters to both business and
leisure travellers, with each property featuring superior
quality rooms, facilities and services.Amari. The Colours
and Rhythms of Modern Asian Hospitality. www.amari.com
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Valentine’s Night of
Romance at Macdonald Compleat Angler, Marlow
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Choose from two award winning
restaurants to wine and dine your loved one at the
stylish, Macdonald Compleat Angler Hotel beside the
Thames at Marlow, Buckinghamshire on Valentine’s
night, 14th February. With its stunning river views
and candlelit dining rooms, this incredibly romantic
hotel is sure to set the mood for love.
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A delicious four-course Valentine’s menu designed to
excite more than the palette will be on offer in the
AA two rosette Bowaters riverside restaurant at £65
per person to include a glass of bubbly each and a
fresh rose for your partner
Alternatively treat your loved one to a romantic
dinner in Aubergine; successor to the original
Michelin-stared restaurant in London’s Chelsea, this
fine dining restaurant has been awarded three
rosettes under the superb culinary skills of
Executive Head Chef Miles Nixon.
The evening begins with champagne and canapés on
arrival followed by a gourmet four-course menu with
carefully matched wines, plus coffee and petit
fours. And, of course,no Valentine’s dinner would be
complete without a single red rose to take home.
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Afterwards, stay in one of the hotel’s 64 stylish
bedrooms and suites, many have river views and some
are in sight and sound of water cascading over the
weir. Double rooms start from £179 B&B.
To book call the Macdonald Compleat Angler on
0844 879 9128 or visit website
www.MacdonaldHotels.co.uk/CompleatAngler.
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Photographic Holidays
for 2012
EYE Photographic Workshops announce new one day
intro courses in the UK plus spring workshops in
Mallorca and Kenya. And for intermediates,
those who have already mastered the basics of SLR
camera skills, EYE is offering photographic holidays
in Mallorca in February and to the island of Lamu in
Kenya in March.
EYE’s new one day workshop based at their studios in
London offers the chance to learn about the basic
camera functions of ISOs, f Stops and shutter speeds
and how to apply these to achieve
professional-standard photographs. And there’s no
need to invest in camera equipment in advance as all
the equipment on this course is provided if
participants do not have their own (35mm Canon SLR
digital cameras, lenses and Apple laptops).
Organised in groups of a maximum of eight with two
tutors to ensure plenty of one-on-one instruction,
EYE’s workshops provide a personal approach and
achieve great results. The new one day
course is also a good option as a refresher for
those who already have a camera but haven’t mastered
the techniques. The tuition also includes
skills in computer editing software, which is
essential for creating the perfect image.
For intermediates EYE is offering the chance to join
a
four
nights, five day course in
Mallorca in
the old town of Pollenca on the north-west coast
taking place from 24th-28th
February 2012. Pollenca with its squares,
markets and churches offers great photographic
opportunities for intermediate level photographers.
Participants will have the opportunity to photograph
horses and their riders, cycling and paragliding.
And there’s a portrait class during the course to
perfect people shots. Cost: £1,450 per person
(includes all meals and accommodation but excludes
flights).
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Wroxton House Hotel
Visit Wroxton House Hotel,
near Banbury in 2012 and
satisfy the urge to try
something a little different
in your life or even kick
start a new hobby. This
beautiful thatched roof
hotel is located in the
idyllic village of Wroxton
on the borders of North
Oxfordshire, Warwickshire
and Northamptonshire.
Surrounded by stunning
countryside the hotel has
access to challenging
cycling and walking routes,
artist workshops and many
other country pursuits -
leaving their guests spoilt
for choice!
Take a look at the following
activities. Add them to your
list of New Year's
Resolutions and enjoy
picking up an amazing new
skill in 2012:
Elgar and the Orchestra
Spring Break -
Join us for a truly
uplifting Spring Break from
9th -
11th March
2012 with entertainment from
Elgar and the Orchestra. The
event has been arranged in
conjunction with Arts in
Residence, a specialist
promoter of cultural breaks
in the UK. You are invited
to get away from it all to
learn more about 'the man
behind the music' and enjoy
some of Elgar's most rousing
works.
Watercolour Painting Break -
Join us and artist in
residence, Tim Fisher to
'brush up' on your
watercolour skills in this
delightful break from 10th May
for three nights. The event
has been arranged in
conjunction with Arts in
Residence, a specialist
promoter of cultural breaks
in the UK.
Walking Breaks -
You're invited to get
healthy in 2012 by strapping
on your walking boots and
exploring the beautiful
countryside around the hotel
on foot. The
hotel provides easy access
to 'bite sized chunks' of a
number of Long Distance
Walking Routes, as well as
some stunning circular walks
around the North Oxfordshire
Countryside.
Cycling Breaks -
Are you up to the challenge
of 3 counties, 2 wheels, 1
day? The hotel is on the
doorstep of some challenging
cycling routes including the
3 Counties Ride - a 17 mile
route starting in
Oxfordshire and crossing
into Warwickshire and
Northamptonshire. |
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Wonderful
Wiltshire
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We found ourselves with a couple of nights free in
November, so rather than stopping at home, started
looking at the area. It’s years since we went to
Swindon, we love the countryside, so we fancied a
country hotel that would offer something
conventional, while looking for owners who would
provide lots of personal service.
After quite a lot of internet research, Pam decided
that Chiseldon House Hotel fitted the bill. New
owners who had only been there a couple of months,
they would want to stamp their own imprint on a
wonderful looking country house hotel that prior to
then had some indifferent reviews posted on trip
advisor. Let’s see what they had to offer, so we
travelled with an open mind.
It was so easy to find, within a mile of the M4
motorway but no traffic noise at all. Well
sign-posted just before the little village, easy
parking outside the main entrance. Mark the new
owner greeted us, booked us in with reception, and
carried one of the bags for me. He was younger and
fitter, so I had no problem with that. I asked if we
could have a little tour round, as we always like to
do this.
It’s a thing of mine, that I can write a far better
secret review if one of the management shows us, as
I take photos. 21 bedrooms, house built 1827, each
room individually decorated, weddings, private
functions, the usual assets you would expect from a
quality accommodation set in three acres.
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There were many aspects that I liked, one of which
was the fact that our room was lovely and warm even
on a cold November day, with an extra radiator if
necessary. Our room was big, large bed, and all the
rooms had a bidet. These had been installed many
years earlier by a previous proprietor, and I
suspect that Mark might replace when he finds it
necessary to re-fit the bathrooms, but as they are
already to a very good comfortable standard that
area of spending will not be necessary for quite
some time. His children like the bidets, which is
another reason to keep them.
We had booked a cream tea for arrival day, which is
a new marketing idea. Excellent, with quite a lot of
takers including locals. Very reasonably priced,
with good selection of sandwiches, scones jam and
cream, completed by delicious home-made cakes. Good
idea, and one that should catch on. Back to the room
to read, relax, and watch a bit of telly, down to
dinner for a drink first in the bar in the
restaurant.
We both had the a la carte, Pam enjoying duck pate
followed by chicken with pancetta, completed by
cheese, I appreciated the tomato and chilly soup,
pan fried rib eye steak with horseradish pomme
puree, ending with ice cream and sorbet in brandy
basket. No, I don’t remember all this, I asked for a
copy of the menu. But what I remember is a lovely
touch before the starters, when the waiter brought a
cup of home-made wild mushroom soup. You could taste
it was home-made, as there was hardly any salt. Such
a pleasant change. We each had a bottle of wine,
drinking half so we could finish the next night.
Comfortable nights sleep, good breakfast choice, I
especially appreciated the local ham with scrambled
eggs.
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Meanwhile, back to what to do in out of season
Wiltshire. We drove towards Swindon, visiting
Lydiard Park. The walled garden wasn’t open
unfortunately, but the St. John Church was, and this
is well worth a visit. That is where the original
family worshipped, but the house is now run by the
local council. No rooms upstairs are open, however
the ones downstairs are, for a reasonable price of
admission. Some volunteer ladies were in a room
sitting round a table restoring something – shame
they were too intent in their labours to reply to
Pam’s cheery hello – with many exhibits able to be
appreciated at close quarters.
Back into the car to a different part of Swindon,
following the excellent directions to STEAM, the
museum devoted to the old railway works. Make sure
you park opposite and walk across, the signs are all
there. I went into the signallers box, and
deliberately tried to derail a pretend train, but
the spoilsport voiced controller stopped me.
Another exhibit involved standing in the cab of a
steam locomotive, driving the train, looking out the
window, engaging the engine, tooting the whistle,
but I became bored so stepped off the moving train,
leaving it in the control of two other visitors
standing behind. No idea if it crashed, but there
was nothing on the local television so it must have
arrived safely. We went for a drive, lunch in Royal
Wootton Bassett. Marlborough was the next stop, and
the tea rooms are well worth a visit. No antique
shops, though. Long high street, easy parking. We
preferred Marlborough.
Back to the hotel late afternoon, then into dinner.
Tonight was smoked salmon and prawns for Pam,
followed by rib-eye steak, and I had the pate,
followed by roast breast of chicken. Again, a nice
little touch, with a different soup.
We left Chiseldon House Hotel after breakfast,
satisfied that our hotel choice had been a good one.
We were in no rush to get home, so stopped off one
junction along the M4 at Studley Grange. We didn’t
know quite what to expect, and were surprised that
the car park was so large. It is behind a garden
centre and a couple of other outlets, then you walk
into the covered complex of little shops and craft
centres.
Craft demonstrations, cards, and scrapbooking,
mainly for adults, but with many mothers with
children, there was also a superb butterfly farm and
zoo. Liam the assistant knows all the names, and we
especially thought that this was well worth a visit.
Coffee wasn’t too expensive either. Men, don’t be
put off by this complex, there’s things to interest
you as well. You can learn how to make a dolls house
as well as cup cakes.
Did we enjoy our break? Certainly did. If we had
been energetic or rambling walkers, there’s plenty
of trails to follow, and this area is an excellent
one to explore.
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Waterside Holiday Group
Olympic Price Promise
The Waterside Holiday Group in Weymouth, Dorset has
pledged to retain normal pricing during the
Weymouth-based Olympic events in 2012, in a move
that aims to ensure that regular visitors to the
town will not be priced out of the holiday market.
Management at the Group, which has three parks
overlooking the Olympic sailing waters of Portland
Harbour – Waterside
Holiday Park & Spa, Chesil
Vista Holiday Park,
and Osmington
Holiday Park –
have deliberately chosen not to inflate prices
during this period because they believe that this
would penalise regular guests as well as those who
wish to visit the area during the Olympic sailing
events.
Waterside will also be giving priority to guests who
have stayed at the park’s before, and is offering
the chance to secure 2011 prices for as 2012 holiday
if a booking is made before Christmas. Repeat
bookings are key to the success of the company with,
typically, three quarters of guests who holiday at
Waterside’s three parks having stayed there before.
For more information about Waterside Holiday Group
visit www.watersideholidays.co.uk.
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February 2012 