With us not going to Florida next year we will obviously have to make alternative arrangements. We’re going in 2010, make no mistake 
But next year was just too soon – need to get everything in order first so that we’ve got a stable platform from which to depart.
So the question is, what do we do about taking a holiday next year? It can’t be a case of “not going” because that’s insane. Everyone needs a break, even if its just for a few days somewhere like Scarborough or Blackpool. Just a break from the norm, getting away from everything that pisses you off in your boring mundane routine.
Thats if you have a boring mundane routine of course, some people don’t. I have a routine, but its not boring or mundane (at least not at the moment). Since moving to Frog and changing hours to pretty much full on days though the weeks just feel like they’re flying by at great speeds. This is worsened by Sue working nights, I can be home less than 90 minutes (if theres heavy traffic) and Sue goes off to work. It can sometimes get you down but hey thats life and everyone has to make a living – right?
I always find it amusing that weekends seem to be on a different timescale to weekdays. Friday nights for me are about as useful as a chocolate teapot – I’m knackered from a long week and by 10-11pm I’m knackered and falling asleep on the couch. Saturday morning I may sleep in, then before I know it its lunchtime, getting on for mid afternoon and I haven’t done anything!
Sundays are weird. They’re not like Saturdays because you know that you can’t stay up late and watch TV – you’ve got to prepare for work the next day. Even though its a full day off, its just not the same is it?
Anyway, back on topic.
The reason for me writing this is because I’ve got a long weekend planned, we’re off somewhere (I’m not 100% sure on where yet) probably around the East coast because I like it there.
Whilst looking at the English Country Cottages websites (where I first discovered Red House Farm) I realised just how nice some of these places are. We’ve stayed in a few before and they’ve always been lovely and like a home away from home.
I’ve just been searching for cottages that contain wood burners, pools, games rooms, awesome.
I’ve found this one just outside of Scarborough with all of the above and it looks lovely. Sleeps 4-6 people though and there are only two of us. Its about £280 for three nights. If we were going as a family of 4 or we had two friends to take that wouldn’t be too bad but as there are just two of us, its a little pricey.
Luckily on the same complex there is a smaller cottage for two, still has access to the games room and pool but doesn’t have a wood burner. Wood burner isn’t massively important but you wouldn’t believe just how nice and cosy one is. Its lovely. The accomodation for two costs £187 for three nights – much more conservative.
I started off looking for hotels in Whitby, Scarborough and Blackpool (yes I know Blackpool is over the other side of the country before anyone says anything) and I realised that whilst staying in the town centre is handy – its also expensive, probably filled with stag and hen parties at this time of year and its not actually clear what will be open in these town centres anyway.
Sue quite fancied Butlins again, I didn’t. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy staying there, its just I know that we can get better value for money and a more relaxing break elsewhere.
I checked availability anyway and they have nothing for the weekend I’m looking at. Shame :p
Bed and Breakfast would have been fine. The problem I found with B&B when we stayed in Whitby a few months ago however was that because we were in such a remote location and all we had was a kettle, it was very difficult to get food later on. Whitby was a good 8 miles away, down country roads that I wouldn’t even start to think about driving on :p If you went out for the day early doors and got back around 3pm ish, you’d have to go out again to get something to eat for tea. Sue was ill one day and going back out for food seemed like a mammoth task just for me 
The handy thing about staying in a cottage with a kitchen means that you can go out for the day, come back and make yourself a plate of chips or a fishfinger sandwich or something. Super noodles, whatever you fancy. You don’t have to eat out twice a day (although that can be nice).
So anyway. No Florida next year. I can cope with that.
I think we’ll probably look at doing lots of long weekends rather than a week or two weeks away somewhere. With 20 days holiday You could go away for 10 out of 12 months. Take into account bank holidays and you have even more time available still. Even if you took December and August out of the equation you’d have plenty of time away.
I don’t fancy going abroad anywhere next year. I’ve never really been in to Sunbathing holidays. I’d love a safari holiday somewhere with the cameras though.
Plan for next year is to save money, pay off the credit card (which I’m determined to do before December) and get ready for Florida in April/May 2010. Hopefully the Harry Potter section will be open at Universal.
£150 a month into premium bonds, means by the end of December next year there will be over £2100 invested in them. That should pay for the Flights and possibly the tickets for the parks, leaving us in a fairly good position.
With the DVC membership then allowing us to go every two years after that, things should start looking a whole lot better.
I’m really looking forward to next year. The year of holidays in good old England.
