England in top ten for world’s best beaches

Keep Britain Tidy today announced the results of the annual Blue Flag awards, with 79 English beaches receiving the globally-recognised award this year – that’s nine more Blue Flags than 2011, guaranteeing more visitors peace of mind that their trip to the seaside will be clean and litter-free.

From Tyne and Wear to Torbay, beaches around our country’s coastline have been rewarded for their top-notch facilities and high standard of water quality. The results mean England is ranked in the world’s top 10 countries for having the most Blue Flag beaches out of the 46 countries taking part in the Blue Flag scheme.

Flying the flag for England’s seaside resorts in 2012 is Thanet in Kent with nine Blue Flags, followed by Torbay and Cornwall with five each. But the awards aren’t confined to the south of the country – beaches in Northumbria, Yorkshire and along the East of England coastline will be flying the Blue Flag this year.


In addition to the 79 beaches awarded a Blue Flag, 99 beaches around England have received Keep Britain Tidy’s Quality Coast Award, with the Isle of Wight leading the way with 11 awards, followed by Torbay with 10 awards and Scarborough with eight awards.

In total, England will boast an impressive 142 award-winning beaches in 2012 (with 36 beaches flying both the Blue Flag and Quality Coast Award).

Phil Barton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, which is responsible for the Blue Flag scheme in England and the Quality Coast Awards, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that England has more Blue Flag’s this year and with a total of 142 beaches around England receiving Blue Flags and Quality Coast Awards, what better way to holiday in this country than to visit one of the award-winning beaches.

“Winning beaches along our coastline ensure high standards of excellence for visitors. These high standards are testament to the hard work carried out by beach managers throughout the year in order to provide clean and safe beaches for everyone to enjoy, whether you live on the coast or are a visitor.”

The number of beaches receiving a Blue Flag or Quality Coast Award in 2012 proves that our shores continue to shine, offering residents, day-trippers and tourists alike well-maintained and well-managed places to visit.

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Enjoy the Diamond Jubilee with a Garden Party

Leading country house and castle rental specialist Stately Escapes has announced that three of its featured properties will be offering unique ‘garden party’ packages for those looking to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in style.

Over the Jubilee double bank holiday weekend (1 to 5 June) the three properties – Inglethorpe Hall in Norfolk, Carlton Manor House in Yorkshire and a stunning 14th Century castle in the Scottish Borders near Berwick will all be dusting off the red, white and blue bunting and royal memorabilia so that guests can mark the royal occasion amidst their own stately splendour.

Be it the quintessentially English garden affair, a Scottish hog roast or full on Yorkshire country fair at the seat of the Duke of Norfolk, each one will surely provide a truly memorable Jubilee weekend getaway for friends and family.

Inglethorpe Hall is set in 30 acres of glorious gardens and parkland near Sandringham in north Norfolk and is a quintessential English country house. Sleeping 15 in comfort within its grand and recently refurbished Georgian interiors it is the perfect location for a quintessentially English Jubilee garden party.

A Jubilee afternoon tea will be served amidst royal bunting under trees in the gardens, or on the grand York stone formal terrace looking out over The Wash to sea or if you really want to soak up the royal atmosphere on a picnic rug in the grounds of Sandringham just next door.

The house really is fit for a royal celebration having hosted three real queens for afternoon tea back in the 1920’s – Queen Mary (George V’s wife), Queen Alexandra (widow of Edward VII) and Queen Maud of Norway (Queen Victoria’s granddaughter) all sipped Earl Grey whilst on a visit to The Hall from neighbouring Sandringham Estate.


Carlton Manor House is a spectacular 17th Century gothic Victorian stately home near Selby in Yorkshire. It is set in 250 acres of parkland and is the home of Lord and Lady Gerald Fitzalan Howard – and the Yorkshire seat of Lord Gerald’s brother the Duke of Norfolk. The Nursery Wing, Bachelor Wing, Baroness Tower and Clock Tower were all refurbished in 2009 as self contained accommodation, lavishly appointed with three grand state rooms and 16 luxurious bedrooms to sleep up to 30 people.

To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee the estate is throwing a traditional country fair over the dual bank holiday. The family event featuring side shows, pop tribute acts and traditional country events such as the Queen’s challenge clay shoot, Jubilee lurcher race and Diamond Geezer competition will run from 9.30am to 9pm on Monday 4th and from 9.30am till 5pm on Tuesday 5th June. Guests staying at the house will gain free access to the fair and be a stones’ throw from all the activities.

If you’re a Laird rather than a Lord at heart then head to the beautiful Scottish Borders to celebrate the Jubilee at a secluded 14th Century castle near Berwick-upon-Tweed. Sleeping 25 within its grand baronial interiors its Jubilee weekend package offers a fully catered option for those looking to kick back and fully enjoy the celebrations.

For more information about all of these Diamond Jubilee exclusive getaways visit www.statelyescapes.co.uk or call 0845 389 9582.

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Holiday Park Looks Forward to 50 More Years

Family-run holiday parks that have celebrated 40 years in business are not uncommon. But few can boast individual holiday-caravan owners who have been coming back for more than 50 years. However, that is the claim to fame justifiably being made by Highlands End at Eype near Bridport in Dorset.

Heading up West Dorset Leisure Holidays (WDLH) which runs this park are the Cox/Butcher family. They took over the operation, which numbers five parks, in 1971.




Among their satisfied customers are Jennifer and Robert Crockford from Stonehouse in Gloucestershire who have within past weeks taken delivery of their seventh holiday caravan at Highlands End. And Jennifer can recall staying there with her parents as far back as 1961.

Located in a clifftop setting midway between Weymouth and Lyme Regis, Highlands End lies right at the heart of the Jurassic Coast, the UK’s only natural World Heritage Site. It has views to match.

This park is the flagship of WDLH and it’s easy to see why. As well as 160 mostly privately-owned holiday caravans, it offers an indoor heated swimming pool with sauna and steam room, a well-equipped gym, tennis courts, a nine-hole pitch’n’putt course and a bar plus restaurant.

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Hotel installs bicycle-powered television

An eco-friendly b&b in the New Forest has unveiled its newest energy-saving initiative – a bicycle-powered television.

Guests in the “Standing Hat” room at Cottage Lodge in the village of Brockenhurst, can now keep fit, watch their favourite programmes, and do their bit for the environment using the novel device.

The room also features low-energy lighting, solar panels and a wood-burning stove to produce hot water, and a low-flow toilet and shower to reduce water use. The publicity also boasts that environmentally-friends paints and low-impact building materials were used throughout, while the room’s bed, bedside table, dressing table, wardrobe and mirror were crafted by a local tree surgeon from a single beech tree which fell in the village.

Christina Simons, the hotel’s owner, has spent nearly eight years turning it into a green retreat, but explained how the 360-year-old property has recycling in its heritage.

“The building dates back to 1650, and was actually constructed from a reclaimed ship,” she said.

“I focused on three things when constructing the room: reducing waste, minimising pollution and using resources with the lowest impact possible.

“I also wanted to show that being green can also be exciting and fun, and guests love cycling on the bike.”
The hotel has won several prizes for its eco-friendly initiatives, including awards from Visit Britain and the AA.

A stay in the Standing Hat costs from £129, including breakfast. Call 01590 622 296 or visit www.cottagelodge.co.uk.

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Tourists face sharp hotel price rise for Jubilee

Those hoping to visit London for the Jubilee celebrations should beware of sharp increases in the cost of a hotel stay, a new report has warned.

The cost of a four-night stay for a family of four during the Jubilee period is an average of 54 per cent higher than for four nights in May, a study released by the Santander banking group suggests.

The report also found that some hotels have increased their charges by up to 223 per cent.

Those booking luxury accommodation face the most substantial rises – an average of 81 per cent more than an equivalent weekend in May.

The three- and five-star hotels included in the study showed a price-range from £832 to £6,606 for a four-night stay from June 2 to June 6, for a family of four.

In comparison, the same hotels had a range of £710 to £4,302 for a Saturday to Wednesday stay in mid-May. The premiums charged by hotels are significantly more than they were during last year's Royal Wedding, the research suggests. Increases of up to 113 per cent were reported then, with the average price hike being 26 per cent.

Not only London has been affected by price rises for the extra bank holiday. Families visiting Edinburgh can expect to pay an average of 28 per cent more than usual, while an eight per cent increase is reported in Manchester

Demand for hotel rooms in London is likely to be fierce over the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend,” said a spokesperson from Santander. “The premiums our research has uncovered will price many families out of the capital altogether.”

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