Take your dog away - from Paul

If you want a super place to stay for a week or a long weekend then Bromfield Priory Gatehouse, nr Ludlow, Shropshire is perfect. The Gatehouse is dog friendly, has lots of secret trapdoors, a grave yard and sleeps 6. It's a Landmark Trust property so the deal is no TV, no WIFI and usually no mobile reception. I can normally just stand that for a few days before I start to chew my foot. I've stayed in a few of these Landmark properties over the years but this was the best to date. Easy to find as opposed to "turn left at the decaying cow's head in the middle of the lane" and not quite as "in the middle of nowhere" as they sometimes can be. There's a incredible Food Hall spitting distance from the house which sold lots of lovely overpriced produce including, raspberry infused gin. That evening we created a cocktail, the Ludlow Raspberry 69, whilst doing a thrilling jigsaw of the Queen Mum (2 parts champagne, 1 part gin, sugar syrup and freshly squeezed lemon). The game of Scrabble that followed was just genius.

Ludlow is walkable (2 miles) over some pretty fields and we were rewarded with Morris Dancers and lots of three legged dogs when we arrived. Again, food is EVERYWHERE with loads of top notch places to eat. It's a gorgeous town complete with ruined castle and market square.

DO try all the local cheese and bread, I want everyone to experience how hard it is to lose the weight.
DON'T stand still for too long if you have a dog. People will throw money at you.

Check the house out here  http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/bromfield-priory-gatehouse-5111#tabs=0

A weekend treat from Kristin

I like would highly recommend the Bridge House Hotel in Beaminster -
www.bridge-house.co.uk/.

It isn't the cheapest - however the restaurant is fantastic! It has a Georgian Dining room, an outside dining room and of course, fabulous food! The staff are friendly and warm.
Its located 20 minutes from Bridport and Lyme Regis, ideal for a relaxing weekend - with easy access to beaches and wonderful scenery. It's been a hidden secret of mine and Marks for a number of years and over the years the hotel has just got better and better.
The Coach House rooms accommodates dog's too.

GREECE IS THE WORD! (So is Derbyshire!) from JAE

Thinking of a week in Greece?
I know the TV is full of ads for holidays - but if anyone is thinking of planning a getaway to Greece I can highly recommend of hideaway island Andros. Completely unsophisticated, no high rises, no airport so no package holidays.
Andros is quite a big island by Greek standards, with a road system across the island that means you can get anywhere in under an hour - even by scooter ( the best form of transport)
There's really no night life other than the standard restaurants and a mix of tourists - not many Brits ;-)
There are loads of basic studios to hire that are significantly cheaper than the more developed islands like Mykanos. Last year we tried a somewhat more comfortable option - Blue Bay Village . It's actually just a small collection of apartment blocks - 4 in a building on two stories. Nicely equipped, some with kitchen facilities too. The good bit is that it's within a 15 minute walk to the town of Batsi , the main resort town on the island. Very quiet and with a stunning unbroken view over the sea. The nearest beach is 5 minutes walk away - a small beach with a taverna so a steady stream of cold beers and greek salads. All in all a completely chilled out getaway.
Prices per night vary from €70 for a studio for two in May to €170 for a maisonette for 4-5 in August. Worth paying that bit more than in the town!

Take a look at the website - www.blue-bay.gr/english










Or in Derbyshire?
Through Sawdays.co.uk ( the best website for characterful places to stay) we recently found Alstonefield Manor near Ashbourne. A stunning 16th century / Georgian manor house run by a lovely couple, Jo and Robert Wood.
It's been thoughtfully and beautifully decorated - probably thanks to Jo being a stylist for interiors / house magazines. She also bakes cakes for tea each day (JBD eat your heart out!) and a great breakfast.
Set in a typically picturesque village in the Peak District, it's perfectly located for long walks - no need to drive anywhere.
And only 100m from The George Inn - an award winning eatery - highly recommended!
Generally the Manor only takes booking for the whole weekend but we tried our luck with a late booking and got in for a night. They have a mix of accommodation including a cottage for self catering.
Room rates are £80 to £150 per night - B&B - well worth it!

www.alstonefieldmanor.com

Best holiday accommodation offer EVER from Christine

Want a visit to the great British seaside this summer for a STAYCATION?

We have a two bedroom flat in St Leonards (sleeps 4 1/2) with a fully fitted kitchen/living room and balcony, right near Warrior Square and just 5 minutes walk from the beach. We absolutely love it there and are happy to let friends from Stopgap use it for up to a week for a few bottles of nice wine and the promise to look after it and leave it as you found it.

Have a look at my blog to find out more.

http://stleoonsea.blogspot.com/

Landing in Normandy from Ian

A friend of mine has an excellent house in Normandy which is available for holidays rental.

They are lovely and warm people, who would be pleased to hear from anyone interested. The site is very comprehensive and has received excellent testimonials from previous holiday makers.

Do check it out!

www.normandymanorhouse.com

JO BD's Normandy residence on offer - 10% off to SG'ers

I have a holiday home in Normandy. 10% off for SG'ers. It suits a big group - various ways to get down there - near the Mont st Michel and 15 mins walk from the beach. Garden and tennis court. Not grand but very comfortable and also has English TV.

To enlarge click on image

A Room with a View

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

One of Hannah and Eloise's candidates has a house in Italy which she has just finished renovating and it's almost ready for renting (end of May).

I said I'd pass on the details for the blog, in case anyone is interested.

A Place in the Sun

Near Florence, Italy
A friend of mine has told me about a villa run by friends of hers about half an hour out of Florence. I should imagine you would need to rent a car although there is a train station that takes you to Florence not that far away. It's in a beautiful location on a hillside amongst the vineyards...

www.borgodisopra.com

Patara, Turkey
Patara View Point Hotel, not far from Kalkan. This is definitely more affordable for people with a smaller budget. £300 a week for bed and breakfast. It's a great place. Near lots of sites, markets and the sea. I've been there twice with the boys and loved it. Here is the website link www.pataraviewpoint.com

Does anyone know of a similar small family run hotel in Italy? I thought we'd have a change this summer...