Holiday cottage news and editorial provided by Holidaycottages.cc
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||
|
|
|
|
Last updated January 2010 Stonehenge is youngsters’ top iconic landmark Young Britons are traditionalists at heart and are keen to preserve their country’s heritage, according to findings from a new children’s tourism report. When the Travelodge budget hotel chain polled 2,500 youngsters to discover what they rated the best British iconic landmarks, they found they predominately chose historical sites above modern attractions. Stonehenge came top, followed by Hadrian’s Wall, which dates back to AD122. The first modern attraction to feature was the London Eye in third place – it’s the largest Ferris wheel in Europe. Majestic homes featured strongly, with Edinburgh Castle coming fourth and Buckingham Palace fifth. Making up the rest of the top ten were the Tower of London, the White Cliffs of Dover, the Angel of the North, Blackpool Tower and St Paul’s Cathedral. Taxing times Owners of self-catering accommodation in the UK face bigger tax bills from April – but there could still be time to beat the taxman. Changes to the Furnished Holiday Letting (FHL) rules in the last Budget mean that owners who provide self-catering accommodation will lose tax relief and capital allowances that were previously available. Until now, the FHL rules have allowed owners of self-catering businesses in the UK, providing they satisfy certain tests, to be treated as trading businesses for tax purposes, reducing some tax liabilities. The same benefits were not available to UK owners of similar holiday letting properties elsewhere in the EU, breaking EU rules calling for a level playing field. So the government decided to extend the FHL rules to cover properties in EU countries, but only till April 2010, when the benefits are swept away for everyone. The main consequences for taxation of FHL businesses are: • If you make a loss on letting a holiday home, you will no longer be able to offset this against other income (eg from employment, pension or other businesses) to reduce your total tax liability. Entrepreneur’s relief (which reduces the taxable gains on the sale of a business). Roll-over relief (which allows gains arising on the sale of a business to be deferred if the sale proceeds are reinvested into certain other business assets). Hold-over relief for business assets (in future, if you give the property away – probably to your children to avoid inheritance tax liability – you will be liable to capital gains tax, exactly as if you had sold it). There may still be time for owners of rented holiday properties, both in the UK and other EU countries, to take advantage of the old rules, for instance by bringing capital expenditure forward into the 2009/10 tax year, or completing the sale of the business before April. But take expert advice before rushing into anything.
Ryanair dumps ElectronMillions of people who obtained the obscure Visa Electron debit card because it was the only way to avoid outrageous booking fees of £5 per person, per flight on Ryanair will have to look elsewhere. From January 1st the no-frills airline has charged Electron users the same fees as other debit and credit cards. But don’t throw your Electron card away just yet. As we went to press, other airlines exempting Electron users from paying online booking charges showed no signs of withdrawing the concession. Those operating in the UK are: The number of banks offering Electron cards is dwindling, however, with Abbey the latest to discontinue them. Just Halifax/Bank of Scotland and the UK arm of the Indian bank, Baroda, still offer the card to account holders. The only way you can now avoid Ryanair booking charges is to have a Mastercard pre-payment card. With these, you load money onto the card and can use it till it runs out – you can top it up as necessary. Most of these make charges for getting the card, using it or loading it with money. The only free card appears to be the Neteller, but you have to open an account from which card payments will be debited. It looks as if the best value of the chargeable cards are ICE, which takes a 2% slice of whatever you load onto the card and the Caxtonfx card, which charges £1.50 every time you use it . Off to Ireland Lucky winner of our Imagine Ireland competition is Mrs J Boniface of Horsmonden, Kent. She and her family will be enjoying a week in one of the 1,000-plus cottages in Imagine Ireland’s brochure, along with ferry travel and holiday insurance. Astrid Nitzsche of Imagine Ireland said, “We are delighted to be welcoming Mrs Boniface to one of our cottages and are sure she will have a lovely time. We were thrilled by the number of people who entered the competition and we will be writing to them all with a very special offer, by way of a consolation prize.” For further information, visit Imagine Irel or phone 01756 707721. Power cables disappear in Dales Improved views near one of the most famous peaks in the Yorkshire Dales are promised as work burying electricity lines in Kingsdale nears completion. Nearly three miles of overhead cables at the foot of Whernside are being buried as part of a £5m project. In the biggest scheme of its kind, 61 separate spans of cable and 70 wooden poles are being removed for Electricity North West by United Utilities. Eamon Robinson, from United Utilities, said: “The landscape will look like the power lines had never been there.” Once the excavations are completed visitors to the Yorkshire Dales National Park can expect a much better sight of Whernside, the highest of the famous Three Peaks. Janet Swailes, from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: “Undergrounding of lines in upland landscapes where they are so visible crossing open countryside is particularly beneficial.” The Kingsdale project uses money from electricity regulator Ofgem which has been set aside specifically to remove overhead wires from national parks and areas of outstanding beauty. Similar works have already been carried out near Ullswater in the Lake District (below) and Dedham Vale in Essex. |
|
|
|
Long-form holiday features Escape to the countryRunning a holiday cottage business in deepest Devon looked just the job for a high-powered oil industry executive looking to de-stress. James Baron has been finding out if it was as idyllic as it sounds More than meets the eyeThere's much more to the New Forest than just trees and ponies. Gillian Thornton discovered heathland and heather, deer, D-Day and donkeys A gem of a cityThink of Cheshire and you might picture lush green pastures and footballers’ bling. Yet it’s the county’s Roman-walled capital city, packed with history and atmosphere, that’s the real sparkler, says Alexandra Pratt Scotland for softiesBeaches, rockpools, swimming, cycling... Paul Kirkwood found there’s no end to the delights of the bit of Scotland that’s easiest to reach from most of England All roads lead to... HarrogateThe elegant spa town of Harrogate is an unbeatable base for an active short break. Gillian Thornton enjoyed a girlie weekend of chic shops, spectacular countryside and the ultimate in self-catering apartments Moor magicThe Exmoor coast between Minehead and Combe Martin has some of the best scenic views in the West Country. Gillian Thornton enjoyed the North Devon countryside and its four-legged residents The walking cureIt looked as if Charlie the dog needed a break. So, naturally, Eve Kerswill and her husband took him on a cottage holiday Devon delightsA thatched cottage with a history, country walks, market shopping and fish and chips by the sea... they all made a perfect weekend for Katherine Rake Top tips for group getawaysHarry Marsland of Brackenrigg Holiday Cottages in the Lake District says organising – and enjoying – a celebration break with friends and family is simple. All you need is a little planning… Our Snowdon adventureClimbing to the top of Mount Snowdon,the highest mountain in England and Wales, was too much of a challenge for Solange Hando, her daughter and ten-year-old grandson to ignore – so up they went Wonderful WoldsPeter Henshaw spends a weekend sampling the many delights of Lincolnshire Walk the Wight WayWith its wonderful countryside and 500 miles of footpaths, the Isle of Wight is ideal for a walking holiday. Harry Glass pulled on his hiking boots… Beauty on the borderCarlingford Lough is a stunning natural boundary between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Jeremy Taylor pays a visit A right song and danceNowhere is the Irish music scene more vibrant than the west coast bars of County Clare. Jeremy Taylor pays a visit to soak up the craic Beyond the scone zonePeter Henshaw goes for a walk in the Cotswolds and finds a gastronomic gem, fierce winds and the ancient sport of shin kicking! Riverside rambles, moorland magicYou’ll find walking trails, wide open spaces, waterfalls, picture-perfect villages, historic towns and fantastic food in Wensleydale and Wharfedale. Gillian Thornton did Peak party peopleWant to go with a large group of friends for a long weekend of walking, cycling and partying? Sarah Merry found just the place in Derbyshire’s Peak District A one-horse town it ain’tTo find out everything you wanted to know about breeding and racing horses but were afraid to ask, go to Newmarket. Gillian Thornton did Pleasing the puntersCambridge makes a great day out if you’re staying in Norfolk or Suffolk. Former student Tom Kerswill takes you on an insider’s tour of arguably Britain’s most famous university city 10 reasons to visit NorfolkLooking forward to a break in Norfolk? Linda Pyke recommends ten attractions for all ages to enjoy – from Bishy-barney-bees to antique teapots and going ape in Thetford Forest A Tamar tonicOn the steep slopes where miners and market gardeners once trod lies a hidden gem created from an old mine. Sounds unlikely? John Kerswill thought so too, until he stayed there and was enchanted by the sights and sounds of the Tamar Valley Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Take a Walk on the Wild SideScotland's Ardnamurchan peninsula – not Cornwall's Land's End – is as far west as the roads in mainland Britain will take you. Angela Dewar enjoyed total seclusion in this unspoilt wilderness 10 Reasons to visit EdinburghA dramatic castle and a royal palace, an award-winning environmental attraction and a world-class literary heritage – if you're renting a cottage in the Scottish lowlands, make sure you visit Edinburgh, says Gillian Thornton Essex pearlsResorts like Southend-on-Sea have helped to give Essex a kiss-me-quick image, but away from the kitsch Alison Thomas finds a county full of wildlife, fantastic food and history Northern Ireland: Causeway CapersIf you haven't ever thought about booking a holiday cottage in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, Harry Glass has ten good reasons why you should More...Previous articles ...
|
Holidaycottages.cc
|
|
