Just to brighten up this holiday period....

The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. 
This drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you're married to.

P. J. O'Rourke

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Travel matters............

.......and Quotes;

A good holiday is one spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours: J. B. Priestly

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Up in the air …

BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT and low-fare airline Norwegian have announced plans to launch new flights to Madrid, Barcelona, and Malaga from Birmingham next summer.

FLYBE has published its full 2015 summer schedule from Southampton airport. It features 28 routes and 320 flights a week across its extensive UK and Europe network. This includes two new routes to Bastia (Corsica) and Milan Malpensa, plus the continuation of its sun routes to Alicante, Faro, Malaga, and Majorca.

BMI REGIONAL has topped the list of the most punctual scheduled airlines in the UK for tenth consecutive year.

Data from website flightontime.info – based on Civil Aviation Authority statistics for the first seven months of 2014 – places the airline well ahead of British Airways, Flybe, Ryanair, and easyJet.

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Check in for yoga

HINDUS have applauded the opening of a Yoga room at Chicago Midway Airport, calling it a “step in the positive direction”. 

It joins Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago O'Hare, San Francisco, Burlington airport in Vermont, and Helsinki Airport, all of which have yoga spaces.

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More choice on Aruba

HOLIDAY opportunities in the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba have been extended, with news that Thomson and First Choice are to operate there for an additional month in 2015.

Thomson will be flying to Aruba during November, rather than ending its season in October, as in previous years. See more at - www.aruba.com 

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Picture Credit: "Aruba Manchebo Beach" by Set1536 - Own work. via Wikimedia Commons.

Ebola fears killing tourism in virus-free Gambia

A UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON tourism expert has urged holidaymakers to help save tourism in ebola-free countries in West Africa.

Dr Marina Novelli, Reader at the university’s School of Sport and Service Management, has returned with a party of students from the Gambia, which has no ebola and does not border countries which do. .

She says the outbreak had brought tourism in the Gambia to its knees and was threatening hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs. ‘I want to appeal to everyone to spread the word: this country is open for business and is not affected by the ebola outbreak – otherwise I would not have travelled there.

‘It broke our hearts seeing the industry on its knees, with staff being laid off as a result of tourists’ cancellations and tour operators reducing scheduled flights. This is due to ignorance about the geography of Africa and panic caused by misinformation. The Gambia is shielded within Senegal and both countries are ebola-free. What we witnessed in terms of economic downturn and the effect it is having on local people was very sad, especially since it is so unnecessary.

‘Ask yourself, if the ebola virus had spread to Italy, would people be frightened to travel to the nearby UK? Probably not.’

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Self-catering boom for Bath

SELF-CATERING has long been an integral component of the British holiday market, and its popularity has grown as holidaymakers appreciate the independence, flexibility, privacy and extra space that a self-catering property has to offer.

Bath Holiday Rentals [www.bathholidayrentals.com] – in the World Heritage Somerset city – has seen substantial growth in demand for everything from studio apartments to large properties that can accommodate friends and family groups. 

The latest addition to their portfolio is Alexander House, a contemporary property with no expense spared on leisure and luxury features.

The seven-bedroom property includes its own cinema room, heated indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms, gym, games room, bar and two kitchens, and is set in private landscaped gardens. Prices start from £4,900 a week. At £50 per person per night for full occupancy, it’s highly competitive when compared with hotel rates of £100 a night in the city.

The company has more than 50 properties in and around the city, ranging from Georgian buildings to converted barns.

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Picture Credit: bathholidayrentals.com

Aegean boosts summer schedules

AEGEAN Airlines has announced new flights between Gatwick and Heraklion, Crete, next summer as part of an improved summer schedule.

The new service will start on June 21 with up to six flights a week.


Flights between Athens and Manchester have now been made into year-round services, operating twice a week.

Its seasonal summer route between Athens and Birmingham will also operate again next summer, also running twice a week.

AEGEAN also operates flights between Heathrow and Gatwick to Athens.

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Picture Credit: Aegean Airlines

Funny asides.......

& Quick quips ......

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.

Bumper sticker

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Welcome to Heathrow … and Scotland!

FOUR new GREAT images have been unveiled at Heathrow Airport to promote Scotland to international passengers. 

Images of the country will be shown across the airport’s five terminals in the next five months, with themes of food, countryside, and heritage.

Heathrow has promoted various parts of the UK in 2014, including Yorkshire during the Tour de France and parts of the south-west of England immediately after the region was hit by flooding.

Denise Hill, head of international marketing at VisitScotland said: ‘Our Meet the Scots campaign has proved highly successful in reaching out to new visitors in markets right across the globe. The Scots lend a truly authentic human warmth to the campaign and we are delighted that they will now be taking their story to passengers at Heathrow, inspiring them to find out more about out the beauty of Scotland during 2015, the Year of Food and Drink.’

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Picture Credit: heathrow.com/fly2scotland

The AA has it mapped out

FOR the very many people who don’t use satnav when driving, the AA has published a range of road atlases for France and continental Europe, updated for 2015.

The series comprises six atlases in a variety of scales and sizes … four for France, and two covering more than 46 European countries. They are available from the AA bookstores.

http://shop.theaa.com/store/uk-1

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Picture Credit: theaa.com

New flights to Greece for 2015

BA WILL be starting new routes to Greece next year … to Corfu, Kos, and Heraklion (Crete).

New Monarch services will run from early summer from London Gatwick to Rhodes once a week, from London Luton to Zante/Zakynthos twice a week; from Manchester to Rhodes once a week and Birmingham to the west coast city of Preveza once a week.

Jet2 will also launch a new Greek route, from Newcastle International to Zante/Zakynthos.

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Picture Credit: 'Knossos Minos's Palace" by Silar - Own work. via Wikimedia Commons

Brits head to Texas

TEXAS TOURISM has revealed that UK visitor figures to Texas totalled 226,000 last year, up by 43% up on the previous year.

The US as a whole saw a 1.9% increase in UK visitors, the first lift since 2008.

Britain is the largest overseas tourist market for Texas where in 2013 UK visitors spent almost $245million (£156 million) in the state.

The most popular activities in Texas for UK visitors were shopping, sightseeing, fine dining, visiting small towns or countryside, historical tourism, visiting national parks, art galleries and museums, sporting events, guided tours, and night-life.

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Picture Credit: "Ransom Canyon Steel House 2009" by Leaflet - Own work. via Wikimedia Commons

How to see more of Exmoor

2014 has seen Exmoor National Park celebrating its 60^th birthday.  

As part of the celebrations, a website that covers the whole of Greater Exmoor has been launched offering fresh content … www.visit-exmoor.co.uk

As well as practical information about accommodation, restaurants, transport, and  visitor centres, the website is a resource for visitors seeking inspiration and new experiences, including the best places for stargazing, joining guided walks, swimming through caves and in rockpools, and spotting bats at Horner Woods, which has 16 of Britain’s 18 bat species.

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Picture Credit: Nigel Stone

Maltese Moment, all-year-round

THE Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has unveiled its official 2015 desk calendar, which highlights what the MTA calls Maltese Moments: village fests and festivals, religious processions, fireworks displays, band marches, and street food vendors.

Says Malta Tourism Authority chief executive Paul Bugeja added: 'The calendar will be distributed to our overseas offices, encouraging tourists to visit our islands and experience these unique all-year-round cultural celebrations.'


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Brits head for the beach

RESEARCH by On the Beach suggests that more Brits will be spending Christmas abroad this year compared to last, with Tenerife, Lanzarote, and Sharm El Sheikh on the Red Sea attracting many of them.

The research also found that many of the most popular hot spots for Brits are cheaper this Christmas compared to last. Agadir, Morocco's premier holiday destination, is showing the greatest savings with the average cost of a holiday down by 53% on last year.

Bookings at On the Beach reveal December 23 as the busiest day of travel.

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Picture Credit: "Sharm El Sheikh" by Tinaleung032 - Own work. via Wikimedia Commons

A Very Merry Christmas to you ALL .....

Whoever or Wherever you are may this festive season be harmonious, plentiful and joyful.
With all our best wishes from the Go Holiday team.

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Picture Credit: 'Melbriccks Christmas display' by Andy Mabbett (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

And they said.............

Christmas it seems to me is a necessary festival; we require a season when we can regret all the flaws in our human relationships: it is the feast of failure, sad but consoling ... Graham Greene, Travels With My Aunt

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Nature doesn’t know it’s Xmas!

First the bad news …

THOUSANDS of travellers were delayed from getting away for Christmas due to a power failure at Stansted Airport in southern England on Monday.

A satellite building and the transit which takes passengers to the satellite for boarding were hit. Stansted reported that flights were operating, but with some delays.

A BRITISH AIRWAYS aircraft was forced to abort a landing at Leeds Bradford airport in Yorkshire due to strong winds on Monday.

The flight from Heathrow attempted to land, but had to divert to Manchester, where it landed safely. An easyJet flight from Geneva was also diverted.

Thousands of passengers had their flights in and out of the airport disrupted by the strong winds. Buses were used to take passengers to alternative airports on one of the busiest days of the year.

… and now the good …

A PLANNED two-day strike by ground handling staff at some airports in England in the run up to December 25 has been suspended.

Members of the Unite union working for Dnata at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester had been due to walk out tomorrow. But they will now be balloted after a new pay offer was made.

… and then some more bad news ….

easyJet has been forced to cancel a number of flights on Boxing Day due to a strike by cabin crew in France. The industrial action covers December 25 – when no flights are scheduled – and December 26.

The airline said: ‘easyJet will do everything possible to minimize the impact of the strike on its passengers, which is why we have taken the decision to proactively cancel some flights on December 26 as a measure of precaution, to allow passengers to re-organize travel plans for the Christmas holidays. 
 


‘Passengers can either receive a full refund or re-book their travel for an alternative date free of charge.’ 


Passengers planning to fly to and from France are being ‘strongly recommended’ to check the status of their flight on the airline’s website before setting out to the airport.

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Lonely Planet accolade for Lithuania

LITHUANIA has been ranked third in Lonely Planet's top ten Best in Travel destinations for 2015.

After ten years of European Union membership, Lithuania joins the single currency zone in January in 2015.

Its capital, Vilnius, has been declared the cleanest air capital of Europe, and is the second-most cost effective destination to visit for British travellers, according to the Post Office City Costs Barometer 2014. 

The country has four UNESCO world heritage sites: Vilnius Historic Centre, Kernave Archaelogical site, Struve Geodetic Arc, and the Curonian Spit.

www.Lithuania.travel

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Picture Credit:'Coat of arms of Lithuania' by Government of Lithuania [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons; "Vilnius city" by Andrejavus via Wikimedia Commons

Greece, Spain, Britain benefit from travel boom

EUROPEANS are defying economic crises and political unrest, having undertaken record numbers of trips this year. 

Compared to last year, in 2014 the number of foreign trips rose by three percent, reaching a new record. According to the ITB World Travel Trends Report, destinations such as Greece, Spain, and the UK gained from the travel boom. 

The appended trend analysis is part of  the comprehensive Travel Trends report Prepared by IPK INTERNATIONAL ON BEHALF OF ITB BERLIN – The World’s Leading Travel Trade Show®. The full report can be read in full at:
www.itb-berlin.de/media/itb/itb_dl_de/itb_itb_berlin/itb_itb_academy/ITB_2015_WTTR_Report_A4_4.pdf

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Picture Credit: see above

When Canadians get bored..................

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Equine charity launches responsible tourism campaign

AN international taskforce co-ordinated by global equine welfare charity the Brooke has launched a responsible tourism campaign at Petra, the UNESCO World Heritage site in Jordan.

The Care for Petra campaign aims to improve tourist attitudes and behaviour towards working animals, working children, and the historic monuments of Petra in Jordan, where injured or weak donkeys and horses are used to transport tourists around the site.

The campaign provides advice for tourists on ways to prevent animal suffering at the site, and encourages visitors to enjoy the monuments on foot wherever possible.

Very young children work on the site selling souvenirs and offering donkey rides. The awareness campaign asks visitors not to buy items from children or give them money, as this encourages them to stay out of school.

www.thebrooke.org

Go Holiday editor David Kernek comments:  This charity, clearly, does good work, but its arguments should not be put only to the tourists who ride on these cruelly-treated creatures and who buy mostly trash from the children at tourist sites such as Petra. This is also a problem in Greece where in towns such as Lindos on Rhodes, less-than-healthy donkeys are used to carry tourists – many of them obese – up to ancient sites on clifftops. It should be the responsibility of public authorities to ensure that animals are properly looked after, and that children are not forced to run these shoddy businesses.

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Picture Credit: www.thebrooke.org

Резиденция Деда мороза открывает двери! ... How to find Father Frost

Чем заняться всей семьей в Новогодние праздники? Отправляйтесь в сказочную резиденцию Деда Мороза, которая находиться в Великом Устюге. Программа Новогодних развлекательных мероприятий расписана у Деда Мороза и его помощников на весь декабрь, 

январь и даже февраль. Кстати, 1 декабря в Вотчине русского Деда Мороза был установлен необычный «снежный» рекорд по самой массовой игре в снежки! 

Где находиться и как добраться до Великого Устюга и сказочного дома Деда Мороза? В зимнее время до Великого Устюга ходят поезда, и даже организованы авиарейсы. На машине можно доехать до Вологды, от Вологды до Великого Устюга и от него до резиденции останется всего 12 км.  Более полную информацию о том как добраться можно получить на официальном сайте российского Дедушки Мороза: http://www.dom-dm.ru

В сказочные владения главного хранителя Нового года входят: Дом сказок, Кузнеца Деда Мороза, Тропа сказок, кафе, гостиничные комплексы и многое другое. Также все владения можно объехать на сказочном паровозике. Отличная альтернатива Лапландии и европейскому Санта-Клаусу.

By Ekaterina Korotaeva for

Go Holiday news : www.domnakanikuly.ru

Picture Credit: via www.playcast.ru/view/3736346/4848a252d8a683449999b1b1e828997929392643pl; http://vtorio.com/news/topic/1363

THE Western world has its Santa Claus, but in Russia it’s Ded Moroz – Father Frost – who gets the ‘please can I have’ letters from hundreds of thousands of children.

He lives in Great Ustyug in the far north of the country, some 800 miles (and 18 hours by train) from Moscow, and it’s where he’s created a centre that’s runs Christmas and New Year entertainment programmes from December through to February.  

The number of tourists visiting this snow-covered region of Russia – and Father Frost’s entertainment centre – has been growing steadily.

Great Ustyug can be difficult to reach for most of the year, but buses and trains run from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Vologda during the Christmas and New Year holiday.

www.dom-dm.ru

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New Channel Islands ferry starts journey to the UK

THE latest addition to the Condor Ferries fleet – the Condor 102 – has left a shipyard in in the Philippines, beginning her 10,500 nautical mile journey to Southampton, where final fitting will be made before she joins the Poole-Channel Islands service next March. 

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Travel matters.............

See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask for no guarantees, ask for no security.   Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

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easyJet faces Christmas strike action in France as UK strike threat lifts

EASYJET faces the prospect of having to cancel half of its flights in France on Boxing Day due to a strike by flight attendants in a dispute over pay and working conditions.

Their walkout is to start on December 25, but as there are no flights scheduled for that day, the action will hit travellers flying on the 26th.

easyJet said it does not know exactly how many workers are to take part in the industrial action, but expects fewer than half of flights in France will be impacted,.

The airline employs 600 flight attendants among its 1,000 workers in France.

In Britain, talks between ground operator Dnata and the Unite union are expected to avert a strike by ground handlers next week.

Dnata handles ground handling for several airlines. The impact of industrial action would chiefly hit Heathrow and Manchester airports.

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Travel hard-case .......

EVERY traveller has experienced the anxious wait at the baggage carousel, hoping that their luggage will emerge in one piece… if at all! 

Sadly, many have faced the horror of that carousel grinding to a halt with no sign of their luggage, or having it show up irreparably damaged.

A solution could be Trackase, described by its maker as an indestructible suitcase equipped with a GPRS tracking system. It’s available via a crowd-funding website, Kickstarter.

Its outer casing is made from a new type of polypropylene that can withstand far more than any reckless baggage handler can put it through. It also has a tracking device that allows the owner to pinpoint its location through an app compatible with Apple and android devices. It can also send a locating SMS text to less tech-equipped travellers.

‘Every aspect of travelling has changed dramatically in the past 30 years, except luggage,’ says Trackase creator Stephen Sacks. ‘As someone who travels constantly with items in my check-in baggage that are crucial for my work, my biggest concern is always whether my gear will arrive at the correct destination and whether it will be undamaged.

This became the inspiration for Trackase.’

Allowing for security procedures in the United States, the Trackase –in small, medium, and large sizes – features a locking mechanism that allows authorities to open the case legally if required without damaging it or having to break the owner’s padlocks.

For more information, go to www.kickstarter.com/projects/1094524528/trackase-virtually-indestructible-fully-trackable

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Picture Credit: kickstarter.com

Save the reef, says tourists

ACCORDING to a study by James Cook (JCU) University in Australia, tourists are more worried about oil spills ruining the Great Barrier Reef than the possibility that it might lose its World Heritage status.

 A team of researchers from JCU’s Business School, surveyed 980 visitors to Far North Queensland.  

It found the tourists, mainly those from overseas, were very concerned about the impact of damage to the Reef either through climate change or from oil spills. Loss of the reef’s World Heritage was less of a concern than oil spills and climate change.

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Picture Credit: ''False Clown Anemonefish Great Barrier Reef Australia'' by Great Barrier Reef Encounter (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

Accolade for Marlin Apartments, as hotel rates in UK capitals soar

MARLIN APARTMENTS – owner of more than 700 premium apartments in London – has won an industry award. It has been named Industry Leader by the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers.

The company, founded in 2003, says its apartments for leisure and business visitors offer almost three times the space of the equivalent standard London hotel room, plus a fully-equipped kitchen and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi.

Meanwhile, the latest research has found that hotel rates in London remain the highest in Europe. 

Room rates have risen by 17 percent on those recorded in Q3 2013. They have reached £134 a night, ahead of Zurich and Copenhagen. Rates in Edinburgh and Cardiff have risen by 18 percent.

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Picture Credit: Marlin Apartments

Your partner, or your phone?

MEN AND WOMEN in the UK are often fonder of their mobile phones than their partners, according to European research by Swiss International Air Lines.

Forty percent of Britons surveyed admitted they are often fighting a losing battle when it comes to partners paying more attention to their gadgets. 

Even more (84%) think people don't connect like they used to when they are face-to-face because of the pull of the internet and easy access communications on-the-go.

Other findings show:

*Germans are the most worried that digital media has led to more superficial relationships. They are also the most upset when it comes to being ignored in favour of a mobile phone.

*The Spanish are the worst when it comes to ignoring their partners often in favour of their phones. More than half of Spaniards think nothing of checking their phone while in conversation with others.

*French are the least concerned about eye contact during a conversation.


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Savings for early birds

LIMITED early bird tickets for the 2015 National Forest Wood Fair have gone on sale in time for Christmas. 

Visitors who buy them now will get one third off the normal entry price in August next year.

The event takes place in the Beacon Hill Country Park in Leicestershire

Richard Drakeley, Tourism Development Officer for the National Forest Company, said: ‘The National Forest Wood Fair attracts more than 100 exhibitors and demonstrators, and people return year after year to this very special event. There's always loads to see and do, but also time to talk to the exhibitors, ask them about their craft, and find out more about the things you can see and do in The National Forest. Early bird tickets will save you money and you'll have a great day out to look forward to next summer!’

Tickets are on sale online at www.nationalforestwoodfair.co.uk  

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Queens tops the list

Queens in New York City has topped Lonely Planet's Best in the US 2015 list of destinations selected by US-based editors and guidebook writers.

It is the city’s largest borough and is also becoming its hippest, with micro-breweries springing up, a reinvented seaside at Rockaway and a world-class art scene.

Western South Dakota and New Orleans came second and third in the ratings.

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Picture Credit: 'Jackson Heights NY 82nd Street, by Marcuswoollen (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons.

Have pet, so can I travel?

RESEARCH by TripIt in the US highlights the impact that furry companions have on travel plans. The majority of people surveyed said their pets will influence their holiday intentions.

Fifty six percent of those polled said their pets will impact how long they travelled when on holiday, and almost half of respondents said their pets would impact where they stay (their accommodation). Almost 87 percent said they wished it were easier to travel with their animals.

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Picture Credit: Go Holiday magazine

What to do in Windsor …

ROYAL WINDSOR'S attractions are open during the Christmas and New Year holiday for winter garden walks, a peek at festive Windsor Castle, calorie burning on ice, or a gallery's cultural inspiration.

Windsor Castle is the planet’s oldest and largest inhabited castle. 

Queen Elizabeth spends Christmas at her country home in Norfolk, which means visitors can see the State apartments transformed with festive decorations. In the State dining room, a table of glittering silver-gilt from the Grand Service takes centre stage. Closed December 25-26, then open to December 31.

The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park comprises 35 acres of colour and scent. 

One of England’s finest ornamental garden includes The Queen Elizabeth Temperate House, where poinsettias provide festive cheer in the lead up to Christmas and hyacinths and scented narcissi fill the house with perfume through to January and February. The garden is closed only on December 25 and 26.

Windsor on Ice offers a great family day out regardless of the weather. The covered rink is open daily (except Christmas Day) until Sunday January 4.

Dedicated to one of the most original British painters of his generation, the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham has the world's largest collection of his works in the former Methodist Chapel he attended as a child.  Closed December 25.

www.windsor.gov.uk

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Picture Credit: FromTop - Windsor Castle - "Estatua de la Reina Victoria en la colina del castillo, Windsor, Inglaterra" by Diego Delso via Wikimedia Commons; "Bridge, Savill Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 1582279" by John Myers via Wikimedia Commons