5 Ways To Make Holidaying Abroad More Ethical

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It’s become increasingly common to set aside international travel in recent years, as the cost of living, the risks of Covid and the environmental toll have all become starkly obvious. Make no mistake, these are all perfectly good reasons to focus more on a staycation or a local holiday and a lesson we can all learn is that there is beauty and interest on our doorstep. From now on, hopefully, the dial will be turned in favour of more domestic travel, but it would, however, be a shame to become totally insular and miss out on the delights that can be experienced in other countries. A good way forward could be to focus on more ethical ways to see the world and contribute to tourist economies.

Can you travel internationally without compromising on your principles? Yes, but it will take a little more effort. Is it worth it? Yes, it certainly is. Below, we’ll go into some of the ways you can satisfy the more ambitious parts of your wanderlust without having to silence the ethical voice that keeps you on the straight and narrow, as well as recommending some places you can see while doing so. Safe travels (for you and the planet)!

Focus on the local

Just as you can favour local economies at home and keep your carbon footprint to a minimum, overseas travel can offer you opportunities to do likewise. The best way of doing this is to visit destinations outside of the tourist season and keep your focus on the local area. If you go to France, it doesn’t have to be all about heading to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower. There are innumerable delightful French villages that you can reach without even stepping on a plane - and while there you can eat at independent local restaurants, travel by public transport and stay in family-owned accommodation such as B&Bs.

This way, you contribute to the local economy of these areas, conserve the natural character of the communities and experience the genuine uniqueness of your destination - and all without having to queue for hours to see something you’ve seen thousands of times on TV!

5 Tips to Teach Your Children About Personal Hygiene

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It is essential to teach your children about good personal hygiene at a young age. Teaching them how to keep themselves clean and hygienic will help them stay healthy as they grow older. Here are five tips for teaching your children about personal hygiene:

Explain the Meaning of Good Personal Hygiene to Them

From a young age, you can be having conversations with your child about how important it is to keep ourselves clean and to practise good hygiene. Explain to your children what it meant by personal hygiene, it is, of course, more than just having a bath. Talk about how personal hygiene is the practice of keeping their body clean and healthy, as well as their hair, face, hands, feet, nails and teeth too.

As well as explaining you'll want to demonstrate to your child how to clean themselves well and help them understand that they must thoroughly wash their genitals too as this can be an area where bacteria easily breeds. By explaining personal hygiene to your children in a way that is age-appropriate and easy for them to understand, they will be more likely to remember and practice it as they grow older.

Show Them How to Clean Their Teeth

Another vital part of personal hygiene is oral health. Teach your children how to brush their teeth twice a day for a full two minutes each time. Make sure they are using a toothbrush that is the correct size for their age and using toothpaste with fluoride. If your child is old enough, you can also teach them how to floss their teeth, wrapping the floss around their fingers and gently inserting it between their teeth, using a clean piece for each new tooth. Remember to help them understand that they need to be gentle when flossing so that they don’t hurt their gums.

Making the best of the teeth you have is so important but it won't always be enough to give you the smile of your dreams, so as your child grows they may need help from an orthodontist or once they are adults maybe even visit cosmetic dentists Glasgow.

7 Ways to Help Your Children Learn About Good Money Management

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Teaching your kids about money is one of the most important jobs you’ll ever have to do as a parent and it is incredibly important to tackle this topic from an early age as they'll begin building attitudes and habits towards money from as early as five years old. I still smile when my kids talk about being a pre-schooler and not being allowed a specific item of food as it wasn't a good price! All those shopping trips with me where I'd only buy cheese strings or yoghurt pouches if they were on special price obviously had an impact.

Getting used to talking about money and personal finance early on can prevent your children from encountering financial issues in the future. Many people start seeking the benefits of Debt Arrangement Schemes because of debt issues that may have been avoided if they had learned valuable financial skills early on in their childhood.

Here are 10 tips to help your children learn about money -

1. Make Saving and Giving a Family Value

Saving and giving should be part of every conversation with your children, including how to save and where to give when appropriate. Too many families encourage their children to spend and not to save and give. A nice idea is to let them start to responsibly manage their pocket money from an early age. For example, if they are given £5 a month, you might encourage them to save half of it, give a small percentage to a cause they feel passionate about and then enjoy spending the rest if they'd like.

Our family have always sponsored a couple of children in developing countries via Compassion and this has worked so well to help our children see how important it is to give to those less fortunate. 

2. Help Kids Create a Budget

As your child gets a little older you can help them to create a weekly or monthly budget. It can include a contribution from their part-time job or allowance and then help your child to track their spending in a notebook or on an app. This visual reminder of what they are spending can help them to realise how quickly money can be wasted away or alternatively it can motivate them to save towards a larger purchase such as a phone or coveted trainers. 

3. Model Saving and Spending Appropriately

Don’t assume your children know the basics about how to manage money. They need guidance to delay gratification and understand the difference between wants and needs at every age. It is clear by the level of debt today that many adults still don't have a clue how to manage their money and a realisation that it is better to save up and buy an item outright instead of constantly taking credit that you may not be able to repay.  It's good to model this to your children and they can see the excitement of buying a large item once you have saved up and have the sense of achievement of being able to buy outright the new car, sofa or whatever it is you need. 

How to Take Care of Yourself In Pregnancy

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Finding out that you're pregnant is a special time in any woman's life. Ensuring that you're taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do to ensure that you deliver a healthy baby. 

You also want to make sure that you are in the best shape possible during your pregnancy. This will not only be beneficial to you but your child as well. However, taking care of yourself during pregnancy can be challenging as your body is changing dramatically. If it's your first pregnancy you may not be aware of some of the things that you need to do to take care of yourself. 

Even if you have been pregnant before it is still worth reminding yourself of all the things you need to do to keep you and your baby healthy. Here are some of the most important things you need to do and know about to care for yourself during pregnancy.

Your Diet

When you are pregnant, having the proper diet becomes even more important than ever. Whilst there may be several cravings that you encounter throughout your pregnancy, ensuring that you eat the right things is essential. You need to ensure that you are getting enough of all the proper nutrients, as a lack of any one can cause problems with the growth and development of your baby. 

Try to eat healthily, using the healthy plate model, with a good balance from all the food groups and particularly a lot of vegetables and fruits. Rich sources of protein are also really important as these are the building blocks of our bodies.

If your doctor has given you a specific dietary requirement for your pregnancy make sure that you are following their instructions as this will help to ensure that your pregnancy goes smoothly.

How To Be A Happy Mum

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Being a mum can be a hard job. We often feel as though we are being pulled in dozens of different directions all at once, and it can seem like, no matter what we do and what choices we make, someone is judging and telling us it was the wrong decision. This can lead to unhappiness, and that is a shame. Being a parent is such a wonderful thing that letting others dictate your happiness means you miss out on the enjoyment of being a mum. Therefore, it needs to stop, and here are some excellent ways you can be a happy mum, enjoy your children, and forget about everyone else.

Find The Right Balance 

Motherhood is a balancing act between being with your children and taking time for yourself, between working and staying at home, between being ‘you’ and being ‘mum’, and so much more. What works for one person in terms of balance might not work for another, which is why it is essential you work out what suits you. Then, of course, be willing to flex this in time if you need to. 

For example, you might choose to work full-time, part-time, or not at all. You might work from home or prefer to go to an office. No matter which you choose, you will have your reasons, and you will work out your happiness from it. Don’t listen to anyone else about this; you need to do what’s best for you and your family. As time goes on, you can easily make adjustments depending on where you feel you are needed most, so remember that nothing is set in stone, and you can change anything that needs to be changed. 

Personalise Your Dream Home Office Space

 

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Whether you need to set up a proper home office for yourself or your child, personalising the space is essential for your productivity and wellbeing. We can spend a major part of our life working at a desk, as a professional employee, a freelancer, or a student. Therefore, it is crucial to get the desk space right and make it a comfortable and unique environment. 

It goes without saying that every workstation requires proper equipment as a priority, and this means that you should focus on securing the right laptop and other devices in the first instance. Ultimately, you will need to decide what your workstation should include if you want to make it an efficient space and inject some personality into it! 

The typical home office equipment for students and professionals could include:

• A computer or laptop

• A headset

• A webcam (often already integrated into the computer)

• A microphone

• A printer/scanner 

• A bookshelf with the relevant literature 

• Stationery  

Once you've gathered everything you need to work, it's time to create an environment that inspires and motivates. It's time to get creative! 

A handmade leather gift

Leather adds a unique sense of luxury and elegance. There are many unique gift ideas for students, which you can learn to make yourself. A DIY bookmark can be a superb addition to the student kit, reminding them to enjoy reading and acquiring knowledge. 

You can also create a full leather set for the desk. Home office workers, especially, put their desks through a lot. As they spend a lot of time sitting at the desk, the surface can rapidly show signs of wear and tear where they put the mandatory teacup! A leather coaster can help protect the desk and make the whole setting feel more put together. Also, why not pair it with a leather mouse pad for a touch of elegance that keeps them motivated during the day! 

Things To Consider When Buying Your Child's First Laptop

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A 2019 Statista report says 93% of UK children already own tablets, smartphones or computers for their personal use. Undoubtedly, these gadgets were bought by their parents, family friends or other relatives. These gadgets come with a lot of responsibility on both sides. Parents and children are required to observe basic rules and directions to ensure that these personal devices are used appropriately. Therefore, if you are contemplating getting your child their first computer, here are some things you can consider first.

Set time limits

Setting time limits generally refer to the number of hours your child can use their computer. Apart from the hours, it is vital to set limits for the times of the day to access these devices. Over the years, research has proven that too many UK kids are abusing screen time, and unfortunately, parents are aware of it. For many households, the ownership of a computer may be to keep kids occupied at home while parents attend to other responsibilities at home or in the office.

However, too much screen time can be detrimental to your child’s eyesight. In other words, exposure to blue lights from computer screens can cause visual fatigue and pressure on the retina. To avoid these health effects, you can purchase a Blue Light filter to protect their young eyes. The best decision, though, is to set screen limits and to ensure that your restrictions are well communicated. Too much screen time also has its effects on cognitive development and their social life.

Getting Your Tools To Get Ready To Garden Again

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The true importance of a garden is that it’s much more than just a way to generate some curb appeal. They play an important role in shaping the environment that we live and spend our time in and, as such, keeping them maintained is crucial. With spring coming over the horizon, this might mean you need to take a closer look at your tools and make sure that they’re up to scratch for the year ahead.

Ensure your tools are clean and ready

Hopefully, there shouldn’t be too much in the way of soil or other dirt actively sticking to your tools, but you should make sure that you’re checking them just in case, to prevent corrosion. For the majority of metal gardening tools, soaking them in warm water and then using a jet to clean them off is worth considering. If you have any tools you’re worried about, you can use an oil like the ones from this store to make sure that they’re coated against the external pressures that can cause corrosion.

Test out the motorised ones

For a lot of people, you might not have too many motorised tools, but any that you do have and you haven’t used for a while, you should give them a short test run after visually inspecting them for any faults. Check to ensure that your lawnmower is working as it should be after cleaning out any debris that might still be lingering in there. If there are any issues, then you should use your manufacturer’s guide to troubleshoot and you can get replacement parts from this site. The sooner you act on any issues with your motorised tools, even the seemingly minor ones, the less likely they are to be so costly.

Here’s how Exercise could Really Benefit your Mental Health

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If you want to try and improve or just support your mental health, then you are not alone. Many people in the world want to try and help their mental health to be the best it can be and why shouldn't we? Life is too short to feel sad, depressed and lethargic. Change won't just come with wishful thinking though, you need to take active steps to try and turn things around. If you want some help, then take a look below.

Anxiety

Exercise is a natural treatment for anxiety. It is ideal for relieving stress and believe it or not, it can also boost your mental energy. It releases a lot of endorphins, which are those feel-good hormones that we all love to experience. Anything that you can do to try and get moving will help you, but it does help to pay attention instead of zoning out. So, if you're running try and take note of the sensations you feel when your feet hit the ground, or even the rhythm of your breathing as you take a brisk walk. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you can take better note of your physical conditioning and that it is also possible for you to improve the thoughts that are running through your head. If you are keen on the idea of a cardio program, then you can take supplements to support that. Learn more now.

Stress

When you are under stress, have you ever taken note of how your body feels? You may feel as though your muscles are tense in your shoulders, your face and your neck. You may also find that you experience neck pain and headaches too. You could also experience a rapid pulse or cramps. The worry of being stressed can also cause more stress to your body, which is the last thing that you need.

Exercising is a very good way for you to try and break this cycle. It helps to release endorphins into your brain, and it also helps you to relax your muscles. This helps you to relieve tension in your body. The body and the mind are closely linked and if you can get to the point where your body feels great then your mind will too. Activities like yoga or pilates are gentle and you can start easily but they will make the world of difference to how you feel and also, in time, to your health, strength and flexibility.

Finally on the Path to being Fit and Free

I’ve been seeking fitness and freedom for quite some years now. Back at the beginning of 2015, I started to use the hashtag #FitandFree because that was my aim for the year. I thought I was finally going to conquer my weight demons and manage to lose lots of weight, however, it didn’t happen and yet again I became demotivated and remained unhappy in my body.

A 35 Year Journey

My issues with my weight started when I was about 13, or that was when I became aware that I had a problem that I felt needed solving. I remember going to the doctor for help and he told me to write a food diary and then halve it. That was the start of a very painful and prolonged journey of self-hate for the last 35 years. I look back now and I wasn’t even particularly big, yes, a little bigger than some classmates, but absolutely fine.

By the time I left secondary school, I had lost some weight (through attending Weight Watchers classes with my mum) and I was around a size 12/14 I thought I looked amazing and I felt amazing but soon some weight went back on and the first suit I bought at age 16 was a size 16. By the time I headed to University at 18, I was a size 18 and I can remember that I thought that was the most humongous and gross size there ever was, I even cut the labels out of my clothes as I was so ashamed and didn’t want my new friends to know. Little did I know what was to come.

How I'd love those 18-year-old curves again

Even at university when I should have been focusing on studying and enjoying my life as a young adult I can remember going to various weight lossfollowclubs to try and shift some weight, so I could feel ‘normal’, the same as everyone else. Counting calories, recording food, drinking grapefruit juice before I ate, stepping on the scales, checking out food plan points – it was like an obsession.

By age 21 I was down to a size 16 when I met my now-husband and between then and getting married at age 28, I headed upwards to a size 20/22. When you are young you think you have years ahead to ‘sort yourself out’ and I recall weight loss being fairly easy. Cut back and restrict calories and then I could drop 1/2 stone in a week. I look back now and wonder why I never carried through and got to a healthy weight, but I was carrying so much emotional baggage and every time it threatened to resurface, I’d eat and stuff it back down and that sense of shame would grow a little stronger.

Food – my False Idol

The rejection I felt as a child carried through and was reinforced by new situations that life threw at me and I had no resilience and no idea of how to deal with my emotions or these situations. So I ate, as food always comforted me, it never let me down and it was a wonderful smokescreen to stop me from looking too in-depth at where things were going wrong.

I can’t reveal too much as so much of what happened to me isn’t just my story and thus I can’t break confidence but I am so glad I found Jesus. That is what has saved me. Having a personal and loving relationship with God is what makes a difference in my everyday life. It is what sustains me and keeps me going. Reading that, you’d be forgiven for thinking that I have lost several stones of weight and that I am now considered a healthy weight, but no, alas I am still morbidly obese.

On my wedding day in my size 22 dress

However, I don’t have to be at my target weight (I don’t actually have a target weight) to be saved, to find success in my journey. Jesus has redeemed me and I have learnt to accept (moving the knowledge from my head to my heart) that He adores me and He won’t love me anymore when I am eight stone lighter. He also wouldn’t love me any less if I got eight stone heavier.

In the two decades that I have known Jesus and accepted Him as the Lord and Saviour of my life, He has been working on me and I have had a desire to work for Him. I had no clear picture of what that meant, but He has been revealing snippets to me as the years have gone past. When our family moved to East Sussex in the summer of 2013 I had a clear understanding that God wanted me to slow down and just be for a bitfollow. I heard the phrase ‘fit for purpose’ and I believe that it was from God. For quite some years I took that phrase to mean that I needed to lose weight to address health issues and then He could use me. I berated myself each time a diet failed or I got demotivated and stopped going to the gym. Since living here I have started Slimming World around five times and been a member of different gyms on at least six occasions. I’ve also attended a fitness club and tried to do the Couch to 5K. I’m not being a defeatist when I say that all of these attempts failed.

Only God can Work a Miracle

Why did they fail? I think, probably, because I was trying to win in my own steed. A few years back I realised I needed to submit my food and more importantly my fears to God, so He could work on me to help me. But then I continued to battle and kept taking back all the things I had left at the foot of the cross and I made them all my problem again. Fearful that I’d be hungry, fearful of the saggy skin I thought I’d be left with, fearful of intimacy issues, fearful of missing out and fearful of the opportunities that may come my way if I was slimmer and healthier and able to do anything I pleased as my body could take the strain.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

But fear can not enter where there is faith. So, I’ve been working on my relationship with Jesus and developing that faith. I’m very proud of the hard work I have put into this process. The determination and dedication I have shown to becoming a better person, to healing my emotional issues and to being available for God has been immense. It hasn’t always been easy but I am so happy to have been through the fiery furnace and to now see my character more in line with Jesus. Of course, there is work still to be done, we’re never quite the finished project but I feel as if I have made leaps and bounds forward and that is thanks to God.

Handing over my Fears & Relying on Him

So, now, at last, I feel able to be brave and to hand any final fears over to God as I exercise my faith and start to cut back on what I eat. I don’t need to overindulgence and overcompensate for unhappiness elsewhere in my life, I am ready to fully submit and to change; to be who Christ truly wants me to be.

I am very much looking forward to starting my new job in March at least 3kg lighter and then going on holiday in October with my family and being 25kg down. That means losing 2.5Kg each month for the next 10 months, which is about 5lb a month so hopefully attainable.

Earlier today I was thinking about hope, as well as faith and being reminded that I don’t have to despair of this weight loss journey that has taken 35 years so far. There is no need for me to be exasperated with myself and to assume I’ll give up or fail, just because I have before. I now have the hope of Jesus and I need to allow Him to sustain me. The only stiving I must do is in my pursuit of Him and my relationship with Him.

Jesus has restored and redeemed me. I learned on my bible study course this morning that Jesus moved women from shame to honour and that is what He has done for me. Thank you, Jesus, that by Your blood I am saved and I can live another day to serve You and love You. Amen.

Retreat at The Greenhouse Christian Centre, Poole

In early December last year, I stayed at The Greenhouse Christian Centre in Poole for four nights and I had the most amazing time. Some of that was because I met profoundly with Jesus and the Holy Spirit did a lot of healing work in me, but much of that was possible because I was staying in a wonderful and anointed retreat centre with a hospitality-focused team. It's therefore my joy to share with you a review of my time at The Greenhouse Christian Centre. 

Location

The Greenhouse Christian Centre is actually located between Westbourne and Branksome but has a Poole address. It is just under two miles to Bournemouth town centre and nearly five to Poole. You can easily get a train into Bournemouth mainline station and catch a bus, or if you get off the train at Branksome it is about a 10/15 minute walk, depending on how leisurely you want to walk. 

I found the location really convenient as someone who travelled by public transport, as the quaint town of Westbourne is about a ten-minute walk and there you can find coffee shops, restaurants, take-aways and shops. Or you can get to the woodland chines and access the gorgeous Bournemouth beaches by walking for about 20 minutes. 

It would be easy to find my using a sat nav if you are driving and there is plenty of parking available.

 

Looking Forward to December 2022

After spending quite some time in the last week reflecting on how things have changed in 2021 and how I have grown and matured, it’s now time to look forward. In one of my many recent emails, I was asked the questions –

Where do I want to be in December 2022?

What would I like to have achieved?

So, that got me thinking and of course, praying, about what my future might hold and I figured it’s no bad thing to visualise how things might look for me in a year's time. After 2021 being such a great year of spiritual growth I don’t want to rest on my laurels. I need to keep pressing on and making myself available to deepen my relationship with God and do His will. The first few things I come up with are –

• Be working in a job that fulfills me and makes a difference to others
• Have made my health a priority and lost some weight so I can move better and hurt less
• JJ settled at University and happy in his studies
• My girls feeling prepared to undertake their GCSE exams

This first part above I started to write in the first week of January and now it is 22nd January and I am already some way towards achieving the first one as I got a new job last week. I’m going to be the Food Bank Project Manager in the town where I go to church and it needs a complete overhaul, so this will be an exciting (and slightly scary) challenge, but I feel equipped to do it as I know it is God who placed it in front of me.

Other items that I’d add to my visualisation of how I’d like December 2022 to look, include –

• Adam being in a job that challenges and fulfills him, one where he doesn’t feel exasperated most days
• Us all being settled in our home, feeling safe and comfortable
• The whole family continues to be a part of our church family, fully involved in many aspects of serving
• My girls having great friends, that they can rely on and trust. Ones who are good influences on them
• Family life at home being more collaborative, with everyone helping with the chores and cooking as I’ll be working more
• All of my family is well in both physical and mental health

And that’s it really. I don’t know if I’m just a simple woman or if I have low expectations but I am content with what I have in the main and I think that is a very precious gift. Thank you Jesus for all you give me and the way you are a constant in my life. I am so glad I have you to go through this life journey with. I honestly don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have you to turn to and rely on every single day. Amen

Beauty Recommendations for Looking after Yourself in 2022

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Finally, in my late forties, I seem to be looking after myself better. I've always enjoyed wearing make-up and doing my hair but I have been absolutely hopeless at looking after my skin or having any kind of beauty regime. Thankfully, God seems to have blessed me with good skin and I've got away with it, but no longer, I realise I'm ageing and need a change. So let me share with you some of the products I've been using in recent times and I'm loving.

Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Revealing Liquid Peel - £16 for 100ml

This is a fairly new product to me, I've been using it for just a few months but even in that short time, I am really finding it effective. I had thought that my face was looking a bit dull but this has cheered it up no end and I have that lovely glow again. The product has a gentle exfoliator in it and you apply it to dry skin and as you massage it in you can feel these little balls forming and they are supposed to collect up your dry skin cells and any dirt/ grime that is there. You then rinse it off your face and it really is very satisfying to use. 

You just need one or two small pumps for each use, so I think the 100ml bottle will last me quite some time and provide good value. When I was younger I probably would have opted for a supermarket fash wash in a much bigger size for under a fiver but as I get older I realise that you do get what you pay for. I also really like the values of Body Shop (#ad) and I'm happy to buy from a sustainable brand with good green credentials, using natural products. 

4 bucket list ideas for 2022

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Another year has rolled around.

And while the previous two have been distinctly more… unique than those that came before them, the uncertainty for many has only renewed our desire to push ourselves that little bit further and expect more out of life.

So it’s no surprise that as New Year rolls around we’re more motivated than ever to cross a few items off our bucket lists and level up our ambitions when it comes to those annual resolutions. With that in mind, these are just four of the most common bucket list entries – how many are on yours?  

1. Renovate your home

Maybe your home is full of odd jobs that you’ve been putting off since the day you moved in. Or perhaps the DIY renovations you began in lockdown have fallen by the wayside, and still need that final push to finish them off.

Take it one room – or even one task – at a time. Draw up a list of priorities and work through them as and when you’re ready. Resolutions don’t have to be done all at once – turn it into a long-term and sustainable project, I'm certainly going to. The bathroom is the first on the hit-list as I need to clean up the grout, or maybe even dig it all out and re-grout it as it can make such a difference to how fresh the room looks. 

Review: Spa Day at Ashford International Hotel, Kent

Back in November a friend and I spent the day at the spa at the Ashford International Hotel (it was a weekday, term-time visit). It wasn't somewhere either of us had been to before but with a 4-star rating, I was hopeful for a good experience. In truth, my expectations weren't too high as I know I'm pretty fussy and the day had only cost me  £87 for two of us to have the spa day with lunch and 50 minutes of treatments. So at, £43.50 each it was a real bargain, having bought it on Red Letter Days with one of their excellent discounts (definitely sign up for their mailing list, where you often get offered 10 - 25% off their deals).

Booking and Before the Day

The voucher was easy enough to buy from Red Letter Days and I had to call Q Hotels central reservations to make the booking, which was fine but I found it a bit odd that they didn't email or send a confirmation. They just gave me a booking number and apparently, this is all they do.

Once I'd booked I had a few questions to ask about the robes, lunch and treatments but the customer service was pretty awful. It took me around two weeks to actually get to speak to someone at the hotel spa. When I did, Liberty was very pleasant and helpful, but I didn't like having to chase for answers when my questions were so simple.

Arrival at the Hotel

The hotel was easy to find and there was plenty of parking available. There is a direct entrance by the spa and I'd arranged to meet my friend in the hotel lounge, so I just wandered through. The lounge and public areas are really nice, very well set-out to allow for private space and we had a very enjoyable coffee before going through to the spa. Although it was a pricey coffee at £3.85 for a regular cappuccino, so lucky it was good.