This is a really lovely self catering holiday cottage right in the centre of town. Our two families (eight of us in all) stayed there last September and had a great weekend. Nice bedrooms, lovely kitchen and dining room and lots of toys and games for the kids. Walking distance to all the great food shops, restaurants and pubs that Ludlow has to offer. The sun shone and we ate in the lovely garden and put on about a stone between us!

Old Street, Ludlow, 10 mins walk from Ludlow train station. www.houseinludlow.com or 07802 865502

Google map: tinyurl.com/yl3zjhq

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It's not often people in recovery can let their hair down and boogie, without booze and drugs in their face. If you're in Edinburgh on the last Friday of the month, check it out, it might be drug and alcohol free but the atmosphere is anything but sober - its a real celebration of recovery, a great dance, and there's a warm welcome.

Old St Paul's Hall, 63 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH1 1DH‎ - 0131 556 3332‎

Google map: tinyurl.com/yepqbk8

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Look up your local Northern Soul event on this website: www.northernsoulmusic.co.uk/
Listen to a great selection of rare Tamla Motown music, and watch the acrobatic dancers (join in if you dare). The regulars are friendly, and there is often a music stall in attendance where you can buy Northern Soul CD's or Vinyl.

www.northernsoulmusic.co.uk/

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An amazing beach. Take a picnic, you're likely to have these perfect white sands to yourself even on a summer's day. A brilliant place to let dogs, children and husbands run wild.

Luskentyre, Isle of Harris
Google map: tinyurl.com/yhzhvxt

www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/harris/luskentyre/index.html

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If you're island hopping, pick up a bag of this amazing tablet in Barra to keep you going on your road trip of the islands
www.hebrideantoffeecompany.com/

Google map: tinyurl.com/ya4qhl2

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It was a cold windy and very wet night in late summer. The tents were up on the bank of the Tees, and the arguments started, too long to go to sleep and no real hope of out for a walk before sleep. We were a group from a youth project in Sunderland and the ‘camping’ trip was an experiment and treat. Tired and wet we all agreed to walk to over the hills to the Strathmore Arms to get warm if they would let us in, the only building open to us within three miles. We got in. A man with a guitar and a music machine played sixties songs. Our group seemed up for a dance and they had everyone in the place up too before long. There were only about six others in the place all much older people resting after a day’s work on farms. Old jack seemed especially nimble, no room to dance at all yet they glided between chairs and tables. We left some hours later and ready to sleep with nothing left to argue about. The sparkling morning sunshine gave us the most wonderfull experiences of both Low and High Force and a wander up Noon Hill back across Holwick Fell to the Arms below. Closed!

Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard castle, DL12 0NJ
01833 640 362

Google map: tinyurl.com/ydka9o4

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Probably the best kept travel secret is Southern Trains advance fare, bookable on the Internet, of £3 to and from Gatwick Airport. The journey takes only a minute or two more than the Gatwick Express and the trains are just as comfortable. This fare is more than five times cheaper than a one way fare on the Gatwick Express.

www.southernrailway.com/

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Harewood is a fantastic place, with over 300 acres of immaculately and beautifully kept gardens and grounds for visitors to stroll through with their dogs, or romp wildly through the winding paths with their children or just sit and admire the Capability Brown fashioned landscape. This is all before you explore the architectural and artistic wonders of the house. The Lascelles family (the Earls of Harewood) have been avid collectors of fine art for over 250 years and most of it is on display for the public.

To keep the children amused there is a fantastic adventure playground, apparently spread over three acres - the kids love it, along with the bird garden, containing of all things penguins and flamingos.

Harewood's enduring appeal is its beauty, the wide range of experiences for young and old, all backed up with a magnificent events calendar.

Locals should take advantage of its membership - the Harewood card - which allows free entry throughout the year making it amazingly good value, the literature claims families can save upto £700 per annum on days out with the card!

Harewood House
Harewood, Leeds LS17 9LG
www.harewood.org
tel: 0113 218 10 10
Harewood House is 7 miles from Leeds and Harrogate, catch the number 36 bus, which drops outside the gate. Harewood lets you in half price with a valid bus ticket or if you are on a bicycle.

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I went here the other day and felt like I just had to post about it. It is a great little pizzeria / deli, but if you love great pizza you should really check it out. We had a pizza with wild boar (£8) which was delicious! I can't wait to get back to Brighton just to try out the rest of the menu. They have a great oven in there too.

www.pizzafacepizza.co.uk/

35 St George's Road, Kemptown Brighton
01273 669 082

Google map: tinyurl.com/y8rckbz

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Romance lies not in overpriced long-stemmed red roses or intrusive gypsy violins. Better to let it find you at an endearingly quirky location like Heythrop Park Hotel near Chipping Norton, which doesn’t tout itself as a romantic destination but has all the ingredients of intimacy, a dash of intrigue and lashings of comfort. We were there for three days and forgot the car, tv and internet. It’s so remote we thought we were lost after several minutes on the endless drive. Yes, we had sparkling wine in a bucket of ice in our enormous room, chocolates, flowers, and yes, the obligatory white fluffy bathrobes and claw-footed bath. Heythrop is a mini Blenheim Palace, built in 1716 from honey coloured limestone by the handsome Duke of Shrewsbury, appropriately known as “The King of Hearts.” Set in 440 acres of sweeping parkland, it has Italian gardens, a secret garden, fern strewn grotto - which used to house the skeleton of a whale - and, tucked away by the golf course, a tranquil Jesuit cemetery from a later period. We had the entire grounds to ourselves, and discovered hidden statues amongst the undergrowth, tempting doors in garden walls and deer running through giant conifers. Inside, there are huge carved wooden ceilings and chimney pieces, a billiard room, ballroom, and huge galleried landings with stained glass windows. After making the most of the health club in the grounds, we were almost too relaxed to leave our room, Eldon (a hotel room must have a name to be romantic) to sweep down the huge staircase for dinner - though I did sweep several times in fact, for the camera. It’s not every day one plays Lady of the Manor in such a setting. There are some foibles in the hotel - a mediocre breakfast loses Romance points, we wanted a tray in our room to sustain the illusion of being country weekend house guests - but we overlooked everything for the sake of such an unusual, and yes, impossibly romantic, experience.

www.heythroppark.co.uk/
Enstone, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
OX7 5UE

Google map: tinyurl.com/y944gm6

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Searching for a precious place to rekindle romance? Then slowly drive your loved one along the shores of the deep blue Loch Voil to reach this enchanting place. The great thing is that apart from the wonderful mealtimes, and taking in a few lungfuls of clear fresh Highland air, there are few distractions from indulging in the warmth of your room. If romance is your goal you’ll always want to stay another night together. And if you have money to burn you could always choose to arrive by the seaplane that lands on the loch in front.

Balquhidder
Lochearnhead
Perthshire,
FK19 8PQ
Tel: 01877 - 384 622
Balquhidder village is off the A84 north of Callender. Then travel a few miles up the glen along the shores of Loch Voil, to the hotel.
mhor.net/

Google map: tinyurl.com/ybtjnk7

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Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn once stayed at this Tudor castle, now a romantic hotel set in historic gardens and with its own vineyard. It offers a luxurious experience, with four poster beds, log fires, tapestries, and even a bedroom with (perfect for Cupid) arrow-slit windows. The crowning glory, reached by a stone spiral staircase, is the Tower Bedchamber, with far-reaching views and a ten foot wide bed that Anne Boleyn would have died for. At our recent visit the snow made everything even more enchanting. Magic.

www.thornburycastle.co.uk
Castle Street, Thornbury, South Gloucestershire BS35 1HH
+44(0)1454281182

Google map: tinyurl.com/yb7lyjz

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Well it's holiday booking time again and as we've already booked ours at this place I don't mind telling you about it now. This is a really lovely get away from it all yurt place. They have three yurts well apart from each other - Tim, the owner makes the yurts himself, beautiful construction. Extremely peaceful, right at edge of Bodmin Moor but easy to reach the pub (walking) and onsite there's nothing better than chilling in a chair and looking at the view. No cars on site, but they will give a lift down to the yurts with stuff in a Land Rover - it's a higgledypiggledy track, oaks and flowers. The yurts have raised wooden floors so no hint of damp, lovely and comfortable -and really clean (they suupply linen as well) double beds, futons for extra people. There is a woodburning stove in the yurt so really cosy, all cooking facilities on a gas stove and the bathroom yurt is fantastic. Just all in all a lovely slow place to stay with friendly owners in fantastic countryside. Very green too - I would say minimal impact and footprint - you can also get local organic meat and they produce eggs and veg during the summer. They'll also pick you up from station if you're on a mission.

Greyheyes, St. Breward, Cornwall PL30 4LP 01208 850670
cornishyurtholidays.co.uk/ecoslow
Bodmin Parkway

Google map: tinyurl.com/yedt3g2

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The Blackhouse village is situated on the Western Coast of Isle of Lewis in Scotland and consists of a few refurbished houses. You can rent one of the houses equipped in a wood burner stove, shower and bedrooms with old wooden bunk beds. The house is soaked with a rustic and traditional atmosphere. The village melts with the beautiful and wild Atlantic Ocean coast landscape. Built from local stones, grass and wood, Blackhouse village is an amazing example of sustainable touristim accommodation. Everyone who loves natural wilderness, the wind smelling of salt and misty pure mornings will fall in love with the place.

Scotland, Outer Hebrides, Isle of Lewis. Take a ferry from the mainland to Stornoway, then drive West to Gearrannan. Stornoway TIC: 01851704500
Stornoway car hire: 01851702658
www.gearrannan.com/

Google map: tinyurl.com/ybtmnow

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Fortingall Hotel is nestled in the picturesque village of Fortingall in the most beautiful Glen in Scotland, Glen Lyon. Just the place for a romantic getaway. Rooms are luxurious, the food is fabulous, Roddy the manager and his staff are friendly and always willing to help.
To add the icing on the cake the hotel offers a romantic package with chocolates, flowers and champagne, just perfect.

Fortingall Hotel, Fortingall, Aberfeldy,
Perthshire, Scotland, PH15 2NQ Telephone: +44 (0)1887 830367
www.fortingall.com
Train access to Fortingall: rail stations at Perth, Birnam and Pitlochry are the closest. Bus or car hire then required to access Glen Lyon and the village of Fortingall.

Google map: tinyurl.com/ya7ztmn

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This beautiful cottage is in lovely rural spot with it's own little lake and surrounded by walks and open countryside.

www.islandcottageholidays.com/cottages/greateaststanden.html

Google map: tinyurl.com/ydnflw5

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One of the city's oldest restaurants enthusiastically recommended by the owner of the guesthouse we stayed at. What a treat! A beautiful Georgian townhouse with a wonderful ambience. The food is modern British and delicious. All the food is freshly prepared and locally sourced and the waiting staff are gracious and knowledgeable. They told us all the best places to visit and where we could buy some of the cheeses from their magnificent cheese board.
We loved this special place.

www.theholeinthewall.co.uk/
16 George Street, Bath, BA1 2EN
01225 425 242

Google map: tinyurl.com/ya5f66b

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A lovely delicatessen, with beautifully painted ceilings and handmade fixtures. Their on site chef makes a selection of daily dishes to eat in the cafe or take away. They also do a great range of gluten free cakes and source lots of local products as well as the best from France.

Arch House, Boyces Avenue, Clifton Village, Bristol, BS8 4AA
www.archhousedeli.com
0117 974 1166

Google map: tinyurl.com/yd792hl

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For sheer romance and get-away-from-it-all luxury you can't beat a bit of winter camping.

Few people camp in even the most popular sites out of season, meaning you and your loved one can have amazing peace and quiet and views to die for all to yourselves. Cold doesn't need to be an issue if you prepare well, although you don't need any fancy equipment - just a good, solid tent, double airbed and two high tog duvets (one for under you and another on top!).

Ukcampsite.co.uk keeps a list of pubs with nearby camping sites (which can be checked against the CAMRA or Alastair Sawday sites) and most sites will allow you to pitch for under £10 a night.

Just think of it - a good romp through the countryside, a hearty pub dinner by the fire with a bottle of wine, a wee something else to send you on your way then totter back to your tent to create a little warmth of your own.

www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=117
www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=192602
www.sawdays.co.uk/

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An unusual hotel near Wookey Hole. It is small, romantic and feels like going to stay in an old friend's country house. This hotel is full on quirky antiques, has a full sized snooker table, an honesty bar and an minima (a small cinema ... complete with an extensive DVD collection).
I would recommend it for couples who simply want to escape from everything for a couple of days.

www.glencothouse.co.uk

Glencot Lane, Wookey Hole, Wells, BA5 1BH
01749 677 160

Google map: tinyurl.com/y8md9sl

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