Sun has got its hat on
The weather looks as though it has finally stopped acting like a sulky child punishing its parents and has started to behave itself.
This, coupled with the strength of the euro against the pound and the increase in fuel prices – which looks set to increase air fares – makes the UK look like a much better proposition for a holiday for many families this summer. We’ve already had a steady flow of calls requesting information on UK breaks.
While it is still possible to have a traditional seaside or campsite holiday, the Carry On Camping vision of the Great British vacation is way out of date.
The market has become very diverse with all sorts of imaginative breaks on offer, from specialist clubbing weeks to painting holidays and the ever popular spa break.
My favourite enquiry came this week from a newly single mother of three who asked me to investigate camper van holidays.
“I remember bombing down to Cornwall in my friend’s camper van to go surfing when I was 20,” she said, “my ex-husband couldn’t surf – claimed he was too tall – so I never went while we were married. Now we’re not, I want to revisit that part of my life and show my kids. I still fit in the wetsuit I had then!”
I asked if she wouldn’t prefer a caravan? “Sorry love,” she said, “but the caravan thing just isn’t cool. A caravan is Cliff Richard, but a camper van is Mick Jagger!”
I got the picture.
There are plenty of other events nationwide to keep people happily entertained. There are festivals to suit every musical taste as well as agricultural shows, fairs and markets.
My own favourite, here in the southwest, is the Boogie Woogie Festival UK in July, organised by local jazz pianist Julian Philips. The festival includes workshops and classes for budding musicians as well as jam sessions.
Enthusiasts from home and abroad come to enjoy music and shared interests, and nobody has to wear a wetsuit…
Dino Touli’s magic piano
On the subject of jazz pianists, I had a call from Dino Touli of Atlantic Holidays this week. It had been a long time since we last spoke, so it was great to catch up and, better still, to be invited on a fam trip to Porto Santo.
Unfortunately, staff holidays and other commitments mean I can’t attend, but I thanked him anyway and reminded him of the last travel function we had attended.
We had been invited to sample the pleasures of a cruise ship and, after a lovely dinner, I’d wandered around the decks with some of the other guests to enjoy the facilities and a glass of wine – to the accompaniment of some mellow tunes from a piano.
Leaning over the balcony to catch sight of this extraordinarily talented musician, we were dumbfounded when the blushing pianist turned out to be Dino, who eventually looked up to give us a wink and a Liberace-style grin.
Wow! There were gasps of delight and admiration from the agents as, one by one, they recognised him. Rapturous applause followed until Dino stood up to take a bow and the piano kept on playing. Britain’s Got Talent? They haven’t heard of Dino Touli and his magic piano.
Not so sweet smell
An article I read recently could solve the summer-long problem of the sweaty customer.
We’re all bothered by the smell of the over-ripe folk who call into our shop. Even for those who are familiar with deodorants, body odour can be an issue that simply won’t go away – and it can be dreadfully distracting.
The answer is to follow the example of a certain Turkish restaurateur in Istanbul. Kemal Koc had insisted his staff shower twice a day and use ‘anti stinks’.
When this failed to solve the problem he ordered his service staff to have botox injections in their armpits. Now he claims his restaurant is ‘free of stink, except the delicious fragrance of kebabs and onions’.
A human rights officer has appealed on behalf of the staff on the grounds that workers should be able to smell the way they choose. Understandable, but what about the rights of those around them? I’m with Kemal every time!