AUTUMN 2008

September 1st ~ BERWYN, LLANGOLLEN & THE MERES ~ 4 nights

Pen-y-Dyffryn Country Hotel straddles the border of England & Wales. It is renowned for its relaxing but luxurious atmosphere and imaginative country cooking. Praised in countless articles from newspapers & guidebooks as a cosy and welcoming small treasure - the sort of place people return to time & time again whilst trying to preserve it as their secret find! The views from the hotel and the grounds are exceptional and display the pleasing contours, the steep hills and deep valleys that are so typical of this wonderful unknown part of Britain.

September 8th ~ PEMBROKESHIRE ~ 7 nights

This holiday has become a firm favourite over many years and we return to this lovely county once more for another relaxed, unhurried trip with a 'spontaneous' approach to our schedule - to suit the mood and the weather! Our holiday base will be near to Fishguard in Northern Pembrokeshire and from here we will explore much of the county - from its glorious coastline, surely one of Europe's finest, to the ancient Preseli Hills and through the hidden byways, and old coal exporting quays of the Daugleddau Estuary that time forgot and few visit. We would hope to spend plenty of time out of the minibus, enjoy a picnic and opportunities for short leisurely strolls.

September 22nd ~ EAST CORNWALL & WEST DEVON ~ 7 nights

We are delighted to return for a fifth year to this lovely part of the country to stay at our two wonderful houses of Hurdon and Withnoe that have proved so understandably popular over previous seasons. Our location at Launceston, just over the border from Devon into Cornwall, is centrally positioned for our touring plans in both counties including fascinating visits to both the north and south coasts and for the splendid varied countryside in between. This season we again combine elements of the two holidays we offered in previous years to form one glorious week of interest and surprise and to take in a lovely mix of private gardens, historic houses and exciting coastline with some delightful pastoral and moorland scenery added to provide the finishing touches!

October 10th ~ FOREST OF BOWLAND, WESTERN DALES & SOUTHERN LAKES ~ 7 nights

This is always on of our most popular holidays in a lovely area, combining aspects of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria. We are delighted to return once more to our excellent base of Arbutus House in the heart of the highly picturesque village of Clapham. Again we will combine a couple of days in the unspoiled and very little known "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty", high moor and lush valley that is the Forest of Bowland with a day in the lovely Southern Lakeland around Lake Coniston. The rest of our time will be gainfully employed in the wonderful Western Yorkshire Dales including a trip from Ribblehead, with its famed viaduct and small railway museum, to Appleby-in-Westmorland on the glorious Settle/Carlisle line.

October 19th ~ SNOWDONIA ~ 5 nights

2008 will be our fourth year in this beautiful and dramatic part of the British Isles with its ancient peaks, valleys and castles and spectacular coasts and rivers. Our visit this year will be for five nights in Autumn, a particularly beautiful time in Snowdonia, with changing colour all about us. As ever we will spend as much of our time as possible on the Byways and lanes. Snowdonia scenery is never less than spectacular with the added delight on this holiday of October colours!

December 8th ~ YORK PRE-CHRISTMAS SPECIAL~ 7 nights

Kathy & I had so much fun with you enjoying the wonderful pre-Christmas entertainment in and around our favourite city of York last year that we have decided to do it all over again in 2008 - if enough of you want to come! We will again stay at The York Minster Hotel that looked after our needs so well last December. York is always a fantastic little city just to wander in anyway (and 'free time' will also be made available for you to do just that 'under your own steam') but in the run up to Christmas it really is a magical place with some tremendous events laid on for us all to enjoy.....please read on! Hope you can come!