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Out & About

Enjoy life by getting out and about. It's a key part of our lifestyle.  We find  new experiences help us feel invigorated .  There are fresh things to see and do, both on our doorsteps and afar.    

Scroll down to view articles on  Carmarthenshire, Poole and Environs, The National Trust, Sheffield, Malta,  Pat & Tricia's visit to Harrod's, Nord-Pas de Calais, Kefalonia (Greece),  Turkish Baths in Edinburgh,  Staying at Champneys.

Holiday in Carmarthenshire

Pat writes:

I recently enjoyed a short break in Carmarthenshire, an area of Southwest Wales that is full of natural beauty and history.

Cawdor Arms, LlandeiloMy friends and I stayed at the Cawdor Arms in Llandeilo.  The Cawdor is a historic coaching inn, now extensively renovated and one of the growing number of boutique hotels in Wales.  It provided a comfortable base for our short holiday in Carmarthenshire.

For those wishing to visit Carmarthenshire without spending as much on accommodation, there are plenty of bed and breakfast establishments as well as a choice of Welsh campsites.

Llandeilo offers an interesting selection of individual shops and cafes, and there are many information boards and plaques to highlight the history of the houses and buildings.

Llandeilo is well situated for visiting the National Botanic Garden of Wales – you can read more about this destination at this link.   This is a fairly new garden, but already full of beautiful plants, an amazing glass house and interesting displays.   There is another fine garden at Aberglasney, a very short distance from Llandeilo.

Aberglasney offers a beautiful historic house as well as the garden.  There is further opportunity to visit a historic house and garden at Dinefwr Park, a National Trust Property located on the edge of Llandeilo.

Carmarthenshire boasts many historic churches and sites.  TheLaugharne Castle Rebecca Riots took place in this area in the late 1830’s to early 1840’s, and could provide an interesting base for a historic tour of Carmarthenshire.

Make time to visit Laugharne to look at the Norman castle that overlooks the beautiful bay.  Walk along the path past Laugharne Castle to visit the restored writing shed of Dylan Thomas, or the Boat House where he lived for the final years of his life.  It was while living almost in the shadow of Laugharne Castle that he wrote “Under Milk Wood”, which some consider his masterpiece.

Dorset Staycation

Tricia writes:

This year, we decided to holiday in the UK. We had never holidayed in Poole or Bournemouth, so corrected this with a six night Dorset stay.

We spent our first four nights camping at a quiet site in Lychett Minster, Dorset, just outside of Poole.

Lychett Minster village, with its thatched buildings, is spread out along the A35. On our first evening we enjoyed a lovely meal with a complimentary bottle of wine in the garden of the interestingly named St. Peter’s Finger pub.  Needless to say, that evening we left the car at the camp site and walked. There was a craft centre based in farm buildings around a courtyard situated across a field from the campsite. There were shops selling pottery, crafts, knitting yarn plus wonderful fudge and a restaurant.

We explored the beautiful, sandy beaches around Poole, including famous Sandbanks Beach. This beach has golden sand on one side and the sheltered waters of Poole harbour behind. Perfect for families with young children, Sandbanks Beach slopes gently to the sea and is wonderful for paddling. The sands are great for traditional holidays creating sandcastles and burying dad or mum in the sand. We played a round on the crazy golf course and visited the cafe, although we found the latter rather expensive.

The town of Poole has a modern shopping complex, plus a traditional high street crossed by a railway crossing. The High Street leads down to an interesting quay area with fifteenth century buildings.  There is a variety of restaurants in the quay which buzz in the evenings. Whilst in Poole, I visited the Lush and B Never tooB Never too Busy to be Beautiful shop interior, Poole Busy to Be Beautiful shop in the Old High Street. Lush sells gorgeous products, such as bath bombs and face creams using fresh, natural ingredients.  B Never too Busy to Be Beautiful is linked with Lush. The Poole shop is an emporium of colour and sparkle. Shoppers are encouraged to try out products; there are makeup stations with mirrors and tester samples. Whilst there, I heard phrases such as, “I love this shop”. Fairly traded ingredients are used; hence you can indulge with a clear conscience. On purchase, my mascara, which cost a reasonable £8.00, was placed in a pretty little bag with a blue flower tie, which would make a gift really special. I loved being in both Lush and B Never too Busy to Be Beautiful and plan to return for Christmas shopping.

During our holiday, we visited Studland Bay on the Isle of Purbeck. Studland Bay is a series of beautiful National Trust beaches. The beaches are sandy with sailing dinghies such as the laser fun and laser pico plus pedalos and windsurfers available to hire.  On our return, for just three pounds, we took the car onto the chain ferry from Studland to Sandbanks across the mouth of Poole Harbour, thus avoiding the summer traffic congestion on the A35 and shaving around twenty miles off our journey.

For our final two nights, we had booked a hotel on Bournemouth’s West Cliff through laterooms.com. Booking through laterooms.com saved £110.00 on our peak season hotel booking. The hotel was situated in a popular location on the cliff-tops. We were a five minute walk from a steep, zigzag path which accessed the sandy beach with its adjoining rows of picturesque beach huts. There was a railway lift down to the beach if required.

Poole and Bournemouth are both perfect for a traditional family beach holiday but you do need to be prepared for zoo and cinema visits if the weather fails you. Expect heavy traffic and fully booked campsites and hotels in peak season. Would we go again? Definitely.

National Trust

Dinefwr Park, South Wales (National Trust)A recent visit to Dinefwr Park (shown in photo) served as a reminder that National Trust properties are always interesting to visit.

Annual membership of the National Trust is fantastic value for money.  Pat has been a member of the National Trust for Scotland for years, and Tricia joined the National Trust about 2 years ago.  These are separate organisations but have a reciprocal admissions policy, so that membership of one Trust gives entry to any property in the United Kingdom.

Payment of an annual fee to the National Trust (or National Trust for Scotland) entitles a member to free entry and also free car parking. 

In our case, paying an annual fee encourages us to plan days out so that we do get full value from membership.

One of our favourite destinations is Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Sissinghurst Castle Garden (National Trust) We have visited once a year for the three years; each time we have gone in a different month to see varied aspects of this wonderful garden.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden is near Cranbrook, Kent. It is one of the world’s most celebrated gardens, created by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Sir Harold Nicolson.

The garden surrounds the surviving parts of an Elizabethan mansion with a central red-brick tower. Sissinghurst Castle Garden is not a garden of grand vistas, but a series of enclosed areas, with different colours and themes.  The White Garden was the first of its kind; the idea has been replicated in many other gardens.

We try to arrive at opening time (usually 11am) as the gardens are very popular.  This allows us a chance to see the gardens as their best, and then enjoy lunch in the on-site restaurant.  We have found this is a good pattern to follow when visiting other National Trust properties, as they are often crowded later in the day, particularly during school holidays and weekends.

Most National Trust properties are closed during the winter months, but you can check their website to find any that may be open in your area.

 

Surprising Sheffield

Crucible Theater Sheffield at nightSheffield was synonymous with steel when I was growing up.  Steel was forged is vast mills and the metal was crafted into knives and cutlery with a worldwide reputation for quality.

Changes in manufacturing and world economics brought closure to the steel meals which could have resulted in Sheffield becoming a run-down and depressed city.  Instead, it is rapidly becoming a prime destination for shopping, leisure and sports activities.

I travelled to Sheffield by train (with Wonderful Husband) to meet friends for a weekend.  We booked to see a play at the newly refurbished Crucible Theatre and planned some shopping and sight-seeing.

Serious money has been spent on rejuvenating the city centre. The area outside the central railway station has been transformed into an elaborate and extensive modern water feature.  This is just a taste of the development of open spaces in the city centre.

The City Council produces a leaflet on the ‘Sheffield City Centre Tour’ that provides a map of major schemes and developments.  The leaflet explains that City Centre Ambassadors are present on the streets throughout the day to help the public enjoy the city centre.  The Ambassadors give advice on locations, monitor public spaces, offer first response to emergencies and have environmental enforcement powers.  They work in partnership with South Yorkshire Police.

From my observations their presence has a positive effect; everywhere we went seemed reasonable clean and felt safe.

For me, the highlight of the city centre is the Winter Gardens, a modern version of the large glasshouses that the Victorians built in public parks.  Sheffield’s Winter Gardens provides a warm, dry and pleasant place to sit down, meet friends or have a coffee.Interactive display at the Millenium Galeries Sheffield

The Millennium Galleries open off the Winter Gardens and offer a mix of permanent exhibitions and temporary displays.  We enjoyed a very accessible contemporary art event called ‘Code Craft’.  This looked at the creative impact of computer programming, which sounds possibly sounds dull but was comprised of large and colourful images.  The one shown in the photo was interactive – when someone in front of the screen moved, shapes and images of colour appeared on the screen.  Children loved it, and I witnessed several adults playing with the colours.

Meadowhall shopping centre is near the city centre and easily accessible on the modern tram system.  The city centre also offers a good selection of shops, including a large John Lewis store.

Sheffield has many hotels for all price ranges and a variety of restaurants.  In my experience it is a good place to go for a weekend break. 

Malta

Pat writes:

I visited Malta for the first time this year, during the first week of November.

Valletta from Manoel IslandAlthough this was definitely an ‘off peak’ holiday, with significant savings over a break during the usual season, the weather was very pleasantly warm.  This should not have surprised me, given the location of Malta.

Malta is the most southerly European country, situated about half way between Sicily and North Africa, in the approximate middle of the Mediterranean.

When we were considering a visit to Malta, we became interested in the history of the island.  Malta is very tiny, comprised of only 122 square miles, but it is packed with interesting places to visit.

We decided to book a hotel in Valletta, the capital city, as this enabled us to easily travel by bus to most parts of the island. 

It appears to me that one could have two very different sorts of holiday on Malta, either a beach holiday or a touring holiday.

If you like swimming in the sea or lying under an umbrella and relaxing, there is a wide choice of ‘beach resort’ hotels on Malta.4Nov09 Ghajn Tuffieha Bay  Most of these offer all inclusive packages that would make for a very relaxing holiday.  The weather between May and October can almost be guaranteed to be warm.  When we were there in November I saw many people swimming in the sea – and the beaches were beautiful.

Those who are interested in the history of the island, or who want to see a variety of places, should consider staying in Valletta. 

Valletta has very narrow streets, many of which do not allow car traffic, so it is surprisingly quiet. 

We stayed in the Hotel Osborne, which has a central location.  We paid less than £400 for the two of us for a week’s stay on a bed and breakfast basis. The staff were friendly and helpful.  Our room was very clean and the beds were comfortable, but we thought it gloomy.  There was a stain on the ceiling and one of the light fittings was broken.  However, the hotel is closing for renovation this winter, so should be more attractive in 2010.

I enjoyed strolling the streets of Valletta admiring the wealth of detail on the old buildings, window shopping, gazing across the vast harbour and people watching.  There are many cafes and restaurants, mostly very reasonable priced.

If you do visit Malta, be sure to visit Mdina.  This is one of Europe’s finest medieval walled cities.  It is a short bus ride from Valletta, and also accessible from most of the resort areas on the island.  Mdina is perched on a hilltop, and crowned by the dome of its cathedral.

Just outside the walls of Mdina you will find Rabat, which also boasts a history stretching back several centuries as well as some of the island’s more unusual attractions.  The apostle Paul was shipwrecked on Malta, and is alleged to have lived for a time in a cave at Rabat now known as St Paul’s Grotto.  There are also two complexes of 4th century catacombs that are open to visitors. 

In my opinion the prettiest place that we visited was Marsaxlokk Bay, where the harbour is full of brightly painted boats.  These3Nov09 Marsaxlokk are traditional Maltese fishing boats, called ‘luzzos’.  The design of these boats dates back to Phoenician days.  Almost all of the boats are decorated with an eye, carved out and painted on either side of the prow.  It is said to be the eye of Osiris, a good luck charm intended to ward off the devil.

We flew from Gatwick to Malta (and back) on EasyJet flights, and booked the hotel via an online agency.  This enabled us to enjoy a week’s holiday at a very reasonable price, and cost more than if we had booked an all-in package.  I am not claiming this was a low cost holiday; if we had really wanted to go somewhere warm at a budget price we would have looked for a last minute package and not been rigid about destination. Malta is a member of the European Community, so we carried out European health insurance cards (EHIC).  In addition we have a travel insurance policy that would cover items such as transport home should illness or accident cause us to change our travel arrangements.

If you are thinking about a holiday based in Valletta, I would advise using public transport rather than hiring a car.  Our hotel had no parking, and many of the streets in the city do not allow traffic.  The bus system is very cheap and serves most of the island.  Follow this link for more information on Malta Bus Travel

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Pat and Tricia Visit Harrods.

Tricia writes:

cosmetic hall ceiling

Much to the amazement of Pat, I had never entered Harrods. This was in spite of working in my student days as a temporary clerk typist in central London. In the early 1970s, I was focused on Biba, Selfridges andPetticoat Lane plus trendy bookshops.  Pat had experienced lovely Harrods lunches and shopping trips, so was keen to enlighten me.

Our trip was for fun rather than shopping as prices in Harrods do reflect the store’s reputation, unless of course it is sale time. Harrods is located in Knightsbridge,London on the Brompton Road and is one of the largest stores in the world.

On arrival, I noticed how beautiful all the Harrods’ store displays were. Without exception, articles were carefully displayed in spacious surroundings. The atmosphere in the store was grand indeed; I was glad that I had dressed a little smarter than I would usually for a shopping trip. The vastness of the ceilings and the glamour of the Egyptian staircase were particularly impressive. A refined piece of bling, perhaps?

On arrival, we decided to have a light snack. There are many different eating areas; we chose the Terrace Bar on the fourth floor. This was near to the piano in the adjoining glamorous Georgian Restaurant, hence we had the benefit of music whilst we lunched. Our light snacks turned out to be somewhat larger than we expected. Yes, the sandwiches and light bites were the most expensive I have ever enjoyed, but they were good value due to the quality of the food and presentation. Free extras such as lovely olive bread rolls and coffee top ups made the occasion perfect. The staff were wonderful, indulging us delightfully. We felt quite spoiled.

Repenting of our indulgences, we took the stairs to the fifth floor.  Over lunch, we had both perused the store guide to decide our plan of attack. I wanted to visit the fitness area on the fifth floor where I received a short demonstration and taster at the Power Plate Studio. These machines have vibrating platforms which wobble your wobbly bits intensely. Must be good.

Pet Kingdom, on the fourth floor, famous for the provision of unusual pets, is now reduced in size and quite tame. Cute cats and rabbits are to view in large pens behind a long, glass window during restricted times. Children were fascinated, so worth a visit if you have the kids in tow.

The furniture on the third floor was inspirational to look at, but not within most budgets. I loved the clear cut lines of the spacious displays in the Bo Concept area. The huge variety of designs, from traditional to contemporary, accounted for all tastes.

Bo Concept

The Shoe Boudoir on the first floor was a dream, even if it made me feel like Cinderella’s ugly sister. Shoes were displayed with plenty of space around each pair, allowing the colour and design to stand out.

Shop floor staff are required to dress smartly. The beauty sales staff all dress to the same code of a black suit with white shirt, plus make up with a bright lipstick which gives a co-ordinated feel to the department. The staff were very helpful; I had a skincare consultation at the Clarins counter and Pat received advice on applying lipstick. We were given Sisley skincare samples too which should be a real treat to try out. Sisley are a Parisian company that produce higher end plant based anti ageing skin-care products.

foodhall ceilingMy favourite Harrods departments were the food halls. These were packed with atmosphere. I loved the high ceilings with their painted designs, the helpful staff plus the abundance of colour. The variety of high quality products on display was amazing.

In spite of all temptation, we did stick to our resolve regarding spending, our one big splash out was on our light lunch. The visit made a great day out.

Real France Real Close  

These words are the marketing slogan for Nord-Pas de Calais, and for once the sales talk is true.  

Anyone considering a short break in France would be well rewarded with a visit to this area.

Lille street scene (photo by Pat 2009)The first major benefit is that it is very easy to get there.  The Eurostar train only takes 1 hour 14 minutes from London to Lille.  Passengers are required to be at the station for only a short time before the train departs; none of that long, tedious wait that you endure at airports.

The city of Lille offers a choice of activities, and easily enough to fill a long weekend.

Art-lovers can visit the Palais des Beaux Arts, France’s best-known museum after the Louvre, and view a superb collection that includes paintings by Rubens, Goya and Delacroix.

Shoppers will love Lille; there is a wide array of small shops offeringVery pink shop interior, Lille (photo by Pat 2009) mid-price to luxury goods.  Some of these are well-known international names such as Max Mara, but there are also a number of fascinating one-off boutiques where you could pick up something that nobody else will have back home.

The architecture of the town is fascinating.  There are many 17th and 18th Century buildings, and the streets and squares are dotted with monuments and fountains.

Save some money by calling at the Lille Tourist Office and buying a City Pass, which will give access to more than 30 places.  For details see www.lilletourism.com/.

Lille offers a good base from which to explore the surrounding area.  For example, you can take the train to Robaix.

La Piscine - Musee d'Art et d'Industrie, Roubaix (photo by Pat 2009)Robaix was the first town in the Lille area to be awarded ‘Town of Art and History’ status by the Ministry of Culture in recognition of its architectural and historical heritage.

Don’t miss La Piscine – Musee d’Art et d’Industrie.  This is housed in a former Art Deco swimming pool.  The contents of the museum are interesting, while the building is truly stunning.

Bargain hunters visiting Robaix should visit McArthur Glen in the town centre.  This modern mall contains 64 shops offering price reductions up to 40% on French and other labels.

Food is always a major attraction in almost any corner of France.  This region has a ubiquitous chain of bakeries called Paul, all offering a mouth-watering choice of bread, sandwiches and cakes.  They sell a ‘lunch selection’ at a reasonable price.  Enjoy it at one of their sidewalk café tables, soaking up the atmosphere.

The popular restaurants in Lille do get booked up.  We suggest that on the day of arrival, walk around and decide where you would like to eat and book ahead to ensure that you can have your evening meal at your chosen venue.

We also suggest that you book hotel accommodation well in advance.  This will allow you to find the best location, and at the best price.

Bon Voyage!   

Oh! Don't forget travel insurance. Go Travel Insurance Services offers low-cost one-trip cover, a choice of tailored packages and insurance for those over 75.

 

T*

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Kefalonia

Tricia writes:

Tricia in Kefalonia

View Tricia's 2010 calendar of beautiful Kefalonia scenes on lulu

http://www.lulu.com/browse/preview.php?fCID=7132691

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This year I visited the Greek Ionian Island of Kefalonia. The advantage of a late May holiday for us was that temperatures were hot at around 32C but hadn’t reached their summer peaks. 

Kefalonia lives up to its reputation as a very pretty island. It is mountainous, so if you dislike driving on mountain roads it  perhaps isn’t the best of the Greek islands to visit, but the scenery is stunning.

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Spartia Beach

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We stayed just outside the southern village of Spartia, about a mile uphill from a beautiful sandy bay with beach restaurants. The village itself  also had three tavernas and a couple of Greek style mini supermarkets. Buildings on Kefalonia are almost all post 1953 as this was the year when many of the buildings were lost in an earthquake. To see original Venetian houses it is best to visit the northern fishing village of Fiskardo which was spared.

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Fiskardo Friskardo

Fiskardo

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The island is largely undeveloped, with the tourist towns being small by UK standards and the night life is fairly quiet in most places. However, if you enjoy eating in tavernas in beautiful surroundings  Kefalonia is wonderful. There are opportunities for a little snorkelling around the beaches but boat trips are limited. We could only find trips that were rather costly and involved a whole day out. There was little in  the way of crazy golf and tourist attractions but a visit to caves and an underground lake was awe inspiring.

  

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Melissani Caves

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Our trip was arranged through Sunvil, who were fantastic throughout. Our journey from Gatwick took about six and a half hours including the short transfer to our accommodation, so we were by the pool at about 2.30pm Greek time (two hours behind UK summer time). We stayed at the Poseidon apartments which were meant to be self catering. However, the lovely little pool bar provided breakfasts, lunches and drinks plus there was a limited daily cleaning service for our apartment. All we had to do was to make the occasional drink and wash up a few cups.

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Residence Poseidon

Poseidon Apartments, Spartia

All four of us had a relaxing break and thoroughly enjoyed the Greek sunshine.

 

Google Map:  http://www.greeka.com/ionian/kefalonia/google-maps/index.htm

 

Tourist Infomation:

http://www.greeka.com/ionian/kefalonia/kefalonia-tourism.htm 

Sunvil:

http://greece-holidays.sunvil.co.uk/sunvil/home/destinations/Greece/Kefalonia/South_Kefalonia/properties/Residence_Poseidon.asp

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Turkish Baths at Portobello Swim Centre, Edinburgh

Pat commissioned Beautiful Daughter to check out the Turkish Baths at Portobello.  These are described on the website as one of the few original Turkish Baths still in use in the UK.  Here’s her report:

The entry fee was £5.40 on a weekday.  My friend didn’t have to pay anything because she has an Edinburgh Leisure Pass.

I telephoned in advance to ask about opening times. The person who advised me omitted to tell me that I was attending a women only session.  Fortunately, I went with a girlfriend

When we arrived we were directed to upstairs changing rooms, and told we could access the swimming pool as well as the Turkish Baths.  However, we could not find a door that led to the main pool.

There were notices on the wall instructing patrons to wear swimming costumes. 

Everybody was friendly, and some people were obviously regulars.  I was happy it was a women only session.

There were not very many loungers for relaxation in the various rooms, and I was disappointed with the décor.  The walls were tiled only half way up, and the paint colours above were dull.  That could be the Victorian style.

The one thing that I really didn’t like was that in every room, a very loud loud speaker delivered staff announcements and information for the public!

But, on the whole, it was quite fun, and I would go again if I had an Edinburgh Leisure Pass.

logo photoA STAY AT CHAMPNEYS

Tricia  writes:

Last August I stayed at Champneys, Forest Mere for six nights. This was booked as time to recover from minor surgery to allow  rest post-opertatively. No cooking, cleaning or working, just relaxation with the occasional exercise class thrown in.

Special offers abound at Champneys; my stay was booked with a discount and free room upgrade. For details of prices and to register for special offers see the link below. If you book with a discount the prices are really fair since they cover delicious food for the duration of your stay, most exercise classes, use of swimming pool and gym. Many packages have inclusive treatments.

Champneys, Forest Mere, is up a long lane passing through fields and Champneys, Forest Meretrees near the village of Liphook, Hampshire. My GPS system did its work, otherwise  ensure you have clear details of the location before travelling. There is on-site car parking.

On arrival, I was shown to my room which was clean and bright, overlooking a quadrant. There was a television, fruit and water (provision depends on room type), tea and coffee  (fair trade coffee) making equipment, two beds, a sofa and en-suite facilities. Dressing gowns are provided free for the duration, or to take home, depending on your package.

For this  week I wanted to suit myself. I was content to be alone and have time to myself. However, even I would have found this anti-social for six days therefore I booked to eat at the group table in the evenings.  Those coming to Champneys alone can eat with others for the evening meal.  I met an inspiring lady in her late 70s who was having swimming lessons as preparation for her scuba diving holiday abroad. There were several other lovely people whom I would not have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.

 

Treatments.

You are given a treatment schedule on arrival if included in your package or if you have pre-booked. The treatments are often heavily booked so do book before arrival .

 

Thalassotherapy

This relaxing water treatment is available at Forest Mere. The Thalassotherapy pool is a mineral water pool with water jets at ‘stations’. Groups are taken at set times, with safety advice and instructions given at the start of each session. My favourite jets were giant taps in the centre of the pool which pounded down on your shoulders, giving an effective massage.

 

Massages and Facials.

These are often included in the package but are very short sessions. This year I noted that Champneys had combined the massage and facial together into one treatment which means you can relax more as the session is longer.

I converted my facials into massage treatments so that I had double length massages; the beauticians will do this if possible but it is not guaranteed.

A wide range of other treatments are available. You may be able to find similar treatments near your home at lower price, so consider carefully before booking. Your day can also get quite busy if you fill it up with too many sessions.

 

 Exercise Classes

There is a full schedule of classes, most included in the price. There was a charge for Pilates. The best class I attended was rebounding using mini trampolines for a great cardio workout with minimal impact on the joints. Great fun too.

 

Swimming

On first sight the indoor pool looks amazing. It’s huge but when I have stayed at Champneys it has always been almost empty. There is a reason for this: people constantly complain that the pool is too cold to swim in. The fitness staff say it is at a healthy temperature to exercise in to ensure you keep moving in the water. The reality is that most people just get out of the pool really quickly and give up on swimming. It’s not freezing, just uncomfortable and probably not too great for arthritic joints. This is disappointing. I do wonder if the cost of heating the pool to a warmer temperature is an underlying factor.

There is also an outdoor pool which I was unable to use. The weather was too poor at first then I heard that a dead rodent was found in the pool. It was then closed for cleaning. That’s just life and I’m very glad the pool was closed for cleaning!

 

Extra Options

A fitness analysis is available with the gym staff.

Lectures were given on nutrition and  fitness motivation among other topics.

Individual appointments are bookable with the nutritionists. Hint -  when I stayed two nutritionists were available. I attended a nutrition lecture with both before booking my appointment so I could decide which best suited my needs. 

Colour analysis was also available during my stay.

There is a varied schedule of options which change regularly too. As a Christian, I did find some of the options weird and wacky and some positively forbidden in the Bible so think carefully about which sessions you attend. Even if you aren’t a Christian you don’t want to attend anything that may worry you later.

 

Gym 

There is a fully equipped gym with payable personal training available. However, I did find that it lacked staff supervision compared to other gyms I have attended, little help was on hand for the novice without paying extra for personal training. The wonderful, expensive vibration training machine stood unused when I was in the gym as there was a rule that you could only use it on a paid basis with a trainer. As I use one regularly at my own gym this was frustrating. 

On balance, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Champneys. The basic package was good value, but extras can bump the price up significantly. On return, everyone said how well and relaxed I looked. Champneys is also worth considering for a great mother and daughter break. 

More information: www.champneys.com 

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 Thinking of a short break or day trip? 

Why not try Chichester, the county town of West Sussex.  It offers lovely shopping, interesting things to see and do, and it is packed with beautiful buildings.  For more information, see our Hub Pages article on Chichester.

 

                                              

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