UK and Ireland Discussion Forum

Discussions regarding holidays in the UK and Ireland.
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I too as a child only ever holidayed in Britain. I remember going to Butlins & pinching some knickers off a washing line for my Gran - she made me put them back :( I was most disappointed as they were exactly the type she wore :que

Anyway......I remember the 6 weeks off school as being boiling in those days. So hot in fact that I used to use a lolly stick to poke at the tar in the road. :sun2
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I remember going to Butlins & pinching some knickers off a washing line for my Gran - she made me put them back :( I was most disappointed as they were exactly the type she wore :que


:think I bet it is the same kind you wear now Glynis :rofl

Sorry G I couldn't resist it :kiss
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Sanji wrote:
I think for the most part you would struggle with the crowded streets of any city in the world, if you plan to visit a city then you have to face the fact that you’re going to have to put up with people and lots of them, i was generally talking about the Uk coastlines and landscapes and even history of areas and the fact that many Uk residents prefer to holiday abroad, i think its more a cultural element that i am thinking where as a suppose most people flying off to Lanzarote or wherever are just thinking price and sun, oh yeah alcohol as well. Actually doesn’t sound to bad

I was replying to a post promoting London, which has since been removed, but if I wanted to compare London to say Valencia or Malaga, imo, it is far nicer to walk around Valencia or Malaga city than London.
I'm fortunate to be able to go where I want and when I want, but if I could only afford one holiday a year and I had young children again, then I would still go aboard.

The price of alcohol is irrelevant to me because I don't drink the stuff in any shape or form, but my OH likes a G&T, and the prices charged for a standard measure in this country is nothing more than a rip off, compared to what you get for your money in other countries with the added bonus of guaranteed good weather during the summer months.

You only have to watch Neil Oliver's/BBC Coast to Coast programme to see the stunning coastline in the UK, but, the sad fact is that they are not geared up for children, in comparison to being able to sit in a bar opposite the beach, having a drink of coffee or a glass of wine, and being able watch your children playing on the apparatus or having a game of football on the beach, under the promenade floodlights at nearly midnight. You also have to take into consideration that most places outside of the UK are more child friendly.

I took my kids to places such as mainland Spain, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Greece, Italy and Turkey, and if they didn't want to be dragged around a museum and they wanted to play on the beach, then we as a family didn't go to the museum, because there'd always be a time for us (parents) later when the kids have flown the nest. I found that if my kids were happy, then the happiness was shared between the adults too.

I might not have installed a lot of culture into them, but they learned quite a bit about geography and it taught them tolerance. It taught them to accept people who couldn't speak English, and it was amazing watching two boys become friends, and because neither could speak each other's language, they broke down the barrier and created their own sign language.

For some people having a holiday in the UK is their choice and it is each to their own - what bugs me is the stereotyping of those who prefer something a little different, away from rip off Britain.

Sanji x


You have some really valid points which i do agree with and the one i picked up on is about children. I do think that we can do more in this country to make holidaying child friendly, but there are places that do cater very well for the whole family like caravan sites where they have play areas and social clubs in which children are welcome. Holiday parks such as Haven who have a huge amount of activities for the children to enjoy. I understand that these types of holidays are not for everyone but we can’t say as a generalisation that children are not catered for in this country. Where we are falling short by a long way is within pubs, restaurants and many eateries which seem to look upon children as a hindrance rather than embrace them like they do in many countries in the world, it is crazy when your children are not allowed in certain establishments.
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Sorry to disagree but I find it crazy when they let them in
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@ Michael D - I think the trouble is, IMHO that the whole 'Pub' culture in the UK is somewhat different to that when on holiday, I think the whole environment is different. In the Spanish holidays I have been to when my own son was young, the Spanish seem to embrace youngsters and the whole eating outdoors and drinking and having a beverage is all very social. In the UK I don't think it's as social as a family thing, and I wouldn't have wanted to take my son in younger years to quite a lot of pubs.

Also, you need to bear in mind is lots of people go to the pub to unwind and some people just don't want to have kids running around and making lots of noise (I know they don't all - but...)
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I wouldn't call London the most expensive city in the world, by any means.

In Oz, £8 a pint was the norn in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney.
In Belgium it was the same until the €uro dropped back against the £.
Pub Grub in London i've eaten many meals for under £8.
In Oz they were all over £10 for comparable meanls.
Not that I'm an Alky.

I know where I'd rather eat, though!

;) ;)
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I wouldn't call London the most expensive city in the world, by any means.

Parky, I didn't say it was the most expensive city in the world - I said it was one of the most expensive cities, and it is, it's up there in the top ten.

Sanji
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It's all down to personal preference really!

We have the odd day or weekend, in our caravan,
in the UK and enjoy it.
We also try to go abroad at least once a year if at all possible.

I find that "Tourists" tend to get ripped off wherever you go.
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Miss Pink wrote:
@ Michael D - I think the trouble is, IMHO that the whole 'Pub' culture in the UK is somewhat different to that when on holiday, I think the whole environment is different. In the Spanish holidays I have been to when my own son was young, the Spanish seem to embrace youngsters and the whole eating outdoors and drinking and having a beverage is all very social. In the UK I don't think it's as social as a family thing, and I wouldn't have wanted to take my son in younger years to quite a lot of pubs.

Also, you need to bear in mind is lots of people go to the pub to unwind and some people just don't want to have kids running around and making lots of noise (I know they don't all - but...)


Pubs in the UK have been places for adults to socialize and this has been the case for hundreds of years, it is whether you like it or not a part of British culture. There are many village pubs in this country which are the hub of the community and the children of the village are included in social gatherings. This is probably not the case in inner cities but i think times are changing and publicans have to try and be more family orientated to survive. I have been to Spain many times and know exactly how child friendly they are; this is part of their culture. Makes you wonder where the Spanish go to get away from the kids to unwind.
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It's the cost of holidaying in the UK rather more than the uncertain weather, as there are indeed many beautiful places in our fair isle. My daughter and her husband have a caravan so manage to get several weekends away every year with their youngest son, but for anyone who wants to stay in a modest hotel the cost can be prohibitive, especially for people who don't drive and have to add train fares on top. In many cases there is also a lack of real hospitality in English hotels and restaurants, with staff treating customers as an intrusion.

Regarding children in pubs, I'm sorry to say that the reason so many of them are a real pain is down to their parents. My eldest son spent some time managing pubs and always made it clear that well-behaved children were welcome. However, time and time again some little brat would be causing havoc and when he went to remonstrate the response from the parents was "I told you the man would tell you off." :roll:
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Regarding children in pubs, I'm sorry to say that the reason so many of them are a real pain is down to their parents. My eldest son spent some time managing pubs and always made it clear that well-behaved children were welcome. However, time and time again some little brat would be causing havoc and when he went to remonstrate the response from the parents was "I told you the man would tell you off."


I agree with you, and if only that was a one off occasion but it's not.
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We rugularly use a static caravan site, usually for 4 nights only, and don't pay more than £69.
A good site with all the facilities you need, with grub available at reasonable prices. These statics take up to 6 adults so is an easily affordable option.
Now that we're retired, we don't need the hassle of kids running round so take our breaks mid-week.
You don't get many kids in the pubs in mid-week either. Another plus point.
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Some people in the UK don't mind kids going into pubs and some hate it, I personally have always looked at a pub as a place for adults and this stems from growing up to beleive you wasn't allowed to go into a pub. My local only allows children in until 7 pm which is fine by me.
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We have had some great holidays in the UK these past with National Holidays.
They are very good value for money and they include a couple of trips to places of interest.
Some include 4 complimentary drinks a day either alcoholic,soft drinks or tea and coffee.
There have been no children on any of the 5 trips we have been on.
We have also been abroad but enjoyed the UK trips just as much.
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Hubby & I enjoy short breaks all over the UK, but I'm afraid that unless one of us becomes ill and can't fly, that our main 2 week holiday will always be abroad. Most places we have visited have been rip offs. Food/drink/entertainment prices are always sky high. Our son and family will be going to a Haven site for a week in August. The caravan alone has cost him £800 - just wait until he gets into the bars and food areas :cry Hubby worked in the holiday camps for years and always said how much the punters were ripped off. As a nation we have a lot to do to encourage families to holiday here. It doesn't help that our Summers are so bad either :que
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We are getting 17 nights on a French campsite (including ferries - overnight one way - for under £1400) with entertainment, kids clubs, etc included.
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Having just spent 7 hours travelling from London back to South Wales, stuck in various motorway queues in the pouring rain -who in their right mind wants to spend their hard earned on a holiday in this country?
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I do! There are things that I can only see and do in this country because here is the only place that you find them. And believe it or not we actually have lots of visitors who come here from 'abroad' for their holidays because they feel the same. If you want to experience the Edinburg festival and the city when it has a real buzz to it then you have to come here in August - rain and all. Lovers of English literature who want to see where William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter lived and worked will brave the Lake District complete with rain and bank holiday traffic jams on the M6. I've met numerous American and Japanese golfers who spend an absolute fortune to come here and trudge around my local golf course, often in the wind rain because if they want to see if they can do better than Tiger Wood who has been defeated by it each time he has played on this world famous links course then that is what they have to do.

I could go on and on with numerous other examples but the fact that they want to do different things to you when having a holiday doesn't mean that they aren't in their right minds - just that they probably don't want the same sort of holiday as you. The UK would literally be a poorer country if lots of people from outside of the UK agreed with you. I don't see the point of a holiday spent at a big AI resort hotel with most days spent just sitting around the pool - I would never spend my hardearned on such a holiday no matter where it was in the world. It's just not my sort of holiday but it suits a lot of people right down to the ground and they are entitled to make their own choices and neither of us are right or wrong. Just looking for different things from a holiday that's all.

SM
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