As a part of my job a regularly have to train new employees and have been all over England, but next week will be the first time for me to be in London for a few days. I booked my London bed and breakfast this morning and found a very nice looking place called the Jesmond Dene Hotel.

As I’ll only be there on the evening I didn’t want to pay over the odds for all the bells and whistles so opted for this quaint little B & B right next to Kings Cross Station. The hotel features free Wi-Fi connection so I can keep up to date with work emails, a 24 hour reception and CCTV for security.

I’m quite looking forward to being in London for a couple of days, who knows I might even get the time to see some of the landmarks or do some Christmas Shopping when I’m there (fingers crossed).

Going on holiday is expensive, there is no way around it, obviously if you have the money you can splash out on the best, however for many of us we have to weigh up our options and look for the cheapest way possible, especially since the cost of flying has increased.

Many people say why not stay here in the UK and cut out the cost of flights, which is a great option, however even getting around the UK is expensive. If you drive you’re looking at spending a fortune on petrol. If you take a train you’re looking at costly tickets and cramped surrounding whilst you travel. Finally if you take a bus or coach you may save some money but public transport isn’t ideal for families with lots of luggage and a lot of services have been cut which means you can’t get everywhere by bus.

Plus for me I like to get out of this country even for a week, especially somewhere a bit warmer, we have had quite a poor summer and it would be quite nice to spend a week relaxing somewhere warm. You can use comparison websites to find holiday deals such as cheapest flights and cheapest hotels however booking separately can cost you extra. I have decided instead to look at all inclusive holidays, only because of the ease and the fact everything is paid for up front and you don’t have to factor in eating and drinking costs.

All inclusive holidays are becoming more popular as people look at ways to reduce the burden the cost of holidays cause. If you book well in advance out can find some great deals, plus it gives you time to save before you have to pay it off and finally you don’t have to worry about taking lots of spending money for food and drink.

In these austere times getting the best deal is imperative especially if you really want a holiday and lets face who doesn’t want to go on holiday!

Holidays come but once a year (for me and my family anyway) and next year I would love to book a once in a lifetime luxury holiday that the whole family could enjoy. I’m thinking somewhere like Jamaica or the Seychelles; I know it’s not going to be cheap but to have almost guaranteed sun (at specific times of the year of course) and access to water sports for the kids would be great.

There are lots of destinations to choose from, all with fantastic hotels and facilities that are sure to keep us and the kids occupied for the duration of the holiday. These hotels also have various bars and restaurants serving the best of local cuisine and drink and most have a selection of exotic pools and beaches to relax on.

I definitely think next summer we’ll try something special, it would certainly be a family holiday to remember.

Having heard so much hype about the Royal Wedding for the last few months I’ve decided that a family day trip is in order to get away from it all. Being a long standing Manchester United fan it seemed fitting that instead of sitting in front of the TV all day I would make the hundred mile trip to Old Trafford and take the stadium and museum tour.

I’ve been to Old Trafford quite a few times for over the years, but my kids haven’t been yet so what a great time to take them now that they are old enough to appreciate it. I’ve never driven up before because I’ve always used public transport, but I know the rough area where it is and there is ample parking next to the stadium.

I’m taking a marker pen just in case there are any players in and around the stadium, but I doubt it; they will probably be getting ready for Sunday’s game against Arsenal.

That’s what I’m doing for the Royal Wedding, what about you?

Another weekend, another stag party (or feels like it recently), but this time we went go-karting in Manchester and it was great. We went to the Daytona Indoor Karting Centre, which is right next to the best football ground in the country, Old Trafford.

We turned up at 11:30 and used the computer systems to log in, after that we picked up our jumpsuits and gloves and headed for the briefing room. This consisted of a 10 minutes video about the go-karts and race procedures narrated by Martin Brundle. The race director then talked us through the flags and what to do if we crashed.

It was then onto the track where we were fitted for our helmets and shown to our cars. The race format was a 10 minute practice/qualifying round followed by a 40 minute race. It is quite intense racing for that long and you have to concentrate especially over the newly installed bridge, but it was great fun.

After the race we headed to the bar to hear the race winners and trophy presentations. I didn’t get onto the podium (I came 5th), but it was a a great experience; can’t wait to do it again!

I frequent holiday websites quite a lot thinking of ideas for the next family holiday, whether it be relaxing on a beach or skiing in the Alps I try to make it a new and exciting holiday. Although we have travelled to many European countries like France, Spain, Greece and Turkey on our holidays, we have never holidayed in this country.

When I was a child my family used to travel down the Cornwall, so I looked into renting a cottage online. There are literally hundreds of deals online starting from just £200 for 7 nights and can sleep up to 8 people. With flights getting more expensive and the exchange rates struggling, holidaying in England might not be such a bad idea.

Cornwall has lots of things to do including surfing and wind surfing, but there are also lots of places to visit like Clovely, Tintagel Castle and Land’s End. I can’t believe I haven’t thought of this before, imagine the money I’ve spent on flights and hotels for the family, when we could just all get into the car, drive down to Cornwall and have our own holiday cottage in the countryside.

I’ll definitely keep this in mind for next year’s family holiday!

Kingsway hall is a fours star rated hotel situated in London’s Covent Garden. Kingsway is ideal for all situations, whether it be business or pleasure and contains 170 luxurious rooms each providing: air conditioning, Satellite T.V and 24 hour Broadband. Each room is spacious and contains king-sized beds, fitted with the finest linen. Fitted with a power shower and mini bar, Kingsway Hall has to be first class comfort.

As well as the bedrooms, there are also conference rooms available to hire, with nine different rooms to choose from, and a capacity of up to 150, Kingsway Hall’s conference rooms are sure to give off a professional atmosphere.

Kingsway Hall Hotel also provides many leisure facilities for you to experience and relax in including the large circular spa, the gymnasium and the steam rooms. Why not relax in the Jacuzzi?

Kingsway has something for everyone with Covent Garden’s and Oxford Street close by for shopping, and many local pubs and clubs to enjoy. Why not indulge yourself in culture and visit local attractions like The London Eye, The British Museum, Theatre Land, or dining out –just to name a few.

Kingsway Hall also provides various packages to help you save money and to create an enjoyable experience for all, some example of these include: ‘The Kingsway Hall Theatre Package’ and ‘The Tour Offer.’ I highly recommend this hotel; it is one of the best hotels in London and great for everyone!

Me and my wife have always wanted to visit Berlin; a city filled with history (although not all good), but also encompasses shopping, entertainment and of course food and drink that only the Germans could do. My wife’s birthday is in September, so I plan to take her there for a long weekend.

I’ve been looking on the internet for cheap flights and they are quite reasonable, BMI have them for £211 for both of us for three days. I’ve also had a little look at hotels on the Expedia website and for three nights in the centre of Berlin starts at about £175, but I don’t mind pushing the boat out as it is my wife’s birthday.

We will sit down tonight and sort out where we want to stay and book the flights to Berlin and hotel sometime this week.

Well it looks like Glasto might be going cashless next year, but they must offer a refund option in case you have money left over. We can imagine that people would put extra money on if they knew that they could get it refunded. I mean there are loads of t shirt printing booths offering custom shirts and even tie die and then even the official Merchandise stands would probably see increased sales.

Also who would hold the cash Mr Evis well he’ll get a nice bit of interest from all that cash.

Hopefully going cashless won’t have any major negative effects on Glasto but only time will tell.

I’m quite lucky that I have a group of good mates and we hang out all the time, so when one of them is getting married it’s time to sort out a stag party. We were looking at going to a city like Liverpool or London for a couple of nights, but looking at the cost (especially for hotel rooms), we have decided to rent a holiday villa in Portugal for a week.

We are looking at the Algarve in the south of Portugal and have already found a couple of villas from between €1200 – €2000 for a week, which have private swimming pools and large terraces to have barbeques and chill out on.

The stag party isn’t until the end of September and the final figures on who’s coming aren’t in yet (I think there are 10 of us so far), but we hope to have it all booked within a fortnight. I can’t wait, what could be better than chilling out in a holiday villa, next to a private pool with a cold beer in your hands?